Tim Brewster, a present day and forward looking optimist, finds encouragement in looking at the past when he recalls his days as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina. Brewster, now coaching the Gophers in spring practice, told Sports Headliners last month that his 1-11 first season at Minnesota reminded him of the start- over project at North Carolina headed by Mack Brown, now head coach at Texas where his Longhorns won the 2005 national championship.
Brown arrived at North Carolina for the 1988 season and started building a program. His first season record was 1-10. The next year Brewster was on the staff with responsibilities that included heavy duty recruiting. By Brown’s third season the Tar Heels were 6-4-1 and on their way to eight, nine and 10 win seasons. A highlight was the 1997 team that finished 10-1, No. 4 ranked in the country, according to Brewster.
The Gopher coach said that while at North Carolina the talent level improved so significantly that “we were at one point putting more players in the National Football League than any school in America.” Brewster sees strong similarities between North Carolina and Minnesota, two football programs that had been mediocre at best before his arrival, and schools with much to offer recruits including solid academics and attractive campuses.
“I’ve drawn upon that experience greatly in my first year here, knowing that if we do the right things each and every day we’ll see the same rewards that we saw at North Carolina,” he said. “I truly believe that.”
The Gophers were statistically the worst defensive team in the country last season. Brewster said he saw the same lack of speed and athleticism at North Carolina that characterized his first Gopher defense. He said adding speed and athleticism is even more important at Minnesota because of the many spread offenses the Gophers will see in today’s modern Big Ten and college football.
Because the talent declined, North Carolina didn’t sustain the same success after Brown left for Texas, said Brewster who went with him to Austin as an assistant coach. “The bottom line is it’s a player’s game,” Brewster said. “We’re only as good a coach as the ability of our players. …”
The Gophers lost five games by five points or fewer last season. “I would like to see us improve to the point where next season we can win the close games,” Brewster said. “Those six point games, those seven point games, we come out, we find a way to win those games. … People say how many wins are you predicting? I don’t know. I know this: we’re going to be in position to win games. We’ve got to win them in the fourth quarter.”