Eric Kaler officially starts his job as University of Minnesota president on July 1. Perhaps never in UM history has a new president’s arrival been so anticipated by those who passionately follow the school’s sports teams.
Kaler’s reputation for being supportive of athletics was documented at Stony Brook University in New York where he was provost. And those who conducted the search for the Minnesota presidency to succeed Bob Bruininks put a priority on candidates willing and able to help the Gophers’ athletics department.
Jerry Kill talked to Kaler before he accepted the Gophers football job last fall. Kill must have liked what he heard from Kaler or he could have remained at Northern Illinois, or perhaps accepted another major college job other than Minnesota.
The Gophers trail several other Big Ten Conference schools in football budgets and there is an arms race across the country to spend on facilities, recruiting and coaches’ salaries. Kaler’s decisions about football and particularly other revenue producing sports at Minnesota will play an important role in the success of Gophers teams.
It’s not just about throwing more money at trying to be successful, but the dollars are important when combined with the right coaching leadership. All signs so far are that Kill and his staff have the expertise, if they have the resources, to make Gophers’ football much better than it has been in decades.
Kaler probably has already received input on coaches at Minnesota. He’s had meetings with athletics director Joel Maturi and it’s known that contracts remain to be finalized with Kill, basketball coach Tubby Smith, hockey coach Don Lucia and baseball coach John Anderson.
Kaler will also need to address Maturi’s future because his contract ends next year. Maturi told Sports Headliners he expects his future to be discussed with Kaler this fall. “He has to get to know me. I need to get to know him,” Maturi said.
Maturi has expressed interest in staying on as athletics director but it has to be a situation that is good for the school and him. Among the factors on his side of the decision is the input of wife Lois who has been hurt by criticism of her husband.
Maturi has been a devout advocate of retaining all 25 men’s and women’s sports. It’s a constant challenge maintaining a balanced budget and many athletic departments across the country, including ones that excel in football and men’s basketball, don’t have the large number of sports that Minnesota supports.
Kaler’s position on either maintaining or reducing the 25 teams will be interesting. The educational mantra to provide participation opportunities is strong, but so too is the temptation to reduce some expenditures and direct those monies into football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey, the programs that captivate fans and really are the “window” to the University as viewed by the public. The athletic department is almost entirely self-supporting, generating its revenues through gate receipts, broadcast rights, fundraising and other sources.
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