P.J. FLECK – Page 56 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Needs AD Mark Coyle Long Term

Posted on July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by David Shama

An online authority ranks Mark Coyle the No. 11 athletic director among 130 FBS schools. This is the latest endorsement of the University of Minnesota AD who was hired in 2016.

It was rumored last fall University of Southern California officials were in town to test Coyle’s interest in their AD opening. There was speculation USC might even be intrigued about not only hiring Coyle, but doing a package deal that delivered Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck.

Minnesota president Joan Gabel and the Board of Regents approved a new contract in February for Coyle that extends through June 2026. The deal now pays Coyle $975,000 and brings him nearer the best paid athletic directors in the nation who make more than $1 million annually.

Watchstadium.com’s Jeff Goodman and Brett McMurphy ranked the top 20 athletic directors nationally after grading 130 of them on their football and men’s basketball head coaching hires. The Tuesday article said “grades were based on the success of coaches hired, difficulty of opponents in their respective conferences, bowl appearances, NCAA tournament trips, conference titles and national championships won.”

As athletics director at three schools, Coyle’s ranking is based on his hires of head football coaches Bryan Harsin, Dino Babers and P.J. Fleck. As AD at Boise State he hired Harsin, who in six years has a 64-17 record. Coyle’s hiring of Babers at Syracuse resulted in a program rebuilding, with the four-season highlight so far 10 wins in 2018.

Fleck was one of the nation’s hottest coaching names when Coyle hired him away from Western Michigan in January of 2017. Fleck had a breakout season in 2019 with the Gophers winning 11 games for the first time since 1904. The Gophers won two games against top-10 teams and ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press poll.

Basketball didn’t figure into Coyle’s No. 11 evaluation by Goodman and McMurphy because he inherited coach Richard Pitino, who in eight Big Ten seasons has one winning year in conference games. Still, Coyle received an A- grade, and among Big Ten Conference peers ranks only behind Ohio State’s Gene Smith and Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez. They rank No. 2 and 3 respectively in the country, behind No. 1 Joe Castiglione of Oklahoma.

If Fleck can continue his success and basketball becomes a winning program, Coyle might one day earn the reputation of Minnesota’s best athletics director ever. There will be inquiries from other schools about Coyle’s interest in moving on but the Upper Midwest native seems comfortable in the Twin Cities and with his job. During Coyle’s time at Minnesota the 25-sport program has compared very favorably with other FBS schools in academics, community involvement and winning.

Retaining Coyle could well be a key in hanging on to Fleck who at 39 remains one of the hot names in college coaching. When schools start bidding for Fleck, and they will if he continues to win, the coach may or may not show interest. If he does, bet your Goldy cap Fleck’s relationship with Coyle will count for a lot on whether he stays or goes.

Hiring the right coach is an inexact process, with a long list of athletic directors failing at the assignment including in the Big Ten. Coyle’s knack for impressive hires makes him a valued commodity at Minnesota where football and men’s basketball must pay much of the budget for the 25-sport program. There is no guarantee, of course, Coyle will always make the right hire but his presence at Minnesota should give Gopher fans more confidence about the future than at most other places across the country.

Worth Noting

With COVID-19 remaining a threat, a small number of Division III colleges nationally have cancelled fall sports. What about the 13-member Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference that includes several Twin Cities schools? “At this point I am focused on having a full season,” MIAC commissioner Dan McKane told Sports Headliners yesterday.

MIAC presidents meet July 15 and may have an announcement about football and other fall sports. At that meeting McKane will have feedback from the Minnesota Department of Health. He has been in weekly contact with state health officials for awhile and last Thursday submitted a plan specific to the fall sports season.

The state’s reaction will dictate what happens next with the MIAC, and McKane said the plan could provide a template for all college sports in Minnesota. While the state could approve the proposal as is, or even reject it entirely, the more likely scenario might be recommended changes given that youth sports have already been okayed.

Things change fast with the pandemic but currently all MIAC institutions are planning to have students on their campuses this fall. If some reverse course, but not all, McKane said the MIAC would still allow competition among the schools with students on campuses. If all 13 schools moved to online learning only, the MIAC would not start or continue the fall sports schedule.

As part of the recognition for the 100th season of Gopher men’s hockey this fall, the athletic department is promoting fan voting for the greatest players. John Mayasich, who last played for the Gophers in 1955, is still revered by program historians and is perhaps the greatest player ever at Minnesota.

Mayasich still holds school records including most career points with 298, even though he played in fewer games than many others in the record book. John Mariucci, the so-called “Godfather” of hockey in the state, once said this about Mayasich: “The words to describe the boy haven’t been invented. When I say the best, that’s totally inadequate.”

Happy birthday to retired Gophers trainer Jim Marshall who turns 90 tomorrow (July 3). Marshall worked 42 years for the Gophers and has been retired for 17.

The late Harmon Killebrew, the Twins homerun king, would have been 84 June 29. A great player and person, Harmon died in 2011.

Comments Welcome

Hometowners Loom Big for P.J. Fleck

Posted on June 25, 2020June 25, 2020 by David Shama

The 2021 University of Minnesota football recruiting class is looking like the best of the internet era for the Gophers, but there is still more potential.

Totino-Grace’s Joe Alt and Davon Townley from Minneapolis North could join others who have already made verbal commitments to the Gophers—and the hometowners would be significant additions to the class of 2021 that 247Sports ranks No. 15 in the nation.

Recruiting authority Ryan Burns told Sports Headliners a decision regarding college choice may come from Alt within the next 30 to 60 days. Burns, publisher of GopherIllustrated.com, said a summer timeline has been in place for awhile for the high school tight end who projects as a big time college offensive lineman and could finish his prep career as a four-star player.

Joe’s father John Alt was a great offensive tackle for Iowa but Burns thinks interest in the Hawkeyes might be cooling given the program’s already high count of offensive line prospects. But Notre Dame, where the family also has ties, could be even more competition for the Gophers. With the COVID-19 pandemic, though, a visit to the South Bend campus and meeting with the Fighting Irish coaches hasn’t been possible and might not be in place for awhile.

How that plays out Burns isn’t predicting but he acknowledged the importance of Alt becoming a Gopher could potentially be a “significant milestone.” Fleck and his staff have frequently been frustrated in efforts to land top players from the state of Minnesota, particularly offensive linemen who have instead chosen Nebraska, Notre Dame and Wisconsin. “I think that would represent a very serious win for P.J. Fleck,” Burns said about Alt committing to Minnesota.

The Gophers have lost two defensive linemen who once made verbal commitments including D’Marion Alexander from Texas who backed out just this week. Burns said social justice issues happening in Minnesota this spring prompted the change in plans. The departures puts a focus on Townley, a four-star defensive end.

Quality defensive linemen might play the most prized of all the positions in college football, with Burns believing “supply never meets demand.” Townley is an athletic basketball player turned football star, and Burns praises his skills including a “great first step” that is so important to pass rushers. While Penn State has offered a scholarship, Burns said Minnesota is in the lead for Townley who is related to former Gophers All-Big Ten wide receiver Tyler Johnson.

In the back and forth world of teenagers, players can decommit and recommit again. But Burns doesn’t see that happening with Albert Regis, the other defensive lineman the Gophers lost. He said the four-star Texas native wants to stay closer to home and Minnesota is too far away for him.

Better news for the Gophers among defensive linemen could come with the eventual commitment for the class of 2022 by Trey Bixby, a four-star defensive end from Ohio. Michigan State is among interested schools but Burns said the Gophers could have an edge because the family is originally from Minnesota and Bixby has a strong interest in the program. “He grew up a Gopher fan,” Burns added.

247Sports lists 16 verbal commits for the 2021 class including four-star cornerback Steven Ortiz from Arizona. Not only is Ortiz a talented player, but he has been a vocal leader with the recruiting class. His leadership among fellow recruits reminds Burns of former Gopher Carter Coughlin who while in high school in Eden Prairie was so enthusiastic about Minnesota. “He (Ortiz) is the best recruiting leader Minnesota has had since Carter Coughlin’s class (2016),” Burns said.

Burns expects the 2021 recruiting class to eventually total in the low 20s. He predicted Fleck is in no hurry to use up all his scholarships. A winning 2020 season on the field is predicted, and Minnesota could leverage that success to be a factor with hyped recruits.

Speaking of wide receivers, Burns doesn’t believe Eden Prairie native JD Spielman, who left Nebraska this spring, will transfer to Minnesota. The Gophers have an opening for playing time with Tyler Johnson gone and Spielman was one of the Big Ten’s more explosive receivers at Nebraska. Spielman’s next stop is unknown.

The Gophers do have one of the nation’s best wide receivers in junior Rashod Bateman. CollegeFootballNews.com this week ranked Bateman the No. 7 player in the Big Ten in its listing of the conference’s top 30 players. Minnesota quarterback Tyler Morgan is No. 9. Ohio State QB Justin Fields is No. 1.

Asked about possible breakthrough players among true freshmen from the class of 2020, Burns likes Florida wide receiver Douglas Emilien on offense. Another Florida native, defensive back Jalen Glaze, is his choice on defense, with the possibility for playing time at the nickel position or another spot in the secondary.

No Delay for Miguel Sano Arrival

Club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners this afternoon there is no anticipated problem in arranging for Minnesota Twins players to report for training in Minneapolis by July 1, including slugger Miguel Sano who is in the Dominican Republic where he encountered a personal issue earlier this month.

“There is no concern about getting Miguel in here,” St. Peter said. “His case (alleged kidnapping) was dismissed today so there is no personal problem.”

The 6-foot-4 Sano encountered off-field issues in the past including a weight problem. Team officials monitored his 2020 offseason training and like the reports. “We expect Miguel to report in shape and ready to go,” St. Peter said.

The 27-year-old had a career season in 2019 for home runs, 34, and RBI, 79. St. Peter said the club doesn’t talk about projected future numbers but clearly there is an expectation of high performance this season and beyond.

After emerging as one of baseball’s better teams last year and adding quality players in the offseason, the Twins talked in spring training about the goal of reaching the 2020 World Series. “That goal remains in front of us today,” St. Peter said.

MLB teams begin the 60-game regular season July 23 or 24. All the Twins games will be on radio and TV. For the first time in 60 seasons the game can be heard in the metro area on both AM (WCCO) and FM (102.9 The Wolf). The addition of FM is expected to help attract a larger listening audience among young fans.

The club’s radio network will be over 80 stations, the second or third largest in MLB, St. Peter said. The radio voices will be Cory Provus and Dan Gladden. Justin Morneau and Bert Blyleven will work a package of games on TV with Dick Bremer, with other analysts expected to join play-by-play man Bremer.

Comments Welcome

Big Ten West Division Signals Potential

Posted on May 19, 2020May 19, 2020 by David Shama

It’s looking like the football Gophers could intensify their rivalries with Wisconsin and Iowa in coming years. While it’s unknown when Big Ten football will start its 2020 season, the three programs are having impressive offseason recruiting results after being bunched at the top of the West Division standings in 2019.

Minnesota’s 2021 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 8 nationally by 247Sports, the often quoted college football authority. The Gophers have 16 high school players who have verbally committed to coach P.J. Fleck, including five four-star players.

Iowa’s class is ranked No. 10 and the Hawkeyes have 15 commits, with three of them four-stars. Wisconsin is No. 18 with three four-star commits among its 10 player total.

Recruiting rankings will reshuffle a lot between now and Signing Day in December. Yet the early and impressive ranking of the three programs makes a statement about Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

The Gophers are expected to have about four or five more scholarships available for the 2021 class. That means about 75 percent of the class is already in place. If things hold, Fleck will have the most four-stars since he came to Minnesota in January of 2017.

With the momentum of 2019’s 11-2 team record and breakthrough season, and the recruiting success of this winter and spring, Minnesota could add more four-star players to its class of 2021. Five-star recruits are rare but a possibility for Minnesota.

The Gophers, Hawkeyes and Badgers are recruiting various states including nearby Illinois. The University of Illinois program has fallen on hard times, causing state players to have reservations about joining the Illini who have heavily turned to the transfer portal for help.

Five of Minnesota’s 15 players in the 2021 recruiting class are from Illinois, including three four-star commits. So far this year Iowa has two players from Illinois, including a four-star offensive tackle, and the Badgers have one Illinois native.

Last season Minnesota had a 7-2 Big Ten record, tied for best in the West Division with the Badgers. Iowa was right behind at 6-3. All three programs were in the top 15 teams in the final Associated Press national rankings. The Gophers had an impressive bowl win over SEC power Auburn, the Hawkeyes beat USC by 25 points and the Badgers had a one-point loss to Pac-12 power Oregon.

Both Wisconsin and Iowa have consistently fielded winning teams for decades. That isn’t likely to change as long as the present leaders of those programs remain in place. It’s up to Fleck and the Gophers to match that consistency and even exceed it on a path to excellence.

There’s still plenty for Minnesota to prove but each of Fleck’s teams have outdone their predecessors. That’s an encouraging sign, along with the 2021 recruiting and how it appears the Gophers are not only upgrading the talent pool, but building roster depth.

There may be no better example of the latter than the vital quarterback position. The bluebloods of college football didn’t want Kentucky native Tanner Morgan when he was in high school, but Fleck saw his potential. Now looking at his redshirt junior season, Morgan is forecast as an early round NFL Draft choice in 2021. Morgan’s replacement could be redshirt sophomore Zack Annexstad who at one time beat out Morgan as the starter. The QB roster also includes two redshirt scholarship freshmen and 2021 pledge Athan Kaliakmanis, who is one of Minnesota’s four-star commits from Illinois.

In the future the Gophers must contend with not only facing Iowa and Wisconsin, but also Northwestern led by Pat Fitzgerald—a master of getting more from less at the Big Ten’s only private school and a place where fan support is sometimes buried in apathy. Nebraska, with perhaps the Big Ten’s most passionate fan-base, could come alive after two disappointing seasons under state native and head coach Scott Frost, who has recruiting ties not only to his home state but also to Florida. Purdue, too, has potential led by offensive guru and head coach Jeff Brohm.

The Big Ten West has long been a step-child to the Big Ten East Division but the gap could be closing. If Minnesota, and say Nebraska, become annual dynamos, and Iowa and Wisconsin stay strong, look out for the “Wild West.”

Worth Noting

Former Gophers basketball player and assistant coach Al Nuness praised the news yesterday that Minneapolis native Jeff Mailhot is joining coach Richard Pitino’s staff at Minnesota. Mailhot has a detailed resume of college and high school coaching including at Hopkins where he worked for head man Ken Novak, who probably has produced more Division I standouts than any coach in state history. Nuness knows both Mailhot and Novak, and said the two have a close relationship. “That’s a great hire,” Nuness said.

Birthdays: Gophers baseball coach John Anderson and 1991 Twins World Series star Jack Morris both turned 65 last Saturday. Jared Nuness, Al’s son and an assistant basketball coach at Baylor, is 41 today (May 19). Bud Grant, who coached the Vikings to four Super Bowls, will be 93 Wednesday.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor made a savvy decision in 2014 when he decided to purchase the Star Tribune. The paper filed for bankruptcy in 2009 after struggling with debt and declining advertising revenue but has made a big comeback in recent years shifting part of its business strategy to digital subscriptions.

Ex-Chicago Bulls bad boy Dennis Rodman, who has been receiving plenty of attention in the 10-part ESPN series “The Last Dance,” once kicked cameraman Eugene Amos in the groin at a Target Center game against the Timberwolves. Amos litigated and received a $200,000 settlement.

The series, of course, focuses on Bulls superstar Michael Jordan who has been paid $1.3 billion by Nike since 1984, according to the May 7, Forbes Sports Money Playbook.

Although speculation about it has declined, if MLB begins its season with playing sites only in Arizona, Florida and Texas that will be a tax windfall for players. Arizona has a modest state income tax, while Florida and Texas have none at all.

Comments Welcome