Gophers Basketball – Page 166 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

New U A.D. to Start Work Early

Posted on May 9, 2012May 9, 2012 by David Shama

President Eric Kaler told Sports Headliners his new athletic director, Norwood Teague, will begin work in the Gophers athletic department two weeks earlier than planned.

Teague, who was announced as the successor to Joel Maturi in late April, was scheduled to begin duties July 1. Instead, he will be working full-time for the Gophers on June 18.

Teague was able to leave his duties as athletic director at Virginia Commonwealth University earlier than expected. “He’s eager to get going,” Kaler said. “I think Joel is ready to make his transition, so it just seemed like a good thing to do.”

Teague will spend considerable time developing relationships inside and outside Gophers athletics. He is expected to have a vision for University athletics that will include a business plan with major components such as renovation and development of facilities. “I think that sort of vision setting, as he gets a chance to settle in, will be an important part of his first year work plan,” Kaler said.

Kaler also said that after two months searching for a new athletic director Teague was definitely the person he wanted to hire. “He was absolutely our first choice,” he said.

Sports Headliners asked Kaler to clarify if a long anticipated contract extension for basketball coach Tubby Smith was certain. “The correct takeaway is that we’re in negotiations with Tubby about a possible extension,” Kaler said.

Kaler also said “his own personal prejudice” is to renovate Williams Arena when the time is right rather than replace the 84-year-old building. “It’s such an iconic building. That building holds so many memories for so many people I would really like that we wouldn’t tear it down. …We don’t have anything immediately going on with it. It will be one of the many things that Norwood will have to dig into when he arrives.”

Comments Welcome

Put the Lynx near Your Heart

Posted on May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 by David Shama

If you only reserve your money and emotions for winning teams, then invest in the Lynx. That’s the advice of Sports Headliners after contemplating likeability rankings of the major local pro sports franchises along with the Gophers.

Season outlooks for Minnesota teams are often dreary as real estate values. The April start by the Twins is the latest evidence of our “Losers Club,” but as we look toward the next 12 months we aren’t without hope.

Here are Sports Headliners’ rankings as to who is most and least likely to make us happy:

Love those Lynx. The 2011 WNBA champs brought the first pro title to town since the 1991 World Series Twins. The Lynx opened training camp last Sunday and have their star players returning, including three who will play for Team USA in the Olympics. Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen are winners, and that’s what these rankings are all about. No guarantees but it will be no surprise at all if the Lynx win the WNBA title again.

The hockey Gophers played in the NCAA semifinals where they lost to eventual national champ Boston College. Minnesota goalie Kent Patterson had a great season but is a senior and will have to be replaced. If the Gophers don’t see young talents like Nick Bjugstad leave for the pros during the off-season, or somehow experience other important personnel losses, Minnesota might be even better next winter than last. The Gophers could certainly start the season ranked among the top college hockey teams in the country.

Before Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio tore his ACL and was sidelined, the Wolves were approaching unprecedented recent popularity. Injuries later hit other teammates and the team’s collapse was as attention demanding as the wonderful start to the season led by Rubio and star forward Kevin Love. What’s next for this franchise isn’t easy to answer. Rubio might not be the same player next season as last, and the complementary pieces to Rubio and Love aren’t in place yet.

The Gophers basketball team looks good on paper. We’ll wait and see how they look on the court in February before moving them higher in the rankings. Academics, off-court behavior issues and injuries have wrecked past Tubby Smith teams. Like their predecessors, this Gophers team will not be deep in talent but Minnesota does have three exceptional starters in forwards Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe, and point guard Andre Hollins. Pray for good fortune.

Jerry Kill has more admirers than any coach or manager I can remember who won just 25 percent of his games in a first season. Maybe all these admirers know something. I think they do. Kill’s second year team could win half its games and earn a bowl game invitation. More important, the Gophers just might look pretty good even in games they play against the better teams in the Big Ten. Put your money and emotions on Kill’s Gophers in 2014 and 2015.

The Wild has off-season personnel acquisition intentions like the Wolves. The franchise had a fast start under first year coach Mike Yeo who looks like the right guy on the bench for this team. But the Wild faded miserably during the season and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Too many injuries and too few goals. This is a franchise that has shown it can draw fans, but not win many games. We’re waiting.

Maybe it’s the optimism of the off-season and the glitz of last week’s NFL draft, but we’re nudging the Vikings ahead of the Twins in the rankings. Yeah, the 3-13 record of last season will be remembered for a long time but this club has some playmakers. Like they say, on a lot of Sunday afternoons running back Adrian Peterson or wide receiver Percy Harvin can be worth the price of admission. And don’t you just feel better about yourself when Jared Allen does his calf-roping celebration after another franchise record sack? Come on downtown to see the Vikes before they head west. (Just kidding. I think).

It’s not all bad news about the Twins. I am still smiling after that acrobatic double play turned last week by shortstop Jamey Carroll and second baseman Trevor Plouffe against the Red Sox. New left fielder Josh Willingham can even hit balls over the fence at anti-home run Target Field. So far the starting pitching is probably the worst in the franchise’s 51 season history but there’s a way around that. The Sports Headliners method is to watch the half innings when the Twins bat. When the Twins pitchers are throwing, tune in the Golf Channel. Both your mood and golf swing will improve.

Comments Welcome

One Quality to Define New A.D. Legacy

Posted on April 23, 2012April 23, 2012 by David Shama

Norwood Teague is the only finalist for the Gophers athletic director position and is meeting with the search committee this morning. During the interview process he’s encountered many questions but the truth is his effectiveness as Minnesota’s athletic director will come down to this:

How effective will Teague be in hiring and firing coaches?

The best coaches build winning programs. Winning sells tickets, private suites, signage and increases donations. It also builds brand awareness and a sparkling image.

As with any skill, some individuals are better at identifying the right hires than others. For decades now the Gophers have often tripped up trying to hire the right athletic directors, and also the best coaches in the high visibility sports of football and basketball. Minnesota fans have only to look across the border to see where spot-on hires in Wisconsin Badgers athletics have made a night and day difference.

Teague, who has been the athletic director at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2006, has a strong background in business including marketing. Those skills no doubt attracted University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler and so, too, did VCU’s basketball reputation.

Teague hired Shaka Smart and he’s turned VCU into a national basketball success story. If Teague can consistently show hiring expertise at Minnesota he will ensure a legacy that will place him at the top among the school’s athletic directors since World War II.

Kaler had told Sports Headliners on Saturday the announcement of the new athletic director could come within days. Yesterday the University released a statement saying Teague was the only finalist. It seems likely a news conference will be held soon confirming the official hiring of Teague whose name has been associated with other athletic director openings around the country.

A search to find a new athletic director was announced on February 21. The Parker Executive Search firm from Atlanta has been working with Kaler and University search committee volunteers. “It’s a good pool (of candidates) and I think we’ll get a great athletic director,” Kaler said on Saturday.

Kaler said he’s been committed to receiving input regarding the athletic director position. “We’ve spent a lot of time listening to the community about the features they want in the next A.D. and I think the person we hire will match those qualities,” he said. “I expect the community will reach out and embrace that person. I think people want success in Gopher athletics as much as we do and we’re gonna work together to make that happen.”

The president confirmed on Saturday that talks are ongoing regarding a contract extension for basketball coach Tubby Smith but no deal will be finalized without communications involving the new athletic director. “I am not going to do anything with Tubby and then hand it to the new A.D. They’ll (the athletic director) have input on it.”

Comments Welcome