Gophers Football – Page 307 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on March 12, 2012March 12, 2012 by David Shama

Deolis Guerra was the youngest player acquired by the Twins in the 2008 trade sending Cy Young pitcher Johan Santana to the Mets for four prospects including Guerra and outfielder Carlos Gomez. Now Guerra, a 22-year-old, 6-5, 245-pound right-handed pitcher is the last remaining Twins property from that unproductive trade.

Guerra gave up four hits and five runs in one inning in his spring training relief debut last Monday. He followed that appearance with a better outing on Friday, pitching one inning and giving up no hits. Twins minor league executive Jim Rantz told Sports Headliners he believes Guerra will make the big league club some day, but will start this season in Triple-A Rochester.

Guerra had a 5.59 ERA in 37 games pitching for Double-A New Britain last season. What impressed, though, was after moving from a starting role to relief pitching he had a 1.29 ERA in August.

Rantz likes Guerra’s potential as a middle and late inning relief pitcher, commenting that the Venezuelan native paces himself better in relief than starting. “He’s more consistent out of the (bull)pen,” Rantz said.

Rantz also said Twins minor league players — those who aren’t at the big league camp — reported to spring training last week. Included are much talked about prospects Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. Rantz said Sano, a 6-foot-3 slugging third baseman, reported to camp weighing 243 pounds and had “no fat.” Rosario is being converted from the outfield to second base. Both players will play for Class-A Beloit this season.

Although he’s 36 years old, the Twins will again expect starting right-hander Carl Pavano to throw a lot of innings. The last two seasons he’s pitched 221 and 222 innings. The past two years he ranks fifth in the major leagues for most complete games, 10.

University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler told WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle audience yesterday he will wait to consult with the soon to be hired new athletic director before deciding on a contract extension for Gophers coach Tubby Smith.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill spoke to the C.O.R.E.S. group last week, addressing several subjects including social media. Not surprisingly, the 50-year-old Gophers coach isn’t a fan. “We have forgotten how to communicate face-to-face,” he said.

Without thinking about the consequences, information is posted on Facebook that could cost a person a college scholarship or a job, Kill said. “People put things on Facebook you can’t believe.”

The Gophers open spring practice on March 22 after a winter of conditioning and weight training. Players who don’t adhere to the coach’s rules can find themselves wearing the infamous brown t-shirts. On one side the message is: “I let my teammates down.” The other side: “Minnesota Loafers.”

Kill said the Gophers are a work in progress including behavior, noting he still has “kids that don’t know right or wrong.” The right attitude on the field is also a goal. “We don’t have hard working, fight back people yet,” he said.

The Gophers’ second-year coach is seeking community support. While speaking to groups he’s likely to bring up names like Nike’s Phil Knight whose financial help boosted Oregon athletics.

Kill and his staff are involved with the March 29-31 Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic led by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. Association executive director Ron Stolski said registrations are on a record pace but still being accepted. The clinic’s primary site will be the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park and more information is available at mnfootballclinic.com.

On Friday night March 30 former Gopher and now University of Houston head coach Tony Levine will be the headline speaker. Kill will also talk that evening. St. Thomas head coach Glenn Caruso will receive the Tom Mahoney Man of the Year Award from the MFCA. Caruso coached the Tommies to a 13-0 record last year before losing a playoff game that would have sent his team to the Division III national championship game.

The Gophers held their Pro Day for NFL scouts last week and it’s popular opinion no Gopher senior will be drafted next month. Free agent signees could include defensive lineman Anthony Jacobs, tight end Eric Lair and wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight.

The Vikings will miss guard Steve Hutchinson’s leadership just as they did in 2009 when center Matt Birk went to Baltimore. The Vikings released Hutchinson, an 11-year veteran, on Saturday.

Ricky Rubio’s mother was in town, visiting from Spain, when the Timberwolves point guard tore the ACL in his left knee on Friday night.

Dick Jonckowski, the popular emcee and Gophers basketball-baseball public address announcer, spoke at the MainStreet Lodge last week where former Minneapolis Lakers and Gophers coach John Kundla is a resident.

Justin Kloos from Lakeville South High School is the recipient of the 28^th Annual Mr. Hockey Award, given to the outstanding senior boys prep player in the state, according to an announcement made yesterday by the Minnesota Minutemen. Michael Bitzer of Moorhead High is the The Frank Brimsek Award winner as the top senior goaltender. Ken Pauly (Benilde-St. Margaret’s School) and Bruce Plante (Hermantown High School) received The John Mariucci Award given to the Class AA and Class A high school coaches of the year. Bart Larson (Edina East/West High Schools) received The Cliff Thompson Award as “Old Timer Coach” of the year.

Minnesota North Stars Night will be Thursday, March 29 when the Wild play Florida at Xcel Energy Center. Over 30 North Stars alums are scheduled to participate in activities throughout the evening. The next night the Wild will host an “Evening with the Stars” event at 317 Rice Park. Fans will interact with alumni expected to include Neal Broten, Jack Carlson, Brad Maxwell, J.P. Parise, Tom Reid and Gordie Roberts. More information on the North Stars promotions is available at wild.com/northstars.

Newsman Bruce Hagevik’s last day with WCCO Radio is Wednesday. He’s been with the station for nearly 40 years.

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Search Firm Identifies U A.D. Profile

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

At a Monday meeting earlier this week a representative of Parker Executive Search described what the Atlanta-based company will look for in the next University of Minnesota athletic director.

The University search advisory and search committees were told that Parker will seek candidates who it believes can foster a program that successfully graduates student-athletes, wins championships, and operates within the rules and ethics of the school and NCAA.

The two committees will help generate candidates to fill the vacancy created by departing athletic director Joel Maturi, but much of the searching will be done by Parker. Grassroots searching will be aided by a series of listening meetings with University supporters that will be held on campus next week.

Parker will conduct a national search that ultimately will help generate a few finalists to be reviewed by the four-person search committee and one or more names are expected to be forwarded to school president Eric Kaler. The Parker firm—also retained in 2010 to identify head coaching candidates for Gophers football—has been involved with many searches for athletic directors across the country.

Those searches have typically—although not always—resulted in the hiring of a person with previous administrative experience in an athletic department, often athletic directors willing to become directors at other schools. Also, with a significant representation of University employees on the search advisory and search committees, it seems likely the next Gophers athletic director will have an academic-athletic background rather than a business or legal resume.

Non-traditional candidates can be attractive, though, if it’s the right person. Many will argue Paul Giel, who came to campus from WCCO Radio, was the best Gophers athletic director since World War II. Pat Richter, who once was an executive with Oscar Mayer, received a lot of praise for his work as Wisconsin’s athletic director in the 1990s. Like Giel and Richter, Pat Haden is another former college football hero, and he returned to his alma mater (USC) in 2010 to become athletic director, giving up a law career and broadcast duties to re-energize a sagging athletic department.

A smart search at Minnesota won’t deal in any stereotypes involving gender, race, age—or heaven forbid—a non-academic background.

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D-Tackle Positions Concern Jerry Kill

Posted on March 1, 2012March 1, 2012 by David Shama

“The scariest thing” to Jerry Kill as he anticipates the start of spring practice on March 22 is the defensive tackles positions. Last season’s starting tackles, Brandon Kirksey and Anthony Jacobs, were both seniors.

“Somebody is going to have to step up there and that’s why we recruited the junior college kid,” Kill told Sports Headliners. “Then we (also) recruited…freshmen in there to see what would happen.”

Kill is intrigued by defensive tackle Roland Johnson, a South Carolina native via Butler Community College in Kansas, who will have two seasons of eligibility playing for the Gophers. Kill said the 6-1, 295-pound Johnson will come in as a “tremendous” junior college player.

Kill also referenced Michigan State’s Anthony Rashad White when talking about Johnson. He said White was the “best d-tackle” in the Big Ten Conference last season and White played for Fort Scott Junior College, a Butler rival. “Very similar, 6-foot, maybe 6-1, 300 pounds and can run,” Kill said.

Johnson won’t be in school until summer but Scott Epke, a freshman defensive tackle from Lewisville, Texas is here and will participate in spring practice. Epke is only 17 and Kill said the young lineman has already increased his weight from 255 to 268. “Somebody is going to have to step up in the defensive line to fill the gaps there,” Kill said. “Just don’t know who that’s going to be.”

After consecutive 3-9 seasons, it’s obvious the Gophers have plenty of personnel needs. Kill and his staff have been recruiting for improvement in overall team speed including in the defensive backfield.

Kill will have junior college defensive backs Jeremy Baltazar, Briean Boddy and Martez Shabazz available for spring practice and a key secondary returnee is senior Troy Stoudermire. “That group of guys, athletically, I feel good about but now they (the newcomers) gotta learn what to do,” Kill said.

On offense the Gophers have plenty of sorting out to do, too, but Kill is encouraged by the weight training program and many of his linemen have added 20 pounds each. Junior Ed Olson, for example, has increased his weight from 290 to 310.

Asked if the Gophers may finally have a difference maker at running back, the coach mentioned junior college transfer James Gillum and freshman Rodrick Williams, describing both as physical runners. “James Gillum’s got a chance. You don’t bring a kid in (from junior college) unless you think he can play. …He’s here (enrolled) already. ”

Williams will arrive in the summer. “Iowa recruited him hard,” Kill said describing Williams as a “strong downhill runner” similar to Hawkeye Marcus Coker.”

There’s quiet anticipation that facing a so-so nonconference schedule the Gophers could win three or four games, then add a couple wins in the Big Ten Conference to finish with a 6-6 record and qualify for the school’s first bowl game since 2009. If so, it seems almost certain the athletically gifted but sometimes challenged senior quarterback MarQueis Gray must save his last season for his best.

Gray led the Gophers to Big Ten wins over Iowa and Illinois. He played some of his best football in the season ending 27-7 Illinois victory. He will never be a Sunday quarterback but if he can avoid too many interceptions and other mistakes, his leadership and running could help the Gophers steal an extra win or two.

“The whole thing about him is, is that it’s really up to him,” Kill said. “Right now he’s bigger and faster than he was. Spring’s gonna be really important for him. He’s gotta leave off where he left at Illinoisand keep building.”

Whatever the Gophers record in 2012, this will be only Kill’s second season as coach. “We’re far from finishing this thing,” he said. “This is an overhaul situation here. Hopefully we’ll move it forward. I don’t know about wins and losses. I know we’re different (than last year). I feel like athletically we’re getting better. We’re certainly not Ohio State, or anything, by any means.”

Fans can come to all spring practices and make their own judgments about the team. They can also attend the April 21 spring game starting at 11 a.m. at TCF Bank Stadium.

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