Preps – Page 59 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Flip’s Ex-Coach Endorses Ryan Saunders

Posted on March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 by David Shama

Jim Dutcher has been impressed with the job Ryan Saunders has done since taking over as the Timberwolves head coach in early January. The Wolves have been playing less than .500 basketball under Saunders, but were struggling, too, prior to coach Tom Thibodeau being fired. “Any time you take over a program in the middle of the season, it’s not easy,” said Dutcher, who believes the players have responded well to Ryan’s coaching.

Ryan’s dad Flip played two seasons for Dutcher at the University of Minnesota, from 1975-1977. Flip, who passed away in 2015, later coached for Dutcher and the two built a close lifelong friendship.

The resemblances between father and son are evident to Dutcher, including facial expressions. “You just think of Flip when you see him (Ryan),” said Dutcher who coached the Golden Gophers to the 1982 Big Ten title with Flip as a young assistant.

Ryan hired Jerry Sichting as an assistant coach shortly after taking over the Wolves. Sichting had worked for Flip, and Dutcher said Ryan wanted to bring in the 62-year-old assistant to provide valuable counsel on and off the court.

Dutcher sees another connection between father and son. “He’s not afraid to try things,” Dutcher said of Ryan’s willingness to experiment with new lineups, substitutions and how he uses his bench.

Flip, who died at age 60, had a long history with owner Glen Taylor and the Timberwolves organization as president, coach and minority owner. Ryan, 32, was an assistant coach under his dad, and then under Flip’s successors including Thibodeau. The Saunders name is almost synonymous with the organization.

Dutcher said Ryan shouldn’t be judged by his age (he’s younger than dozens of NBA players) or lack of head coaching experience. Because of his experience with the Timberwolves, including this season’s team, Ryan knows the organization, owner and players. “I think he was as ready as anybody in that situation could be (to be named head coach),” Dutcher said.

While Ryan carries the interim tag as head coach now, that could change after the season as Taylor continues to make his evaluation. Certainly a surprise entry into the playoffs will help Saunders’ cause, but for that to happen the team must play more consistent defense than it has offered so far this season and go on a long winning streak.

Dutcher is even more specific about the defensive challenge awaiting Ryan when asked about the team’s big need for improvement. “Getting defensive stops when the game is on the line (fourth quarter),” Dutcher said.

The Timberwolves are 29-34 after last night’s 135-121 road loss to the Wizards, the team’s third loss in a row. That’s way too many points to give an opponent, particularly a struggling club like the Wizards.

“It’s hard to win on the road when you’re defensive intensity is not there and it hasn’t been there in these three games…,” Saunders said referring to the team’s three-game losing streak during his postgame news conference televised in Minneapolis by Fox Sports North.

Worth Noting

Dutcher thinks the current Gophers men’s basketball team, 18-11 overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten, may receive an NCAA Tournament invitation even if they don’t win their two remaining regular season games but do win their Big Ten Tournament opener. He said a victory tomorrow night at home against nationally-ranked and Big Ten leader Purdue will cinch an entry into the NCAA Tournament.

Former Golden Gophers coach Bill Fitch, who left Minnesota after the 1970 season for the NBA, is one of 13 finalists for induction later this year into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Fitch is among the winningest NBA coaches in league history with 944 victories, and his 1981 Boston Celtics won the league championship. In 1996 he was named one of the NBA’s Ten Best Coaches of All-Time.

Fitch coached five NBA teams starting with the Cavs in 1970 and ending with the Clippers in 1998. A former Marine, Fitch had high expectations for his players and teams that also included the Nets and Rockets.

Fitch coached collegiately for 12 years including at North Dakota where he led the team to two consecutive Division II Final Fours (1965 and 1966). He was Minnesota’s coach for just two years, but helped rebuild a program that won the 1972 Big Ten title.

The 2019 Hall of Fame Class will be announced at the Final Four in Minneapolis next month. Fitch is 84, retired and living in Texas.

The five finalists for the 2019 Mr. Basketball Award are Isaac Fink, Springfield; Matthew Hurt, Rochester John Marshall; Zeke Nnaji, Hopkins; Tyrell Terry, DeLaSalle; Tyler Wahl, Lakeville North. The winner will be announced March 26 at the Timberwolves-Clippers game at Target Center.

The Vikings have extended head coach Mike Zimmer’s contract through 2020, with no details about his compensation. In the past, Internet speculation has put his compensation at $4 million per year. It’s a decent bet Vikings ownership signed off this winter on a small increase on whatever he has been earning.

Zimmer is 47-32-1 in five seasons and his teams have two NFC North titles. He needs five more wins to tie Jerry Burns for third in most head coaching victories with the franchise.

Zimmer may need to win another division title and have success in the playoffs to receive another extension next year. New assistant head coach Gary Kubiak, who won a Super Bowl with the Broncos and presents a personality contrast to the very intense Zimmer, could emerge as a candidate if there is an opening for the head job.

Best wishes to former Gophers hockey coach Doug Woog as he faces health care challenges including Parkinson’s disease.

Ex-Gopher Blake Cashman produced some of the best results of any linebacker at the NFL Combine last week in Indianapolis. He tied for third among linebackers in the broad jump, was fourth in the 40-yard-dash and 20-yard shuttle, tied for fifth in the vertical jump and tied for seventh in the three-cone drill.

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers’ all-time career leading rusher, has built the youth mentoring Bolder Options organization into a much admired nonprofit. The 26th anniversary Bolder Options Gala is May 2 at the Minneapolis Event Centers (Riverside Ballroom).

The Minnesota United Major League Soccer club is the only organization in the league with a female head athletic trainer (Stacey Hardin), female TV color commentator (Kyndra de St. Aubin) and female director of operations (Angie Blaker).

The United won its regular season opener on Saturday against Vancouver, 3-2, and has four more road games before opening the home season and debuting new Allianz Field on April 13 against New York City FC.

Quoting former Gophers golfer, Minneapolis businessman, and motivational speaker Harvey Mackay in his syndicated column last week: “The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”

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Fleck Likely to Sign One Player Weds.

Posted on February 5, 2019February 5, 2019 by David Shama

Ryan Burns, the college football recruiting authority from Gopherillustrated.com, believes Minnesota will sign one player tomorrow to a National Letter of Intent. Wednesday, February 6 is the second of two National Signing Days for high school and junior college players. The Gophers received commitments from almost their entire 2019 recruiting class back in December on the first National Signing Day.

Head coach P.J. Fleck and his assistants compiled a promising class months ago, rather than put themselves in a hole scrambling to fill needs tomorrow. “It’s a pretty boring day (February 6), which is exactly the way they want it,” Burns told Sports Headliners in a telephone interview on Monday. “I don’t think it’s going to be a very important day for them either, which is exactly the way they want it.”

Burns said Minnesota appears ready to sign junior college defensive back Gervarrius Owens from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Owens is a junior college All-American who was recruited to Northeastern Oklahoma when Gophers tight end coach Clay Patterson was head coach there.

Since the first Signing Day on December 19, the Gophers have also added former Notre Dame defensive lineman Micah-Dew Treadway who played in 11 games for the Irish last season. He’s on the roster now as a graduate transfer and in June will be joined by ex-USC wide receiver Randall Grimes.

Treadway is expected to be eligible this fall, while Grimes not until 2020. Grimes was a promising 2017 USC recruit who has yet to establish himself in college football after redshirting last fall.

Probably the most important development since December Signing Day is offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca staying with Fleck. Ciarrocca turned down an opportunity last month to join new West Virginia head coach Neal Brown as offensive coordinator for the Mountaineers. After the 2017 season Cirarrocca was pursued by Auburn.

“Any time you have an SEC team trying to poach your offensive coordinator, then a Big 12-team trying to poach your offensive coordinator, I think you’re probably doing something right,” Burns said about Ciarrocca, who also worked for Fleck at Western Michigan.

Burns believes Ciarrocca having his best offensive personnel in three seasons at Minnesota likely was a factor in the coach’s decision to remain with the Gophers. Minnesota returns nine of 11 starters including potential All-Big Ten receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman, and three of five players on the offensive line, a unit that at times was dominant toward the end of last season. The Gophers could have their top offensive line in years and certainly rank with the Big Ten’s best at running back with proven standouts in Shannon Brooks, Mohamed Ibrahim and Rodney Smith.

The Gophers have experienced too much change among assistant and head coaches in recent years, but the situation is stabilizing including with offensive line coach Brian Callahan returning for a second season in charge. Fleck has often praised Callahan, and Burns agrees the offensive line will be among Minnesota’s strengths in the fall.

Who does Burns believe will be the starters on the offensive line? He answered the unit will consist of left tackle Jason Dickson, left guard Blaise Andries, center Connor Olson, right guard Curtis Dunlap Jr. and right tackle Daniel Faalele. All five will be expected back in 2020, too, with Olson as a redshirt junior the only upperclassman among the group.

The defensive line has only one full-time starter returning, senior end Carter Coughlin, but there is experience and talent available. There will be competition for starting assignments with Burns guessing Coughlin’s first team companions could be tackles Keonte Schad, Elijah Teague, and end Esezi Otomewo. In the annual spring game on April 13 fans will be particularly interested in seeing Schad who joins the Gophers this winter after ESPN ranked him the No. 2 junior college defensive tackle in the country.

Coughlin, linebacker Thomas Barber and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. lead the talent and experience parade for a defensive unit that gave up 35 total points in three of the last four games. Earlier in the season the defense was often a disaster including a debacle against Illinois when a poor Illini team put up 55 against Minnesota.

But that was before Joe Rossi took over as interim defensive coordinator. Since then Rossi has been given full-time authority after shutting down varied offenses in late year victories over Purdue, Wisconsin and Georgia Tech. Can Rossi work his magic for a full season?

“I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan considering you look at Minnesota’s final three wins,” Burns said. “They did it against three very different offenses.“

The Gophers finished with a 7-6 overall record including their Quick Lane Bowl victory against Georgia Tech. Their impressive close to the season, including reclaiming Paul Bunyan’s Axe in Madison, has caught the attention on the national scene. Minnesota is ranked in the top 25 of early listings by Sporting News and other college football authorities.

Burns believes the rosy forecasts could work out on the field if Minnesota can dodge the inconsistency that characterized Fleck’s teams his first two seasons leading the Gophers. No where will consistency be more needed, Burns said, then at the quarterback position where sophomores Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad, despite success last year, are still inexperienced. Morgan started seven games, Annexstad six.

Helping with expectations, too, is what appears to be a favorable schedule with Minnesota not playing Big Ten “bullies” Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. The Gophers have South Dakota State, Georgia Southern, Illinois, Nebraska, Maryland, Penn State and Wisconsin at home. They play Fresno State, Purdue, Rutgers, Iowa and Northwestern on the road. It’s no stretch right now to speculate the Gophers could be favored in more than half of their games.

It won’t hurt either that the Gophers are generating more interest among the public than a year ago. There’s a push by the Athletic Department to capitalize on last year’s excitement and to make some seats in TCF Bank Stadium more affordable than in 2018. Expectations are that when season ticket totals are finalized in the summer there will be an increase from a year ago.

Any success Minnesota has this fall will be looked on as a sign of even better things to come. The Gophers will lose Barber, Coughlin, Brooks, Smith and Johnson (he could be the first Gopher drafted by the NFL in 2020) to graduation but the roster is so young that Fleck has a lot to build with. As of this week that roster consisted of 16 seniors, 19 juniors, 39 sophomores and 41 freshmen.

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Pressure on Vikings in 2019 Draft

Posted on January 11, 2019January 11, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Friday notes column.

Expectations couldn’t be more intense among Vikings observers to see if the club uses its No. 18 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select an offensive lineman. There is anticipation, too, about the franchise prioritizing offensive linemen in the subsequent rounds of the draft which will be held in Nashville, April 25-27.

The disappointing performance last year of the offensive line was a major factor in the club compiling an 8-7-1 record and missing the playoffs after preseason hype established the Vikings among Super Bowl favorites. Absence from the 2020 postseason is not an acceptable scenario to much of the club’s fanbase, and likely it’s not for the franchise’s owners who in the next 12 months have to decide about the futures of head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.

Not surprisingly, Cbssports.com projected on Wednesday that the Vikings will choose Oklahoma tackle Cody Ford with their first round pick. This might be just an okay year for offensive line talent, with the CBS website forecasting four linemen being chosen among the 32 first round picks.

Offensive guard, tackle and center are very demanding positions to learn as NFL rookies. Former Vikings center Matt Birk reaffirmed that to Sports Headliners, but there are rookie exceptions. “It definitely can happen,” he said.

Birk referenced Colts rookie guard Quenton Nelson who has been part of a unit that for five games gave up no sacks. Nelson is the first Colts offensive lineman since 1983 to be named to the Pro Bowl.

Zimmer has had the Vikings more focused on choosing defensive playmakers in recent drafts, however that seems all but certain to change in 2019. The Vikings did have success with rookie tackle Brian O’Neill who they drafted in the second round in 2018.

Birk has been doing live comedy performances for about a year to generate funds for charity. He said working in front of a live audience was somewhat intimidating at first but he enjoys the performances which now total about 10. His next gig is January 19 at Union 32 Craft House in Eagan. More at Eventbrite.com.

Birk will be among the speakers at the annual Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic March 28-30 at the DoubleTree in St. Louis Park.

This year is the 150th anniversary of college football and it will be interesting to see what Big Ten marketers, including the Gophers, do to celebrate the milestone. Minnesota had a glorious football history between 1900 and 1970 including seven national championships, with that total still among the best in the country.

The Gophers want to sell more tickets for their high profile sports and yet over the years there are too many scheduling conflicts with Minnesota’s pro teams. Last Sunday the women’s basketball team tipped off at Williams Arena about 30 minutes after the Timberwolves-Lakers game began at Target Center. On the final Sunday in December the men’s team was playing at home the same afternoon as the Vikings and Bears were at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The MLS Draft starts at noon (today) in Chicago and Minnesota United CEO Chris Wright told Sports Headliners his club expects to be active during the league’s four rounds. That could mean a trade for better positioning including during the first round where the United currently has the No. 7 pick.

The United opens its first season at Allianz Field on April 13 in a match against New York. Wright said the club has capped its season ticket sales at 14,500 and has a waiting list of about 5,000 to purchase season tickets. Dates and details for purchase of single game tickets, stadium ribbon cutting and opportunity for the general public to see the new facility will be announced soon.

Wright, the former Timberwolves and Lynx president, grew up in England and has a passion for soccer as a former player, coach and front office executive in the sport. He has been involved with professional sports front office work for about 40 years, mostly with the Timberwolves. He said Minnesota’s MLS franchise is “the right place” for him now. He joined the franchise in October of 2017 but this will be the first draft and offseason where he has been fully positioned to make a greater impact on the club’s future success.

The Wild are home tomorrow night (Saturday) against the Red Wings, a team Minnesota is 6-3-3 against in the last 12 games. Seven of those games have been decided by one goal.

It will be interesting to see if the Rochester John Marshall basketball team can be a surprise entry in the state tournament and showcase its senior front court superstar Matthew Hurt. The Rockets haven’t qualified for the tourney during the Hurt era so most hoops fans have never seen the five-star recruit who ranks among the best basketball preps ever to play in Minnesota.

The Gophers’ lone men’s basketball commit so far for their class of 2019 is Marvin “Tre'” Williams III. The 6-5 guard from Dallas is currently enrolled at Wasatch Academy in Utah in 2019. Minnesota coach Richard Pitino is likely to expect immediate help from Williams, whose mother Kelly is from St. Paul and played basketball at Harding High School.

Between now and the home opener March 28, the Twins front office will probably focus on finding pitching help, rather than position players where the club appears pretty well set.

Anyone want to forecast the 2019 final stats for Twins cornerstones and comeback candidates Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano?

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