Wild – Page 65 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gopher AD List May Include Hawkeye

Posted on April 20, 2016April 20, 2016 by David Shama

A lot of names are being mentioned as candidates to become the Gophers’ next athletics director but one drawing minimal speculation is Gene Taylor, the No. 2 leader in the Iowa Hawkeyes Athletic Department.

Taylor was athletics director at North Dakota State for 13 years prior to joining the Hawkeyes in 2014. Taylor, 58, helped put in place the Bison football program that is working on a run of five consecutive FCS national championships.

Taylor has an extensive background in athletics administration dating back to his first job at the United States Naval Academy. His career commitment to female and male athletes, involvement with funding to improve facilities, success with football, and his understanding of this geographic region should resonate with Turnkey Search, the firm retained by the University of Minnesota to identify and vet candidates.

Multiple sources report Turnkey is interviewing candidates this week in the Midwest and East. One source told Sports Headliners over a dozen candidates will be interviewed in the first round of talks. Eventually Turnkey will vet those who the firm believes are the best candidates and bring those names to a 16-person search committee of volunteers headed by co-chairs Katrice Albert and Perry Leo. Albert is the University’s vice president for equity and diversity. Leo is professor of aerospace engineering and the U faculty athletics representative.

Recommendations by the committee will go to University president Eric Kaler. After Kaler’s disastrous hire of Norwood Teague in 2013, the president’s reputation and perhaps legacy is in play with a decision on the next AD who is expected to be on the job by July 1.

No candidate has probably been more open about his interest than former Gophers linebacker and Wall Street whiz Pete Najarian. The 52-year-old Minneapolis native and TV personality appears ready to start a new life leading the Gophers athletics department.

Najarian spent last weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska where daughter Alexis is on the University of Nebraska track team. He also visited with Cornhuskers legend Tom Osborne to learn more about running an athletics department. Before retiring, Osborne won national championships in football and was the school’s athletics director.

Najarian raves about Osborne’s wisdom and inclusive, caring approach with people. The two have known each other since the early 1980s when Osborne tried to recruit Najarian to become a Cornhusker. Najarian said Osborne was one of the few coaches who still showed interest in him as a person after he committed to the Gophers.

Najarian, former Gophers All-American defensive end Bob Stein, and WCHA commissioner and St. Paul native Bill Robertson are names with Minnesota roots who have been mentioned with the AD opening. Many Gophers boosters favor candidates who have local relationships and understand the culture here. Najarian, Stein and Robertson have ties to the Minneapolis-St. Paul business community—an asset critics assert has been underutilized by the Gophers.

Although he hasn’t lived in Minnesota for years, Blake James attended Coon Rapids High School and Minnesota State-Mankato. Now the athletic director at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, James will no doubt at least cross the minds of Turnkey executives, even if he has no interest in coming to Dinkytown.

Another no-brainer for Turnkey is Northern Illinois athletics director Sean Frazier. Highly praised by Sports Headliners sources, he is a favorite to be on a list of finalists. Frazier is African-American as is McKinley Boston, who was the Gophers’ AD in the 1990s. Boston has mentored Frazier who has worked as a top assistant to Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez. Frazier and Kaler know each other.

Sources tell Sports Headliners the best athletic director in the country could be Northwestern’s Jim Phillips who supposedly has turned down other jobs including Michigan to stay in Evanston. If Minnesota and Turnkey leaders wanted to take a “nothing is impossible” approach, they could access a private jet and fly to Evanston with an offer to make Phillips the best paid AD in the country—and bring along a briefcase stuffed with articles about the quality of life in Minnesota.

Not a bad thought considering the potential revenue an athletic director could affect at Minnesota, where both winning and income aren’t what they should be.

Worth Noting

The Wild, who appear to be building momentum, shouldn’t lack for confidence going into tonight’s Game Four against the Stars at Xcel Energy Center. Wild players seemed unsure in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoff Series in Dallas, losing 4-0. Then a close loss in Game 2 in Texas was followed by the Wild’s 5-3 win on Monday night in St. Paul.

The Wild entered the series having faltered at the close of the regular season and facing the Stars without Zach Parise, Minnesota’s best player. The Stars were among the NHL’s better teams during the season while featuring a productive offense. But the Wild has slowed down Dallas and found its own playmakers including Erik Haula, who has impressed with a line that includes Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter.

The Stars want to force Wild turnovers tonight and turn those into scoring opportunities. If that works, there will be more pressure on Wild goalie Devan Dubynk. Goalie, though, is a position where the Wild should be better than the Stars.

In the series so far the storyline for the Wild is the team gets better each game. Can the script continue tonight?

The International Champions Cup match between Chelsea and A.C. Milan will be played on real grass at U.S. Bank Stadium. Vikings and amateur baseball games will be played on artificial turf but the August 3 soccer event, the first sports activity in the new covered stadium, will use sod.

St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso told Sports Headliners Gopher transfer Jacques Perra, who will be a sophomore next fall, is a leading candidate for the starting quarterback job. Tommies’ spring practices started earlier this month and continue into May.

A source emailed yesterday that the Timberwolves are talking to former NBA guard and Warriors coach Mark Jackson about their coaching vacancy.

Condolences to family and friends of Bill Light who passed away last Friday after struggling with pancreatic cancer. Bill was a great high school football player at Hopkins and an All-Big Ten linebacker for the Gophers in 1970-71. He was also team captain in 1971. He was inducted into the “M” Club’s Hall of Fame in 2014, and once owned Billy’s Lighthouse restaurant in Long Lake.

Vashti Cunningham, daughter of former Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham, is a senior at Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Ed Graney, writing Saturday for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reported in an online story that Vashti, who turned professional in March, will next month be the first American women’s high jumper in 20 years to be featured on the cover of Track & Field News.

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Stakes High for Wild in Playoffs

Posted on April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 by David Shama

The Wild opens its Stanley Cup first round playoff series with the Stars tomorrow night in Dallas—and it looks like more than the usual postseason pressure is on Minnesota.

Critical evaluations and judgments about the Wild appear probable whenever this spring’s playoffs end. The franchise that initially began with the 2000-2001 season has never won its way into the Stanley Cup Finals and only once made the conference finals. Although the Wild has qualified for the playoffs each of the last four years, Minnesota didn’t advance beyond the second round.

General manager Chuck Fletcher and new coach John Torchetti may need an impressive stretch of playoff hockey by their team to further secure their positions. Fletcher has been the franchise’s general manager since 2009 and the Wild hasn’t been able to make a deep playoff run during that time. Twice the club didn’t make the playoffs.

Fletcher has hired three coaches during his era—Todd Richards, Mike Yeo and Torchetti. Yeo was dismissed in February when doubts prevailed about the team making the playoffs. Under Torchetti the club played well enough to just qualify for the postseason, but the inconsistency of play during 2015-2016 continued.

Torchetti’s job security could be tied to Fletcher. If Wild owner Craig Leipold decides to replace Fletcher, it’s certainly plausible the new GM will want another coach.

When the Wild is given a final report card after the playoffs, the players won’t avoid judgment either. There is speculation disgruntled players pushed Yeo out. If so, Leipold can ask how did his personnel respond to Torchetti?

Torchetti hasn’t hesitated to be direct with his players, letting them know what he thinks and sometimes telling them they need to just watch and learn. Whether this team has the skills and chemistry to beat the Stars will be interesting. Dallas won the Central Division with 109 points. Minnesota, with 87, had the fewest points of any Western Conference club qualifying for the playoffs and finished fifth in the seven team Central.

The Wild don’t have superstars but when Leiopold signed forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter to $98 million deals in 2012 it raised expectations these two might do more for the franchise’s Stanley Cup ambitions than what’s happened so far. A playoff run where Parise and Suter have their best springs for the Wild will make fans feel the club has received more value from the expensive contracts. But Parise’s contribution toward that looks in doubt because of a back injury that will at least keep him from playing in the first two playoff games, according to numerous news reports.

There might not be a more worn out cliché in sports than a hot goalie can take a team deep in the playoffs. Goalie Devan Dubnyk reportedly signed a $26 million, six-year deal last summer to stay with Minnesota. Much will be expected of the 30-year-old Dubnyk whose regular season goals against average of 2.33 didn’t earn a spot among the NHL leaders but was certainly better than the league average of 2.51.

The franchise is increasing ticket prices for next season. Part of the fans’ perspective and attitude about those prices will be impacted by how the team performs. Customers will obviously feel better about the extra expense with a big playoff run.

Worth Noting

The Wild will have home playoff games against the Stars next Monday and Wednesday. Both are certain to be sellouts. The club has sold out 106 straight regular season games and all 26 playoff games in franchise history—with each postseason game surpassing 19,000 in attendance. The official seating capacity for games at Xcel Energy Center is 17,954. Standing-room-only tickets allow for additional capacity.

The franchise set a regular season home attendance record during 2015-2016 by averaging 19,062 fans per game. Thirty-five of the club’s 41 regular season home games drew over 19,000 fans.

The Twins announced this morning they have placed left-handed pitcher and All-Star closer Glen Perkins on the 15-day disabled list with a left posterior shoulder strain, retroactive to April 11. To replace Perkins on the 25-man roster, the Twins have recalled left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers from Triple-A Rochester. Rogers will make his major league debut with his first appearance—possibly tonight when the Twins play the White Sox at Target Field. He has a career minor league record of 37-28 with a 3.27 ERA.

The Twins, Rod Carew and the American Heart Association will promote the Heart of 29 Campaign at Target Field with a pregame ceremony tonight featuring heart disease survivors including Carew. Twins players will wear Heart of 29 patches on their red jerseys.

WCCO Radio Sports Huddle host Dave Mona and his wife Linda drove around Ramp A for 37 minutes searching for a parking space prior to Monday’s Twins opener at Target Field. Frustrated, they ultimately skipped the game and went home to watch on TV.

Bob Lurtsema presented a gold football to his old high school earlier this week. In recognition of the Super Bowl’s 50th anniversary, the NFL is providing players who participated in the games with gold footballs to give their high schools. Lurtsema, who played for Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was a defensive lineman on Vikings Super Bowl teams in the 1970s.

While in Michigan, Lurtsema also stopped at his college alma mater, Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. His Broncos jersey is on display in the team’s weight room.

Lurtsema is a believer in Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings’ 23-year-old quarterback who starts his third NFL season next September. “The media is way too rough on him,” Lurtsema said.

Look for media reports about Gophers men’s basketball tonight and tomorrow after head coach Richard Pitino meets with journalists this afternoon to talk about the program’s offseason. Media will also watch player workouts.

The Lynx have two second round draft choices (No. 14 and 22 overall) and one third round (No. 35 overall) in tomorrow night’s WNBA Draft. ESPN2 will televise the first round starting at 6 p.m. Minneapolis time. ESPNU will televise the second and third rounds.

Former Gopher Rachel Banham, the 2016 Big Ten Player of the Year and the conference’s all-time leading scorer for women’s basketball, will be the No. 4 selection in the first round after being chosen by Connecticut, according to Bleacherreport.com’s mock draft. Draftsite.com predicts Banham will be the No. 5 selection by Dallas.

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U Quarterbacks Redshirt Candidates

Posted on April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 by David Shama

At the Gophers’ Spring Football Game tomorrow fans will be curious to watch highly hyped quarterbacks Demry Croft and Seth Green.

Croft, a sophomore next fall, and Green, a freshman, have received a lot of attention from coaches this spring with starting quarterback Mitch Leidner not participating in drills or scrimmages after left foot surgery late last year. Conor Rhoda, a junior next season and a quarterback who was a walk-on, has also taken plenty of snaps with new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson watching.

Johnson’s hope is Leidner, the Gophers’ starter last season, will not only have a school-record breaking season but also be healthy all season. That will allow a plan where Green or Croft could be redshirted, perhaps even both. Rhoda has already used his redshirt season.

Johnson replied “absolutely” when asked about his interest in redshirting either Green or Croft. That decision is months away, though. For now Johnson continues to evaluate his roster of quarterbacks including Green, who graduated early from high school to enroll this winter at Minnesota, and Croft who played in three games last season as a true freshman.

Johnson told Sports Headliners Croft’s experience has provided him with an edge compared to Green but he’s been impressed with the freshman and former four-star recruit who played his senior year of high school football in Texas after gaining so much attention as a junior and sophomore at East Ridge High School in Woodbury.

“He’s done a tremendous job mentally,” Johnson said about Green last week. “…I tried to throw a bunch of things at him this spring to kind of see what might stick and where we need to go, and I am really, really pleased with that.”

When former Gophers coach Jerry Kill signed Croft to a National Letter of Intent he described the three-star Illinois recruit as a “steal.” He praised Croft’s athleticism and ability to run. Observers see similar skills in Green and one of the two appears on track to succeed Leidner in 2017 as the starter.

“I think they both have a good skill set,”Johnson said. “There’s things we need to work on but I think the future is bright at that position. With Mitch’s situation, they have certainly had a lot of opportunity this spring and that’s good because we’re putting them in situations where they need to grow and learn from. …I think they’re both growing a lot. I think they have a bright future.”

Johnson believes the “ceiling is unlimited” for Leidner and that his redshirt senior quarterback can rank among the best in the Big Ten. “The other thing that he’s got is guys want to play for him,” Johnson said. “He has that passion, that leadership, and I think he can command a huddle and how it needs to be commanded. I think that carries dividends more than anything.”

Leidner has played in 35 games for the Gophers and started 29. He has rushed for 1,129 career yards and 23 career touchdowns (second most in school history for a quarterback), and passed for 5,118 yards (sixth most for the Gophers) and 28 touchdowns (eighth most). He ranks fifth all-time in completion percentage (56.4), sixth in completions (407) and is tied for sixth in attempts (722).

Leidner won’t play in tomorrow’s Spring Game at TCF Bank Stadium but he is hoping for the medical okay to have few restrictions later this spring and summer. Last year he credited participation in the well-known Manning Passing Academy with helping him improve his skills. In June he and other college quarterbacks will be back at the academy in Louisiana learning from the Mannings while also serving as instructors for younger players.

“It’s pretty tough. We’re working 8 in the morning until 9 o’clock at night,” Leidner said. “We do three practices with these kids, coaching them up. Then in between each practice you’re getting your workout in with the Mannings and other college quarterbacks there. I am looking forward to it. It’s a good time.”

To put less stress on his foot, Leidner has lost weight from last season. He has dropped more than 15 pounds and joked about less frequent visits to near campus restaurant Manning’s where he likes the burgers and fries.

Gophers redshirt senior offensive tackle Jonah Pirsig said the culture is different now than when Matt Limegrover was coaching the line. Bart Miller is the team’s new line coach. “It’s just a lot more intense,” Pirsig said. “He expects a lot more from you. He doesn’t allow for you to take a play off, ever. He’s all about finishing.

“I think we get a lot more out of practice. We’re not standing around at all. From what we’ve seen on tape, a lot more guys on the ground on defense, which is a good thing for us. So it’s all about being more physical.”

That seems like the right approach in the Big Ten’s West Division where the Gophers compete against teams like Iowa and Wisconsin, programs that annually build their offensive success on productive running games. Pirsig said Miller has shown his players film of other teams including Wisconsin and the Gophers from earlier this century when runners like Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney were among the most productive in the country. “I think we’ll (the offensive line) have a really good year, this year.”

Pirsig said each season the Gophers consider every game on the schedule “winnable” and 2016 will be no different. “Our goal is to be in Indianapolis in December and I think we can do that,” he said referring to the Big Ten Football Championship Game site.

Worth Noting

The Gophers’ Spring Game is scheduled to begin about 12:45 p.m. Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Admission is free and there will free mini-footballs given to kids, plus other activities.

This will be a special year for the 27th annual Bruce Smith Golf Classic at Faribault Golf Club. The fundraising event benefits three Faribault schools and honors Bruce Smith who won the 1941 Heisman Trophy playing for the Gophers 75 years ago this fall. More information about participating in the golf event and attending the dinner is available by e-mailing Bruce Krinke, contact@fctv10.org.

It seems likely the Vikings will set an all-time attendance record for a preseason game in Minneapolis August 28. The Vikings and Chargers will play the first NFL game ever in the new U.S. Bank Stadium that night. Official football capacity in the stadium is 66,200 and demand for tickets figures to be extraordinary.

Representatives from the Wild including players Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund were among the supporters attending a tribute event to the Hendrickson Foundation last night at the Fallon Worldwide offices in downtown Minneapolis. The foundation helps make it possible for disabled individuals to play hockey and is supporting nearly 100 teams. Among those being assisted are children and military veterans.

Mike Max’s “Life to the Max” show on WCCO TV will offer a feature on the Hendrickson Foundation Saturday night. The program begins at 11:05 p.m.

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