A certain venerable sports columnist, one with close personal friends, occasionally likes to say while speculating about a topic that there is “zero chance” of something developing. To borrow the phrase today, there is zero chance Bob Knight will be the next University of Minnesota basketball coach, replacing Dan Monson.
With all of Knight’s history of on and off-court problems, and the political correctness of the University, your local cab driver is about as likely to be coaching the Gophers next season. Yes, Knight would be a money producing machine, selling out Williams Arena and generating other revenues such as merchandising and fundraising. A Midwesterner who won three national titles at Indiana before being fired, Knight probably would be interested in a return to a Big Ten Conference school and he has long admired the Minneapolis area.
Jim Dutcher coached against Knight as the Gopher coach for 11 seasons, from 1975 to 1986. What does he think about Knight and the Minnesota job? “No, that would be the last guy you would want to hire. …Not from a winning or competitive standpoint, but just from other standpoints, that would not be a good fit,” Dutcher answered.
Knight is 66 years old and his age raises a question about how much longer he will coach anywhere. I doubt, too, how effective Knight can be recruiting players from outside Minnesota. Since his arrival at Texas Tech in 2001 he hasn’t shown an ability to attract the nation’s best players.
Dutcher coached Flip Saunders and later Saunders was on Dutcher’s coaching staff. There have been various theories advanced as to why Saunders might be interested in the Gophers’ job. One I haven’t heard is a possible desire to get back at his former employer, the Minnesota Timberwolves. A successful run coaching the Gophers could make the U the No. 1 basketball attraction in the state, not the Wolves who moved him aside as coach in 2005.
Saunders is chasing his first NBA championship as coach of the Detroit Pistons and perhaps making $5 million per year. Dutcher said he didn’t know if Saunders is interested in coming back to Minneapolis where two of his children attend the University.
Dutcher believes Saunders, 51, would recruit effectively. “I think so because he’s a competitior,” Dutcher said. “He knows that winning is a lot more fun than losing. …”
Rick Majerus, 58, also has ties to the Midwest with friends here and having coached at Marquette in Milwaukee. He has been out of coaching since 2004 and while once considered a great coach his candidacy to lead the Gophers isn’t taken very seriously by many people. His name comes up when there are job openings but he seems more interested in the attention than working again as a college coach. “I think he becomes less attractive as time goes by,” Dutcher said.