While Flip Saunders is the best candidate for the University of Minnesota basketball coaching position, Mike Montgomery might be a superb second choice. He built a powerful program at Stanford before taking an NBA job with the Golden State Warriors. Although his record with the Warriors was mediocre and he was let go last year, he had sub-par players to coach with a franchise that historically is among the NBA’s worst.
Montgomery was at Stanford for 18 seasons and is the school’s most successful coach ever. His teams enjoyed top 10 rankings, won four Pacific 10 Conference championships and participated in the NCAA tournament 12 times. His winning percentage of .702 is based on 393 wins, 167 losses.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Mark Madsen played for Montgomery at Stanford. Madsen’s enthusiasm was evident immediately when he talked to Sports Headliners about his former coach. “I think Mike Montgomery would be an excellent candidate for the University of Minnesota job,” Madsen said. “He’s a great recruiter. He knows the X’s and O’s like the back of his hand, and he can communicate with people. …I think the U would be very smart to contact Mike Montgomery and see if they can open a dialogue.”
Bring up Montgomery’s name and there is an assumption that he’s a “west coast guy” who wouldn’t be interested in Minneapolis. Madsen, however, quickly disputes the suggestion that Montgomery, who grew up in southern California, wouldn’t want to move here. “This is a great place to be, too,” Madsen said. “He knows that. He likes Minnesota, he likes Minneapolis.” Madsen also said Montgomery is a “family man” whose values are a good fit with the Midwest, and the coach’s wife, Sarah, has relatives in Minnesota.
Montgomery’s ability to recruit and his contacts in both northern and southern California would be a major asset to the Gophers. Madsen is confident that despite the difference in weather, his former coach could bring outstanding California prep players here. At Stanford eight of his players became NBA first round draft choices and others had tryouts, an indication of the talent he recruited.
Madsen said Montgomery sees all the elements that go into being an extraordinary coach and having a winning program. Recruiting, teaching in practice, coaching in games, mentoring players as people (not just athletes) and working with the media are all Montgomery strengths.
With his values and the wisdom that comes with being 59 years old, Montgomery isn’t going to be a win at all costs coach who breaks NCAA rules. Madsen said “coach Montgomery is not someone who is going to try to do things in a quick fix type of way. …”
Both Minnesota and Stanford are schools emphasizing academics and integrity in athletics. Minnesota basketball is down with two 10th place finishes in the last three years in the Big Ten Conference. Madsen said Stanford basketball was low level, too, when Montgomery arrived.
“You know the biggest thing about Mike that comes to my mind is Mike is a winner,” Madsen said. “He went to Stanford when people were saying no one can win at Stanford. And he took that program to the national level. He took that program to the (NCAA) Final Four.”