David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Prep Authority Raves about U Hire

Posted on March 19, 2023March 19, 2023 by David Shama

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle checked the right boxes with the hire of Dawn Plitzuweit as the Gophers new head women’s basketball coach. Plitzuweit (pronounced PLITTS-zoo-white) is an experienced coach with a winning record who has recruiting relationships and cultural ties to this region.

Brian Cosgriff, the girls’ basketball coaching legend who won seven state titles at Hopkins and is now at Minnetonka, told Sports Headliners “it’s an incredible hire.” Plitzuweit and Cosgriff have known each other for years and the new Gopher coach called her friend Saturday morning. “She is really a bright, forward-thinking lady,” Cosgriff said.

In regard to experience, she is in contrast to Lindsay Whalen who as a first-time coach couldn’t make the transition from great player to building a winning program at her alma mater during a five-year trial. Coyle took a chance on Whalen and most everybody else in the state would have done the same with the former Gopher and Lynx legend.

Plitzuweit has 28 years of coaching experience, with 16 as a head coach. She has been the head coach of winning teams at (most recently) West Virginia, South Dakota, Northern Kentucky and Grand Valley State.

As a head coach she has 15 winning seasons including nine 20-win seasons and two 30-win years. Plitzuweit’s teams have participated in the postseason 15 of 16 seasons and been in the last four NCAA Tournaments. Her career coaching record is 356-141 (.721) and she is 201-66 (.752) in league play.

Her resume includes the Big Ten where she was associate head coach at Michigan. The Michigan Tech graduate and West Bend, Wisconsin native has recruited Minnesota over the years.”…I am…looking forward to reconnecting with local high school and club coaches. I can’t wait to get to work,” Plitzuweit said in a statement released by the Gophers.

Plitzuweit, 50, could be the right age to make Minnesota her last career stop and turn the Gophers into a special program. “I honestly think it’s her dream job,” said Cosgriff.

She reportedly earned $550,000 last season at West Virginia. Whalen, who stepped down as Gopher coach in early March, was to be paid $574,761 starting next month. Most recently she earned $547,391. Specific compensation hasn’t been announced for Plitzuweit but she will receive a six-year contract pending approval by the Board of Regents.

Plitzuweit is the 13^th head women’s basketball coach at Minnesota, all females. The Gophers will hold a news conference Monday at 12:30 p.m. to introduce their coach. It will be carried live on the Big Ten Network and the Gophers’ YouTube channel.

Worth Noting

Minnesota lost the Big Ten Tournament hockey championship game last night to Michigan, 4-3 , playing in an electric atmosphere at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The game sold out in less than 36 hours and was the team’s ninth home sellout of the season as fans clamored to see a game between the No. 1 nationally ranked Gophers and No. 4 Wolverines and featuring 26 NHL draft choices.

In a home two-game series against Michigan January 20-21, the Gophers had a total attendance of 20,755, the most fans for a weekend series in arena history. Minnesota has been a draw on the road, too, mostly playing in front of sellout crowds.

Saturday morning StubHub, the Gophers’ secondary ticket partner, was listing tickets ranging from $135 each to $666. The public is starved for a Minnesota winner and this Gopher team has a chance to win the school’s first national championship since 2002.

The foundation is built on both defense and goal scoring. Defenseman Brock Faber and goalie Justen Close are names that surface quickly when talking about shutting down opponents, while the nationally publicized line of Logan Cooley, Matthew Knies and Jimmy Snuggerud is talked about as among the best in school history. Cooley and Knies are among 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, and one of them could win the honor of being named the nation’s best college hockey player, and the first Gopher to do that since Jordan Leopold in 2002.

Coach Bob Motzko has been true to program tradition in assembling a 26-man roster dominated by Minnesotans with 20 players from the state. But he’s kept up with the times bringing key personnel from beyond the border. Cooley is from Pittsburgh, Knies from Phoenix and Close from Saskatchewan.

If the Gophers qualify, Stillwater-based Creative Charters is offering a fan trip, April 6 to 9, to the Frozen Four in Tampa. The trip is part of a creative list of 2023 travel experiences planned by Steve and Dorothy Erban including what they’re billing as “the trip of a lifetime” to North Carolina in September.

The football Gophers play in Chapel Hill Saturday, September 16 against North Carolina and Heisman Trophy quarterback candidate Drake Maye. In addition to football entertainment, the goal of the September 13-17 trip is to “provide a true North Carolina experience.”

Travelers will visit the Charlotte Speedway and get an inside look at NASCAR racing. Not only that, but some Minnesotans will be able to ride in a high-speed Ford Mustang performance car driven by a professional driver. There will also be a visit to learn about the famous North Carolina furniture industry, opportunity to play golf and tour the historic North Carolina and Duke campuses.

Matt Weimann (left). Photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas.

Among the many prospects working out in front of professional scouts at Minnesota Pro Day last week were decorated players like Gophers All-Americans Mo Ibrahim and John Michael Schmitz. But there were also many players much more uncertain about their professional football futures including former St. Thomas center Matt Weimann.

The former Hill-Murray player told Sports Headliners his hope is to be signed as a free agent and gain an NFL tryout but he “would love to play anywhere.” In his mind the USFL or Canadian Football League could be options.

Weimann, about 6-3 and 300 plus-pounds, was All-Pioneer League last season. He has lost some weight and was pleased with his 28-inch vertical jump at the U Pro Day. He said his strength is as a run blocker and he is training to play guard and center at the next level, knowing versatility in skills is valuable.

Weimann raves about the coaching he received at St. Thomas including from head coach Glenn Caruso who he refers to as “phenomenal.” He said Caruso treats his players like family and that his leadership is unlike any he’s seen in coaching.

An All-District player in high school, Weimann didn’t receive attention from the Gophers. “The U didn’t recruit me at all. I tried to reach out. Definitely would have been interested in walking on, or at least looking and seeing what the program was about. But I never got any responses from any sort of recruiting from the U of M.”

Schmitz, one of college football’s premier centers last season, is expected to be drafted in the early rounds. Ibrahim, cornerback Terell Smith, safety Jordan Howden and quarterback Tanner Morgan are candidates for later rounds.

Cathy Gorlin & Marshall Tanick with Mark Wilf (center). Photo courtesy of Marshall Tanick.

Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf paid tribute to the late Bud Grant and spoke on other subjects Friday as the guest speaker at the Minnesota Breakfast gathering in Naples, Florida. Wilf also referenced a survey of NFL players that ranked the Vikings No. 1 among 32 teams in off the field satisfaction with the organization. He said the team will seek offensive linemen in the NFL Draft and through free agency to provide better pass protection and promised an improved defense in 2023.

Wilf also told breakfast attendees ownership rarely gets involved with decision making for the NFL Draft, except for concerns about player character. He added that “60 to 70” draft prospects are disqualified each year by the Vikings because of character issues.

Archives quote from Bud Grant about dancing: “Not only am I not good, I’ve never danced in my life. I always was very shy (as a youth) and I never learned to dance. I was too self-conscious and I was taller than most of the girls so I never learned how to dance—much to the chagrin of my wife.”

A former NFL executive talking anonymously about departed Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen: “…I think Adam Thielen will find a good opportunity, perhaps with the Jets if Aaron Rodgers ends up there. Because they have a tight relationship.”

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The Harry Peter Grant I Remember

Posted on March 14, 2023March 16, 2023 by David Shama

I struggle with the reality Bud Grant passed away suddenly last Saturday. I kept track of Bud and knew he was 95, but I wasn’t prepared for the news. He had been stooped over for years and sometimes used a wheelchair, but his mind was sharp, and he was active.

It felt like Bud would be around forever. Why wouldn’t the man who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of most famous Minnesotans live at least past age 100?

Longevity, durability, courage and good fortune were hallmarks of Bud’s life. He had survived a near fatal airplane crash just a few years ago. In his youth he walked miles and miles to safety in the famous Armistice Day blizzard of 1940. Even in old age, with his body failing, he willed himself to hunt and fish, hold garage sales and occasionally make public appearances.

Bud’s heart apparently gave out last Saturday and it marked the end of his relationships with many people including this writer. I respected him from the outset and although we weren’t close friends through the years, we had a cordial and professional relationship.

Among my earliest memories was in the 1970s after I had been around the Vikings coach a couple of times. “Are you going to shake my hand every time we meet?” asked Bud.

That intimidated me and that probably was his intent. Bud was tough and could send not so subtle messages about respect and who he was. Just his stoic demeanor and steely blue eyes could put a reporter or team on notice.

Bud Grant photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Bud, an authentic man to the bone, made a lasting impression on so many people and his influence went way beyond all the games and championships his teams won in the NFL and Canadian Football League. His common sense about football and life is a huge part of his legacy.

“Bud Grant had more common sense than anyone I know,” former Viking quarterback Fran Tarkenton wrote in his book Every Day Is Game Day. “I always wanted to stand next to him at practice and in the games because I wanted to soak up everything he had to say.”

Bud grew up in Superior, Wisconsin and went into the Navy out of high school. He was an All-American end for the Gophers in 1949 when coach Bernie Bierman had a great team. He later played both pro football with the NFL Eagles and CFL Blue Bombers, and pro basketball with the Minneapolis Lakers (he referenced George Mikan as the greatest competitor he ever saw). In 1957, at age 29, he became head coach of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers and made them champions. He took over as Vikings head coach in 1967, leading the franchise to 11 division titles and four Super Bowls in 18 seasons.

Bud retired as Vikings coach after the 1983 season. But he came back for one more season in 1985 to rescue the Vikings who had made a disastrous head coaching hire in Les Steckel. Steckel, with his marine-style approach, was fired after the 1984 season with a 3-13 record.

Not only were the Vikings losing games but fan interest, too. Lou Holtz was mesmerizing the football public and the Gophers were coming to life in 1984. Vikings GM Mike Lynn saw the surging interest in the Gophers and countered by convincing Grant to make a coaching comeback.

Holtz left for Notre Dame after the 1985 season (the Gophers sold 56,000 season tickets in 1986). Bud didn’t want to continue on beyond 1985 and was replaced by offensive coordinator Jerry Burns. At age 58 he wanted to devote his healthy years to his beloved pursuit of the outdoors, including far away travel to hunt and fish.

Many of those outdoor times were spent with his son Mike, the revered football coach from Eden Prairie High School. “He says ‘let’s go hunting’ and I just drop everything,” Mike told Sports Headliners in 2012.

Bud had enough money to live comfortably after he retired. He was a frugal guy (word was that as a perk he used to gas up the family vehicles at the team’s practice facility) and he found various gigs including endorsements and card shows to generate income and supplement his NFL pension.

Like the coach, Bud’s teams were known for their consistency. Also mirroring their leader, the Vikings were focused but not overly emotional. Fairly or not , critics have suggested a lack of fire contributed to his teams going 0-4 in Super Bowls.

Coach Bierman was known for being physically demanding with his teams. Bud, though, wasn’t about to follow his mentor’s example. He didn’t want his teams so spent from practicing they had nothing left on Sundays. Fatigued or injured players, no matter how talented, didn’t win games. He always said ability was useless without “durability.”

When Bud was coaching, he used to ask scouts about the instincts of players they were evaluating. The scouts spoke about the measurables of players like size and speed, but Grant wanted to know more. “I said, ‘No, instinct is not measured. It is observed.’ All the great players have good instincts.”

Bud didn’t believe in God, but he was a close observer of the natural world and people, including in the woods or on the football field. His instincts were keen and powerful.

“Weather is a great equalizer,” Grant told Sports Headliners awhile ago. “You can have certain skills either in the kicking game, in the passing game, the catching game, and running game, but wind, cold, rain or snow can reduce any advantages you may have in those departments because the ball takes funny bounces…(and) what not. I always felt that if the other team was better, we wanted bad weather. If we felt we were better than they were, we wanted good weather.”

Bud and Minneapolis sportswriter Sid Hartman were close friends, dating back to Grant’s years as a Gopher in the late 1940s. In the book Sid, Hartman wrote about Bud’s charmed life with nature. He told about a pet crow Bud had that could land on an unsuspecting shoulder and “give you a heart attack.”

There was a night long ago when Bud and Hartman were driving home from Superior. Hartman’s car got a flat tire on a cold evening, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was 20 below and Hartman saw a bright light in the distance. He figured it was a spotlight and started walking toward what he presumed was a town not too far away.

“I took a few steps and sunk up to my arms into a snow-filled ditch,” Hartman wrote. “Bud started laughing and said, ‘Hey, Sid, it’s going to take you awhile to get to that spotlight. That’s the moon.”

Bud got a kick out of that. He could also be a prankster with Sid. He once put a squirrel inside Hartman’s car and the unsuspecting sportswriter almost drove off the road when he felt something strange running up his pant leg.

On April Fool’s Day Bud was the mastermind behind practical jokes at the Vikings’ offices. Secretaries best beware of a reptile or mammal that might be ready to jump out of a drawer or file cabinet.

Bud told me he was shy growing up and there was an aloofness that stayed with him through the years. It could be on display even in the presence of Vikings ownership. Bud’s son Mike told a story about how former Vikings owner Red McCombs arranged for his dad to shoot turkeys in Texas. At day’s end Bud’s hosts were nervous about how to entertain the famous coach, suggesting a nearby bar or a game of billiards. “You know what? I like quiet,” Bud said. And then, Mike recalled, his dad sat and read a newspaper for two hours.

McCombs passed on last month. Gone, too, are so many of Bud’s friends like Hartman, Burns, Billy Bye, Paul Giel and Verne Gagne. Bud outlived them all. Maybe his instincts told him last week it was time to move on.

Harry Peter Grant, aka Bud. May 20, 1927, to March 11, 2023. I’d like to shake his hand one last time.

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Cutting ‘Hit Man’ May Fit Vikes’ Plans

Posted on March 12, 2023March 15, 2023 by David Shama

The Vikings are parting with veteran players and the movement could be aimed at more than getting under the NFL salary cap for 2023. The bigger goal in having a restructured roster might be to have a lot of salary cap room going into 2024. Next year the Vikings could be chasing some high-profile free agents and are expected later this year to strike a mega contract extension with superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings, who remain several million dollars under the cap, have already released pricey veterans Eric Kendricks (linebacker) and Adam Thielen (wide receiver). Rumors persist that another valued veteran will be gone soon, safety Harrison Smith, “Harry the Hit Man.” His departure would put the Vikings under the cap, saving about $7.3 million, per Overthecap.com. Another option could be Smith taking a pay cut, something it’s believed Thielen wasn’t willing to do.

Some Vikings starters, regardless of whether they’re free agents, are potential targets for release in coming days as general manager Kwesi Odofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell reshape the roster and payroll. They have also released third-year cornerback Cameron Dantzler, often a starter.

The second-year GM is a deep thinker and his moves are difficult to forecast. He seems unlikely to get pigeonholed into predictably and likes having flexibility.

The Vikings have reportedly saved about $16 million in cap room and could gain another $5 million if they part with linebacker Jordan Hicks, a former NFL executive told Sports Headliners. That would move the Vikings close to the NFL salary cap number of $224.8 million.

But the Vikings could certainly create more space for the future. Tight end Irv Smith, an unrestricted free agent, looks expendable after last fall’s acquisition of T.J. Hockenson. “I tend to think he (Smith) could probably get a better deal elsewhere because of the money they’re putting into Hockenson,” said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Dalvin Cook photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Running back Alexander Mattison, a career sub but impressive performer, is another free agent the Vikings must make a deal with or lose. He would be a cheaper option than star Dalvin Cook whose future in Minneapolis has drawn speculation about whether he’s willing to accept a big pay cut. “They’re not going to be able to keep them both,” the authority said.

The Vikings also must deal with the free agency of center Garrett Bradbury. The former NFL GM who spoke to Sports Headliners believes the Vikings might be more interested in Browns free agent Ethan Pocic. “That’s a tricky one (keeping Bradbury). I think they’d probably like to get a little bit more physical type center.”

A free agent the Vikings seem certain to bring back is expensive defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. His current salary is $10,500,000 per Spotrac.com and at 29 he is a valued stopper on the defensive line. Another veteran free agent on defense who seems likely to return is Patrick Peterson who plays cornerback, a position the Vikings are thin at and likely are targeting in the draft or other form of acquisition.

Curiously, linebacker Za’Darius Smith, who earns over $9 million and had an impressive first half of the season in 2022, has asked the Vikings to release him without explanation. Although the Vikings could reportedly save about $12 million against the cap, it’s not believed they want to lose the talented edge rusher.

“That’s a really tough call,” the source said. “It’s going to be determined (by) what the medical people feel his prognosis is. Is this going to be a chronic situation with that knee and his other issues that he’s had with his back? I don’t know. I am just surprised that he has come out publicly saying he wants to be released. That may indicate they’re trying to get him to take a pay cut , too.”

NFL teams have until Wednesday to be under the salary cap, so the immediate hours ahead are sure to bring Vikings news. Teams are allowed to start talking with free agents tomorrow and players can be signed starting Wednesday.

One high profile free agent, quarterback Lamar Jackson, seems unlikely to draw interest from the Vikings. “I would be shocked if that happens,” the Sports Headliners source said. “They wouldn’t want to give up the two first round picks (required). I don’t think they would want to give him $230 million fully guaranteed. And I think one of the problems for Lamar in this whole situation is having missed 11 games the last two years, including the playoff game last year.”

Worth Noting

Such sad news yesterday about the death of Bud Grant. I will write in detail about the legendary Grant later in the week.

The Vikings have five draft slots in the seven round 2023 NFL draft, as of now. They pick at No. 23 in the first round, No. 24 in the third round, No. 17 in the fourth round, No. 25 in the fifth round, and No. 34 in the sixth round.

Among division rivals, the Packers have picks in every round including four in the seventh. The Bears, with the No. 9 first round selection, have choices in every round including three in the second, and two each in the fourth, fifth and seventh. The Lions have no picks in the fourth or seventh rounds but two each in the first, second and sixth rounds among their draft slots.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association will induct Thielen and former Golden Gophers running back Darrell Thompson, now head of the Bolder Options nonprofit, into their Hall of Fame April 1 at the DoubleTree Hotel Minneapolis Parkplace. Other inductees are Terry Bahlmann, Marshall; Randy Kuchenmeister, Blue Earth; Chuck Ross, Underwood; Doug Ekmark, Park.

Saturday was a hockey lover’s dream with an estimated 40,000-plus total fans attending the two boys’ state tournament championship games in St. Paul, and men’s and women’s Gopher playoff games in Minneapolis.

Ticket tip for next year’s boys’ tournament. Buy tickets for the Class A opening day when a $20 general admission ticket gets you in the lower bowl.

The Big Ten will announce men’s hockey award winners tomorrow. The Gophers have finalists in five major categories including Player of the Year with Matthew Knies; Defensive Player of the Year, Brock Faber; and Goalie of the Year Justen Close. Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud are two of three finalists for Freshman of the year. Bob Motzko is one of three who could win Coach of the Year.

First baseman Christian Lee Encarnacion, among the players the Twins sent to the Reds last August for pitcher Tyler Mahle, is hitting .625 in spring training on 15 hits in 24 at bats!

Word from baseball spring training in the Fort Myers area is be prepared to pay $300 and up for a basic hotel room. And it’s not too soon to book lodging for a 2024 February-March stay in Southwest Florida.

The football Gophers will hold two open and free spring football practices, March 28 and April 4. Both practices are scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m., with locations to be announced. The free annual spring game begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 22 at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Happy Birthday to former Golden Gophers basketball captain Paul Presthus who turns 78 Thursday.

More good news: Mike Wilkinson, author of the Murray Wamath biography The Autumn Warrior, is resting at home after a long bout with pneumonia.

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