David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Search Committee to Meet Monday

Posted on February 24, 2012February 24, 2012 by David Shama

Sports Headliners has learned that the search committee for a new Gophers athletic director will have its initial meeting with University president Eric Kaler on Monday. Both the search committee and a search advisory group will hear Kaler’s expectations about the position as the process begins to replace Joel Maturi as the school’s athletic director.

Speculation is the University will seek candidates who have business skills and experience, but there’s no confirmation on that. The opinion here is the next athletic director will face these priorities: develop winning teams in football, basketball and hockey; effectively fund-raise and address the budget issues of a 25-sport program; and improve the public image of Gophers athletics.

A talented business leader with a passion for Gophers athletics would be the ideal candidate in the opinion of many school supporters. They believe such an individual would have the expertise to hire excellent coaches plus the management skills to run an efficient program, and the personality to attract support both within and outside the University.

It will be the search committee’s job to send the names of finalists to Kaler. With a 25 person search advisory committee and four person search committee, there will be a lot of interests represented in formulating candidates but the 55-year-old Kaler will make the final choice. His hire is likely to be someone his age or younger, a person he can work with for many years.

The Kaler choice will have a lot to do with defining his legacy as the school’s president. The Gophers have long been searching for a great athletic director. An extraordinary leader in athletics can make the difference in how the University is perceived by the public, and Kaler knows that.

Many potential candidates will be considered by the search committee and advisory group. Input regarding the suggested A.D. profile will come not only from those 29 people but also the public, and the University is using the Atlanta-based Parker Executive Search firm to assist with identifying candidates.

Names that could draw at least public speculation include former Gophers quarterback Tony Dungy and football coach Glen Mason. Others with ties to the state include Iowa athletic director Gary Barta who is a Minneapolis native, former Gophers football stars Peter Najarian and Bob Stein, Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson (Redwood Falls native), Minnesota Alumni Association CEO Phil Esten (former Gophers associate athletic director), Akron athletic director Tom Wistrcill (former senior associate A.D. at Minnesota) and UMD athletic director and football coach Bob Nielson. Also, Regina Sullivan and Marc Ryan, senior associate athletic directors on Maturi’s staff, have years of experience in the athletic department.

And Stony Brook University athletic director Jim Fiore is in his ninth year at the New York school, the same institution where Kaler worked until coming to Minnesota last July. Fiore’s name was rumored with the North Carolina athletic director opening last fall.

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Worth Noting

Posted on February 24, 2012February 24, 2012 by David Shama

Using a search committee for administrative and coaching hires has been typical at Minnesota, although there was no such committee in 2010 when football coach Jerry Kill was hired.

Twins first baseman Chris Parmelee turns 24 today. With so many questions about Justin Morneau’s health, fans may wonder if Parmelee could play even more games than he did (21) during his rookie season last year. Parmelee hit .355 with four home runs and 14 RBI.

It wouldn’t be surprising if this is pitcher Francisco Liriano’s last season with the Twins. He’s working on a one-year contract reportedly worth $5.5 million. If the inconsistent 28-year-old left hander has a similar season to last year (9-10, 5.09 ERA), the Twins may have minimal interest in re-signing him. If Liriano were to approach his electrifying 2006 stats that included a 2.16 ERA, he presumably could command a contract too rich for the Twins.

Former Gophers golfer and New York Times best selling author Harvey Mackay was featured on a recent cover of Speaker, the magazine of the National Speakers Association. The article said Mackay speaks “about once a week to Fortune 500-size companies and associations.”

The Big Ten is the best basketball conference in the country, according to a February 20 article in Sports Illustrated. The story praises the execution, toughness and defense of Big Ten teams.

“I’d almost bet my life…the Big Ten is as good as it’s been in a long time, top to bottom,” said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo when he was in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith talking about his team’s 66-61 loss to Michigan State on Wednesday night: “We just folded at the end of the game.”

The Gophers are 5-10 in the Big Ten, 17-11 overall and have lost four consecutive games. “He (Smith) coached better than I did,” Izzo said. “They’re good enough to be in the tourney.”

Gophers’ women’s basketball guard Rachel Banham ranks sixth in Big Ten scoring at 16.3 points per game and first among league freshmen.

Larry Bird told ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons in a February 8 interview he’s an admirer of the Timberwolves twosome of Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love. Bird played on three NBA championship teams in Boston including the 1986 team that ranks with the best for passing and unselfish play. Rubio and Love would fit perfectly on that team.

Love will be the first Timberwolf ever to participate in the NBA’s three point contest when he competes tomorrow in Orlando as part of All-Star Weekend activities.

Rookie forward Derrick Williams will be in the slam dunk contest tomorrow.

This week’s National Junior College Athletic Association poll has coach Jay Pivec’s first year Dakota County Technical College team ranked No. 8 in the country among Division II men’s teams.

The Wild will wear custom-designed camouflage jerseys during warm-ups on Sunday prior to Minnesota’s home game against San Jose. The jerseys will be available for bid via online auction starting Tuesday at www.wild.com. Proceeds benefit Defending The Blue Line, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization created by Minnesota National Guard soldiers. The charity assists military families with costs associated with hockey.

State tennis historian and author Jim Holden reported via email that Kevin Rust, the former coach at Rochester Lourdes, has been inducted into the Minnesota State High School Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame.

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Look for Vikings Stadium Deal Soon

Posted on February 22, 2012February 22, 2012 by David Shama

Although 2012 is an election year for Minnesota legislators, it’s likely a Vikings stadium bill will be approved in the coming weeks.

That’s the opinion of an experienced stadium authority who spoke to Sports Headliners this week with the understanding his name would not be used. There’s public pessimism a stadium deal won’t get done not only because the controversial issue has been pending for more than a decade, but also state legislators are up for re-election in November.

Maybe some legislators will be concerned about voting for a stadium bill and then going back to face angry voters in their home districts but that possibility didn’t remove the optimism of the stadium source. “If the governor wants to get something done, normally we can get…it done,” the authority said.

Vikings stadium proponents pushed the issue in front of governors Arne Carlson, Jesse Ventura and Tim Pawlenty, but only Mark Dayton has been aggressively supportive. Dayton is advocating a downtown facility that the source said is likely to have a permanent, not retractable roof. Given the minimal need for outdoor events including Vikings games, the source said he didn’t know why stadium planners would “go to the expense” of having a retractable roof that would add another $25 million to the project.

Dayton has reportedly persuaded the Vikings to commit about $427 million for a new stadium on or near the Metrodome site. It’s a figure similar to what the Vikings had talked about spending on their preferred site at Arden Hills. “That’s pretty significant,” the source said.

Funding details for a downtown stadium costing about $975 million remain unsettled, although it appears Dayton is favorable toward sourcing part of the cost from electronic pull-tabs. Although that represents an expansion of gambling, the source said it’s a move more politically acceptable than other gaming options.

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