EXCELLENCE. There’s a reason the word is spelled in cap letters. The whole search needs to be done with this mantra: “We are committed to hiring a college head coach who is a proven winner.” No excuses.
Fundraising starts now. The best of efforts must be made to raise money from outside sources to allow the Gophers to compete for top coaches. There are probably 25 college coaches or more who earn about $1.6 million or greater per season. Brewster was paid approximately $1 million a year. Not good enough going forward.
Hit a grand slam home run. If the mantra demands excellence at the top of the search criteria then the hunt begins with a dream short list. Can you say Jim Harbaugh, Chris Petersen or Tony Dungy? Hire any of those guys and the town goes nuts just like when Lou Holtz brought his magic bag here in 1984 and transformed a slum program overnight into a respectable outfit on its way to the Rose Bowl and becoming bigger in this state than the Vikings.
Keep your eye on the criteria. If the U can’t hit a grand slam home run, then hit a solo shot. Head coaches like Air Force’s Troy Calhoun, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham and South Florida’s Skip Holtz are criteria poster boys. Don’t panic. The right guy who meets the criteria is out there.
For gosh sake, make sure the administration is on board. It takes more than a great coach and willing athletic department to have a powerful football program. The school president and other top leaders have to be arm-in-arm with the coach and supporting his needs. Gary Barnett led the Northwestern miracle turn around in the mid-1990’s and said about administrators: “They’re not on the outside looking down saying, ‘Good luck.’…”
Check out Wednesday’s column when Sports Headliners will have a more complete list of who should be considered for the job and the names of three coaches the U may ultimately choose from.