University of Minnesota president Bob Bruininks is a horseman. Tim Brewster recalls during the interview process that led to his becoming the new Gopher football coach that Bruininks talked about the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. Bruininks told Brewster he didn’t want to put pressure on him but he wants to ride a horse in the parade that annually precedes the Rose Bowl football game.
Brewster enjoys telling the story that the university’s president wants to see the football team back in Pasadena for the first time since 1962. The Gopher coach is all about setting expectations and he’s even acquired a small piece of Rose Bowl turf to symbolize the quest to ride west as Big Ten Conference champions.
“He doesn’t miss a beat.” That’s a phrase defining Brewster. I literally hear myself and others saying it with more frequency all the time. His salesmanship brought out probably the largest spring football game crowd (estimated at 5,000) in two generations last Saturday. Although it was a chilly morning, hundreds of fans greeted the team outside the stadium two hours before game time and the tradition of the Gopher Walk was born.
“I don’t know how many were out but there were a lot of people and the kids felt the excitement and they felt the passion,” Brewster told Sports Headliners on Saturday. “That was great.”
The night before the spring game 165 former Gopher football players enjoyed a free dinner and program on campus. Brewster told them when his Gophers play they represent every player “whoever wore the maroon and gold.” Among those in attendance was Marion Barber III who reportedly flew to Minneapolis from Dallas to show his support.
A week before that Brewster was hosting hundreds of high school football coaches and telling them he wants every young man who is a Big Ten player to stay home and play for the Gophers. He’s building relationships with the coaches and is going to keep more prospects home than in the past.
The Gophers are targeting about nine Minnesota high school juniors to accept scholarship offers in 2008. Several have given verbal commitments already, none bigger than Champlin Park High School linebacker Sam Maresh. He’s one of the big three state targets along with USA Today all-American wide receiver Michael Floyd and Eden Prairie defensive lineman Willie Mobley.
It’s easy to project Maresh as a Gopher leader and future captain. He’s so passionate about Brewster he’s trying to recruit other players. A source told Sports Headliners Maresh has contacted Brewster’s son, Nolan, encouraging him to become a Gopher. Nolan, one of the nation’s best prep safeties, has verbally committed to Texas for 2008.
Brewster is all about establishing a gold standard for excellence and being an inclusive leader. He invites everyone to be part of what he calls the “Gopher Nation.” He brought in famed Denver Bronco coach Mike Shanahan to talk to the team. Murray Warmath, the Gophers’ 1960 national championship coach, did the same. Whether it was the famous or not so famous visiting spring practice, they were welcomed and might even have seen the whole team come over to the sidelines to shake hands.
The Gopher players have a new start under Brewster. This was a 6-6 team last season, a gang that played superbly at times but also had awful performances. There are six starters back on offense, nine on defense.
Reinvigorated players came to Brewster and said they want to adopt a slogan for the new season: “We will make history again.”
The school with six national championships and 18 conference titles has a storied past. With not even a conference championship since 1967, the emphasis is on past. But there’s no substitute for expectations, passion and hard work. Brewster and his staff are all about that. A lot of the energy and time is targeted to recruiting. The Gophers are going after top players in various parts of the country. Brewster is not interested in chasing the same kids Arkansas State is after.
It will take awhile but the momentum is changing and the expectations are going higher at Minnesota. Bob Bruininks wants to go for a ride.