Agree...very nice place to live (I'm in Minneapolis as I write this), but it is a less than ideal athletic department/university if I'm a coach. Minnesota isn't a university that blindly supports its sports teams like you see in the SEC, Texas, and some other places. The administration can be very inconsistent and bend to the whims of the mob, fan apathy is fairly high (ticket sale issues were cited as part of the reason Claeys got fired...despite a 9 win season), local sports writers aren't shills for the university, and there isn't an abundant amount of local talent. If they brought in a big name coach and won 10 or 11 games a year, I think the enthusiasm level would increase, but it is a fair weather fan base and town where the Vikings, Twins, Wild, and Timberwolves all get more focus.
Minnesota's HC Tracy Claeys Fired
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Sounds like the RU fanbase, but worse. Have to hand it to our fanbase. We hang in through a lot of tough and mediocre seasons. Kudos to us.
Honestly...living out here, I feel like the challenges Rutgers has institutionally and culturally are very similar to Minnesota.
On top of the issue with the 10 or so players (I read the report, and it is really bad if all true, and involved a recruit), didn't Minnesota just change ADs because of other issues in athletics? Sounds very similar.
Yes...prior AD had made unwanted sexual advances towards an employee or reporter...or both. All the issues have spawned the name 'Dinkytown Drama'.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/08/07/teague-athletic-director-resigns
Just like Barchi at Rutgers since he arrived, you get the sense the school president would rather not be spenidng his time cleaning up one athletic department mess after another. Seems like the hire of Hobbs has helped here...the new guy at Minnesota has been on the job only a few months.
Some/many will disagree, but don't think it should be the President's job to to meddle in athletics, until it reaches the point where the AD is not doing their job or doing wrongdoing---and Barchi took a bold step in firing KF and JH last year, probably learning from the past where he was hands off. Can certainly appreciate the view of some academics when things go really bad about bailing from big time athletics. It can be done, and when done well, it is a win-win for the University as a whole and the athletes/coaches. I think we are going in that direction finally.
Thank you for reminding me of "flat and mega tongue on clit". One of the best quotes ever. I use it whenever I can ... which is to say, never.
The quote lacked much context to begin with but came from the disgraced Minnesota AD linked above.
Read the report on the 10 students who were suspended--and it included a recruit. Disgusting. Never will understand why those partaking in such sick activity, take photos, videos and otherwise provide a trail via text messages.
http://bit.ly/2hGEfUs
Been to Minny a few times. One of the best cities in the US IMO. Drove by West Lafayette a few years ago on I-55. I didn't even get off the road to visit Purdue and I was still convinced even with that drive-by that I could skip a Rutgers @ Purdue road trip. Maybe a B!G Eats segment about Purdue on BTN could change my mind.
Funny you say that. I lived in Indy a few years after grad school at Indiana...I've stopped in at West Lafayette and it had the least college town buzz of anyplace I've been to. I'm not entirely convinced I was at the right spots, and everyone I've met who has gone to Purdue were smart, nice people...so not a knock on the school...but driving through W. Lafayette and I was like 'Ummm...I must be missing something here?'
Penn State OC Joe Moorhead apparently turned down the Minnesota head coaching job:
http://www.thescore.com/ncaaf/news/1200423-report-penn-state-s-moorhead-turns-down-minnesota-job
http://www.thescore.com/ncaaf/news/1200423-report-penn-state-s-moorhead-turns-down-minnesota-job
also - fair chance that he was not the first to turn it down
I wonder about the veracity of that report but could see it maybe for 2 reasons. He likes the northeast area because he tried for Temple didn't he? Why not Minnesota? It's obviously higher stature and they have new facilities coming. Or he doesn't want to work with that admin.
He left Fordham to be a PSU OC strictly to get a shot at a P5 job eventually so if he had a legit shot seems surprising that he wouldn't take it just a year later.
Maybe, unlike some folks who jump at the first opportunity, he thought he needed some more experience as a P5 coordinator before jumping to a P5 HC job? Or it could be the AD and how Claeys was fired. Or he may want to stay in the NE. The first job that might come available (barring any surprises) would be Fredo (BC).
Well he has been a HC before but that's a good thought, BC could be a better fit for what he's looking for but IMO Minnesota is a better job. Like I've said in the past though you never know for sure what's in a guy's head.
