tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post4193763377074747271..comments2023-07-11T07:24:45.431-05:00Comments on Donny Puck: A Defense of Tim BrewsterBrian Pietrzakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08412213170733135484noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-77975068498504219272009-11-09T15:43:16.115-06:002009-11-09T15:43:16.115-06:00Anonymous - You were close, but you pegged the Ill...Anonymous - You were close, but you pegged the Illinois game wrong. Still with the huge number of penalties against Sparty and the porous defense in every game (not to mention the predicable use of Marquis Grey for running plays), however good a recruiter he is, Brewster clearly cannot coach. Why can't we expect excellence? If basketball school Illinois and brainiac school Northwesterrn can make the Rose Bowl, why not the third largest school in the country? Gopher nation - we deserve better!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-48680985184987151472009-10-30T07:47:21.829-05:002009-10-30T07:47:21.829-05:00BTW- I forgot to mention the loss to North Dakota ...BTW- I forgot to mention the loss to North Dakota St. (in which they weren't even competitive aginst the 1-AA school).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-27588066362259389672009-10-30T07:43:56.345-05:002009-10-30T07:43:56.345-05:00First off, the Wacker comparisons are accurate:
-L...First off, the Wacker comparisons are accurate:<br />-Losses to Bowling Green and Florida Atlantic (at least Wacker could bear the cupcakes)<br />-29-6 home loss to a 3-9 Michigan team<br />-Close to nine quarters of shut-out football this year<br />-Oh yeah, 55-0 to Iowa<br /><br />Let me personally hand Brester a pen so he can sign the contract extension he deserves after he goes 3-5 in the Big Ten this year (with impressive victories over the three worst teams in the Big Ten- Northwestern, Purdue, and Illinois. Sorry but they will not beat Michigan St. this weekend). <br /><br />This team is loaded with upper-classmen and all they can do is beat the bottom three of the conference while not even be competitive against the rest of the schedule (this includes the Wisconsin game as 'Sconnie tried their hardest to piss away the game).<br /><br />Brester does a great job of recruiting, according to Rivals. However, name me one Brewster recruit that has made an impact on this team.<br /><br />I appreciate your Sid-like optimism but you are living in a dream world if you think Brewster will be a long-term answer here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-46677889855435573452009-10-29T21:45:07.050-05:002009-10-29T21:45:07.050-05:00Anonymous - You keep coming back to my point....wh...Anonymous - You keep coming back to my point....why fire Mason if the program was 20-17 in the previous three years? The public wanted Mase gone despite the relative success - and the young football team set to come back in 2007 - and my gut tells me you may have been in the "Fire Mason" camp. When that chant started at Gopher hockey games, Maturi pulled the plug. If you fire a guy with success, it's because he wants to change everything. I agree with you 100% that Maturi is all-in with Brewster. I also believe that he needs more time. Your continued Wacker references are counter-productive. If the Gophers win all their remaining home games this season (and they should), they'll be 7-4 heading into an Iowa game, which will be an uphill climb. Name a Wacker team which finished 7-4. I'll gladly concede the point that they won consecutive games against Wisconsin in 1993-94 under Wacker, but that was it. In other "Trophy games," let's look at Michiagn (5 losses, and none competitive):<br /><br />1992 = 13-63 <br />1993 = 7-58<br />1994 = 22-38<br />1995 = 17-52<br />1996 = 10-44 <br /><br />The schedule is tougher this year than last. Looking at the schedule before the season, I'd bet most Gopher fans would have been happy with 4-4 in the Big Ten with another solid recruiting class coming in for 2010, and then they could definitely be a challenger next season. <br /><br />Patience.....Brian Pietrzaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-5084768921275155182009-10-29T12:45:44.363-05:002009-10-29T12:45:44.363-05:00Wisconsin was 6-27 in the past three years before ...Wisconsin was 6-27 in the past three years before Alvarez took over. <br /><br />Minnesota (under Mason) was 20-17 in the past three years before Brester took over. <br /><br />Since Brewster was hired to "re-build" a .500 program, he is 12-21 overall (.364 winning %)with a pathetic (and non-competitive) 5-16 (.238 winning %) record in the Big Ten. Which by the way, are Wacker-esque numbers. Punky is also 0-8 in "Trophey Games" and his "signature win" is a road victory over a 5-7 Illinois team last season.<br /><br />I agree coaching stability is huge in becoming a consistent winning program. However, Maturi decided to hire a Tight Ends Coach to lead the program. It's not Brewster's fault that he wasn't prepared for this job. This hire is on Maturi and he needs to fix this mess by pulling in a reputable coach that will stick around for a while. Sure, it's tricky to accomplish this but it's worth a shot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-73775589098300916472009-10-29T12:07:47.712-05:002009-10-29T12:07:47.712-05:00Stability in systems and personnel, along with a h...Stability in systems and personnel, along with a higher talent-grade, is ESSENTIAL in not just program success but long-term program success. Quick fixes are just that, quick fixes. You want a more permanent solution? Be patient.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-72347260102950829132009-10-29T10:15:35.166-05:002009-10-29T10:15:35.166-05:00How is hiring someone like Dungy for one or two ye...How is hiring someone like Dungy for one or two years until he decides he wants to return to the NFL going to bring them out of the mediocrity the program has been stuck in for almost 50 years?<br /><br />The point of my article is that it is far too early to render a verdict on Brewster until we see how his recruits fare, and that will take more than three seasons. Comparing him to the Wacker era is ridiculous, and you know it. The Gophers were getting KILLED by everyone under Wacker. He was a tremendous human being but could not handle recruiting in a major conference, and the results showed on the field. Brewster has shown an ability to recruit not seen since the Holtz era. Now, he needs to translate the success onto the field with the recruits he brought in.<br /><br />Wisconsin has had two coaches in 20 seasons; Iowa has had two coaches in 30 seasons. Why does the U continually search for the secret sauce and fail to let coaches establish their programs? Maybe stability IS the secret sauce?Brian Pietrzakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08412213170733135484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-56657659066640781112009-10-29T09:16:19.088-05:002009-10-29T09:16:19.088-05:00I don't want people to look at Brewster and sa...I don't want people to look at Brewster and say,See,he's just as mediocre as every other mediocre Gopher coach in recent history." SCREW MEDIOCRE! If you're going to settle for middle of the road,that's all you'll ever be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-51819571010491476572009-10-29T08:31:07.298-05:002009-10-29T08:31:07.298-05:00Alvarez did not have a winning record until year 4...Alvarez did not have a winning record until year 4 when they went to the Rose Bowl. The first 3 years he went 1-10; 5-6, 5-6. In year 4 he went 10-1-1<br /><br />Ferentz's first 3 years he was 1-10, 3-9 then 7-5 (won Alamo Bowl); year 4 went 11-2 and went to Orange Bowl and lost)<br /><br />Even the great coaches take time to rebuild programs. We need to be patient....heck we waited nearly 50 years, we can wait a couple more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-33880036801332993412009-10-28T11:04:14.097-05:002009-10-28T11:04:14.097-05:00I disagree, Sid...I mean Brian... He could prevent...I disagree, Sid...I mean Brian... He could prevent coordinators from leaving by having success and showing that the program is headed in the right direction. Let's just sign Brewster to an extension now! It sounds like he's the victim of poor circumstances (mediocre coordinators leaving, firing a spread guru and replacing him with an over-matched/un-qualified offense coordinator, Decker getting hurt, etc.).<br /><br />Funny how other programs can turn things around and at least show progress (Alvarez inherited a worse-off program as did Ferentz). <br /><br />Due to Mason's pay-out, Maturi realized he wouldn't be able to spend on a coach so he gambled that a good recruiter could somehow figure out how to coach. Recruiting has improved but the coaching ability is Wacker-esque (at least Wacker's teams could score). <br /><br />The state of Gopher football is on Maturi- He hired Brewster hoping he caught lightning in a bottle and would be able to take the program to the next level. The reality is, he is on course to take a step back. Maturi caved into public opinion and fired Mason. He wanted a new brand of Gopher football to christen the new stadium. Well, the buzz has worn off after only four games in the new stadium (look at the empty student section). If he wants to make this program relivent, it would be in his best interest to pony up and steal a proven coach (like he did with Tubby). If he keeps Brewster around, not only will the buzz be gone, but the program will fall into the apathy that we endured during the Wacker years.<br /><br />Maturi has a choice. Either admit that Gopher football is a lost cause or pull a Tubby-esque heist. With a shiny new stadium and added revenue streams, he needs to give one last try to make the program relivent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-73103526517367404452009-10-27T17:03:55.579-05:002009-10-27T17:03:55.579-05:00Well, Anonymous, why did he fire Mason in the firs...Well, Anonymous, why did he fire Mason in the first place? Your argument seems to make my point very clearly. A new coach - regardless of who he is - will not be able to turn things around tomorrow. Period. How can he prevent coordinators from taking better jobs? roof took a better job at Auburn last year, and does anyone think that firing Dunbar was the wrong move? Brewster needs more time.<br /><br />The Dungy argument is pure fantasy.Brian Pietrzaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152981705353969105.post-69398238160869059382009-10-27T08:01:21.328-05:002009-10-27T08:01:21.328-05:00I agree Dungy is not coming here but I disagree hi...I agree Dungy is not coming here but I disagree his lack of college coaching experience would make his job difficult. Tony Dungy would not have to recruit. You tell me parents wouldn't want to have their kids play for him? All he would have to do is show up at a recruit's house and the parents would be gushing over him. Pete Carroll wasn't a head coach at the collegiate level and things seemed to work out pretty well for him.<br /><br />Maturi made a big mistake in 2007 by hiring an inexperienced coach to lead this team. Period. Sure, Brewster had a reputation for recruiting but this guy had too many unknowns. Clearly, he is overmatched every Saturday. Clearly, this team has no blueprint for progress (look at the coordinators revolving door, the switch to the spread, then switching to a "power running attach," one that is last in the Big Ten).<br /><br />The fact is Brewster took over a young 6-6 team and took steps backwards. That Gary Patterson guy seems to be doing pretty well right now (#5 in the BCS).<br /><br />What will happen is Brewster will get another year, the team will finish towards the bottom of the Big Ten (again), and he will be fired. My hope is that Maturi can capitalize off of Bresters good recruits and bring in an experienced/reputable coach that can mold the talent and make them relevant in the Big Ten (and maybe win a trophey game or two). Winning cures everything and an experienced coach actually can achieve that here soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com