The Daily Gopher Fix 8.20.08

Is Tim Brewster on the proverbial hot-seat as the 2008 campaign is set to begin? Rivals' Tom Dienhart thinks so. He writes that Tim Brewster is one of three coaches who might be looking over his shoulder if the upcoming season sputters. The others: Maryland's Ralph Friedgen and UTEP's Mark Mike Price.

On Brewster, Dienhart states:

Brewster's hiring shocked many. It looked as if the school was honing in on then-USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, TCU coach Gary Patterson and Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, among others. But Brewster blew away Minnesota A.D. Joel Maturi in the interview process, landing the job even though Brewster never had been a head coach - or even a coordinator. Some felt Brewster was in over his head during a 1-11 debut last fall. Brewster reportedly was encouraged to bring in some experienced assistants, and former Duke coach Ted Roof has come aboard as defensive coordinator. But Brewster needs to win a few games to build momentum as the Gophers move into a new stadium in 2009.

Around the Internets, I am not considered a Brewster apologist. I thought in 2007 he failed to ensure his kids played fundamental football. At times, and it's not quantifiable, he certainly seemed a tad overwhelmed on the sidelines.

BUT. ....

No Minnesota coach in my lifetime has put together the kind of recruiting class that Brewster did in 2008. And he's off to a nice start in that department for 2009. Brewster sold Maturi, and Maturi sold the Gophers faithful on Brewster's recruiting ability. On that charge, Brewster is exceeding expectations.

In 2008, Brewster just needs to demonstrate strides as a "coach." And I think he should be allowed the room to breathe to bring in the talent necessarry to compete at the upper-echelons of the Big Ten. Teams can't climb the ladder if their coaches are annually on the hot-seat. Brewster shouldn't have anything to worry about this year if Minnesota shows any signs of life.

What do you think? Should Brewster worry about his job stability?

• As Minnesota fans continue to debate the pros and cons of the spread offense, I found an article on the rise of the spread in the Big Ten  very intersting. In it, Purdue head man Joe Tiller suggests the rise of the spread is societal.

  "If you want to keep young people involved in football, you have to provide an outlet that is enjoyable to them, not just a highly-disciplined or regimented style of play," Tiller said. "So it doesn't surprise me at all that the spread offense has swept the nation.

  "To me, it's almost a reflection of our society in that things can be instant in a spread offense. I often refer to our society as being instant gratification, so the spread fits right in."

• Anticipating slightly less fanfare than a buried David Ortiz jersey in the Bronx, our friend at Lake the Posts (Northwestern blog) intends to move some dirt in The Horseshoe and bury the most laughable bobblehead ever created. LTP is heading to the 'Shoe for an exercise in exorcism.
• The boys (and maybe girls too) at the NIU Dog Pound are throwing out their predictions for the Aug. 30 opener between the Gophers and Nothern Illinois. What say you? Does 2008 get off to a positive start?
• The AP reports Indiana's Tom Crean inked a 10-year, $26 million deal. (HT-Gopher Gold). I think Crean was a great hire for a program desperately in need of some stability.
• The 4-letter profiled Adam Weber. Pull-quote:

What must come next is clear for Weber: limit the interceptions. He had 19 of them last year, tying Northwestern's C.J. Bacher for the league lead, and threw multiple picks in six games, all losses.

"I was just trying to make my one read and stick with that," he said. "Now I feel so much more comfortable with scanning the defense, making my reads and understanding how to visualize the whole field, how to look off guys a little bit, when you need to make a big play, when you can just drop it down."

• Down with Goldy breaks down the reported Minnesota 2008 non-conference basketball schedule that we noticed in yesterday's Daily Gopher. DWG is unimpressed, but funny. On the prospect of facing Southern Miss: "Doesn't Larry Eustachy coach here? U of M students, hide your women!" LOL, I always loved that one!
• Michigan is already having problems with their quarterback situation for this season. Now, as Michigan Sports Center relays, a 2009 QB recruit has decommited.
• Our friends at Eleven Warriors found a fashionable way to carry seven beers around at once. Fierce!