What an exciting couple of days. Let's get to the links.
Rittenberg tells us that rebuilding won't be easy but it is doable.
The Minnesota job always will have its challenges, namely the location and the distance from many of the nation's recruiting hotbeds. But Wisconsin and Iowa face the same obstacles. And let's face it: recruiting didn't lead to Brewster's downfall; it was one of his strengths.
Minnesota also has a beautiful on-campus facility in TCF Bank Stadium, a major selling point for Maturi in this process.
There's no reason why Minnesota can't be a consistent bowl team and occasionally compete for Big Ten championships.
It is so easy to say that it is possible to win here but hiring the right guy is still so vital.
Tom Luginbill has a very similar article. Recruiting to Minnesota is tough but not impossible.
Weather, location and lack of a winning tradition and identity are all difficult factors to contend with for any coach and whoever comes in here will have expectations of success placed on him immediately. But Brewster showed it is possible to recruit well at Minnesota, so that can't be the reason why the Golden Gophers have struggled.
Brewster struggled mightily to win games but he did raise the recruiting bar. Recruiting isn't everything, you have to be able to coach them as well. But it can be done here.
- GI.com lays out their suggested order of operations. Who to call and exactly in what order. Good read if you have a subscription but you've probably already read it.
- Shooter says Maturi wants to hire a guy who "understands Minnesota."
- Craid Haubert takes a look at the state of Minnesota recruiting. Tommy Olson tops the list of Minnesota prospects.
- UPDATE: Marcus asks if Weber should still be the starting quarterback?
- Phil Miller writes about what many Gopher fans are feeling this week. "After a more than a month of disappointing football and Brewster-berating, cyberspace was alive Monday with a very public debate over a decision that will largely be made in private. Everybody has a suggestion," So true. This is kind of fun.
Then Phil quotes Glen Mason who says this.
"I never had a doubt in my mind that those things are achievable," said Mason, now an analyst for the Big Ten Network. "This place isn't different than any other -- you find a guy who is well organized, a good manager, someone with a philosophy that he believes in and who isn't going to be rattled by bumps in the road. You can definitely win at Minnesota."
Oh, so NOW he isn't making excuses for why we can't win here.