Addressing The Top Gopher Football Myths
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Since opening a new stadium just last year, the Gopher football team has done nothing but struggle. And Coach Tim Brewster lost his job three weeks ago. Now the search is on for a new coach, with talk of a $3-million contract to fix 40 years of trouble.
But how bad is it broken, and which problems are myths? We turned to former players Darrell Thompson and Justin Conzemius, and super fan Dave Mona, who's now become an assistant athletic director and part of the search committee, looking for answers.
It's so easy to forget that the Gophers were once a college football power. Bronko Nagurski, Bernie Bierman, Sandy Stephens, and six national championships. But they haven't been to a Rose Bowl since 1962, which brings us to myth No. 1.
Minnesota Myth: "The Gophers haven't won in 40 years."
They haven't won a Big Ten championship since 1967, but they have had some success. Cal Stoll beat top-ranked Michigan in 1977, and finished third a couple times. Lou Holtz also beat Michigan, and set the table for a third place finish the next season. And for all his critics, Glen Mason beat a couple top five teams, and won 10 games in 2003. That's why it's so important to pick the right guy.
"This is the biggest decision in Gopher football history," said Conzemius, "and really maybe for the university."
Minnesota Myth: "The Gophers can't afford to pay big bucks."
Actually, they can't afford not to. That big beautiful stadium was sold out this season, but the future is a question. At $60 per ticket, 10,000 empty seats per game adds up to more than $4 million per year, and that's not even counting concessions, souvenirs, seat licenses and suites. Or price increases if they start winning again.
"You look at the interest level in this search," said Mona, "and if you go to the blogs and the chat lines and what have you, people really want Minnesota to get this right. And I think they're willing to come back if you can restore hope."
Minnesota Myth: "You can't win with Minnesota players."
There is some truth to that one. Stoll's best players were Tony Dungy and Rick Upchurch, and Holtz built around Rickey Foggie. But those were just the superstars.
According to Mona, "Lou Holtz came in her 25 years ago and said 'you can win with Minnesota kids. The hearts, minds and bodies, they're going to be from Minnesota. The arms and legs, they may come from somewhere else.'"
Thompson agrees.
"I don't want every single Minnesota kid," he said. "We can't win with 75 guys from Minnesota, but we can win with 35 or 40 guys from Minnesota and then a splattering."
Meanwhile, Minnesota players are starring on top teams across the country. Michael Floyd at Notre Dame, Seantrell Henderson at Miami, Alexander Robinson at Iowa State, Broderick Binns and Karl Klug at Iowa, and eight Minnesotans on the Wisconsin roster.
In fact, in the last nine years, the Gophers only got the state's top player one time, and they only averaged four of the top 10 per year. So, why is it so hard to keep Minnesota players here? Turns out, the "lure of the big city" is a bit of a myth, and other schools use their "town and gown" status as a big advantage.
"They're the Brett Favre in Madison," said Conzemius. "You're on the front page of the newspaper, day in, day out. You're the big man on campus and the big man for that city, and it just takes up a whole different level, and it's tough to recruit against right now."
Minnesota Myth: "It takes four full years to turn things around."
Not really. Just two years after a legendary 84-13 loss to top-ranked Nebraska, the Holtz-led Gophers gave third-ranked Oklahoma a scare at the sold out Metrodome. And they went 4-and-4 in the Big Ten that season.
And after picking up the pieces from Jim Wacker, Mason finished his second year with a 49-7 win over Iowa, then won eight games in his third season. In other words, the right guy can make his mark quickly.
"I think you need to get past the attitude that this is a losing program and has to be a losing program forever," said Mona. "If you get to that stage, you're lost. I don't feel that way. I think it certainly can come and the pride can come when winning is restored."
