check out the 7:11 mark

Login to view embedded media

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/10/news/stoned-driving-fatal-accidents/index.html

I was specifically told this was not going to be a problem when we had our monster threads on this topic.

The Big 12 is currently looking into expansion and I kind of feel sorry for them. I know we added Rutgers so we can't laugh too much, but the four schools in contention for Big 12 membership appear to UCF, Memphis, Houston and Colorado State.

I wonder if the pedigree, or lack there of, will make Texas stand out even more than it already does in the conference, both athletically and academicall, and move them closer to the Big Ten or Independence.

The staff has definitely been busy in the southeast recruiting skill players for 2017. The majority of the past 20 offers and more have gone to defensive backs and athlete-position type players in Alabama and Georgia.

In February and March, it seemed as if the staff was targeting offensive lineman and defensive tackles and defensive ends, proof coach Claeys was serious about changing the culture and performance of the trenches at UMN.

With only two weeks left in the spring evaluation period and the way the positions are stretched throughout the Midwest and southeast, you can say Georgia holds several of the staffs top targets at several positions, namely running back, wide receiver, cornerback, safety and offensive tackle. There are also several offers to cornerbacks and defensive lineman in Florida and prized offensive tackle Nick Brahms.

While the incoming class of 2016 is filled with in-state players, 2017 is shaping up to be completely opposite. The only thing I can see changing that from happening is many of these players falling off the Gophers' recruiting board if they commit elsewhere and the staff has to look at their B and C options, which could be prospects closer to home.

Its just my opinion, but it seems to me, and not just with Minnesota's recruiting this spring, that 2 and 3-star players in Florida, Alabama and Georgia are regarded as higher value than 2 or 3-star players in the Midwest. It could be because competition is tougher in the southeast and the players train and condition year round. To add, 7-on-7 in the southeast is almost as competitive and important as the regular season to some of these kids.

Gopher Wrestling has done very well on the Academic front this year as 7 wrestlers were named all B1G in March and now several wrestlers have received some other awards for academic excellence! I have posted some articles below that discuss the honors received by Wrestling and other Gopher sports.

Good work Gopher Wrestlers...not just brawn, but brains too!!

NWCA Honors Gophers for Academics

The National Wrestling Coaches' Association announced its All-Academic teams and individuals on Monday, with the Gophers appearing on both lists

Michael Kroells has been both an All-American and an NWCA All-Academic honoree each of the past two seasons.

Gophersports.com
May 9, 2016

Gopher Wrestling brought home some additional academic hardware on Monday when the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) released its All-Academic teams and individuals.

A pair of Gophers, juniors Brett Pfarr and Michael Kroells, were among the 116 wrestlers nationwide to be honored as All-Academic by the NWCA. As a team, Minnesota again made the NWCA's Top 30 list for best team GPAs in the country.

Pfarr wrapped up a breakout 2015-16 season with a third-place finish at 197 pounds in New York City. He set new career highs in virtually every statistical category last year as he built up a 40-4 record. His 40 wins were the most by any Gopher in the past nine seasons, while his 18 major decisions were the most by any Minnesota wrestler in more than two decades. Pfarr is an Agricultural and Food Business Management major who has earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition three times as well.

Kroells, an Aerospace Engineering major, took seventh at this year's NCAAs to earn his second career All-America finish. His efforts at this year's tournament made Kroells the 51st multiple-time All-American in program history. Like Pfarr, Kroells achieved several career-best totals on the mat this season, most notably in season wins (35). Kroells' academic accomplishments are well-documented, as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient last season.

Pfarr and Kroells were two of 36 All-Americans from last spring's NCAA Championships recognized for their academic achievements by the NWCA. Both were also NWCA All-Academic last season.

As a team, Minnesota landed 12th nationally -- and second in the Big Ten -- in the NWCA's rankings. The Gophers are routinely among the top teams in the country in the NWCA's annual academic standings.


Six Gophers Tabbed Academic All-District

Six student-athletes have been recognized as CoSIDA Academic All-District award recipients

Gophersports.com
May 12, 2016



CoSIDA release

MINNEAPOLIS – Six Golden Gopher student-athletes have been recognized as CoSIDA Academic All-District award recipients, it was announced on Thursday. Hannah Brandt (women's hockey), Jessica Flakne (rowing), Michael Kroells (wrestling), Lindsay Mable (women's gymnastics), Brett Pfarr (wrestling), and Lee Stecklein (women's hockey) were tabbed as at-large first team honorees.

The University of Minnesota now has 21 total Academic All-District honorees this year. These six honorees are now eligible for Academic All-America accolades in June and will look to join Brandon Lingen (Football) and Paige Tapp (Volleyball) as 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America honorees.

Hannah Brandt earns her second CoSIDA Academic All-District nod after taking home All-District and Academic All-America honors last season. Brandt led the Gopher women's hockey team to the program's seventh national title in 2016. She was honored as a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist for the fourth-straight season along with receiving AHCA/CCM First Team All-American, All-USCHO, and All-WCHA honors. The Vadnais Heights, Minn., native is a three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team honoree and will graduate with a degree in health and wellness through the University of Minnesota's Inter-College Program.

Jessica Flakne is a varsity team captain and has recorded two first-place finishes and five second-place finishes this season, competing in five regattas. A three-time Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, she was twice selected as a CRCA Scholar-Athlete. The Maple Plain, Minn., native was also selected to the Capital One Academic All-District At-Large Team in 2015.

Michael Kroells is a repeat Academic All-District honoree, earning the recognition for the second time and continuing to maintain a near-perfect GPA as he works toward an aerospace engineering degree. In addition to his academic honors, which also include multiple awards from the Big Ten and the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association, Kroells is coming off his most successful season on the mat for the Gophers. He placed seventh in the NCAA tournament last spring, securing his second All-America season and becoming the 51st multiple-time All-American in program history. Kroells set several new career-highs last season, including wins (35) and major decisions (eight).

This season, Lindsay Mable closed her collegiate athletics career with a bang. The Aurora, Colo., native earned the AAI Award, which is considered the Heisman Trophy in gymnastics. Mable was also named back-to-back Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. She boasts 18 career All-America accolades, including seven this season and won the All-Around and Beam individual titles at the Big Ten Championships. Mable is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was named the female recipient of the Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award. Over the course of her career at Minnesota, Mable accrued 96 individual event titles and 26 All-Around titles.

Brett Pfarr bumped up from wrestling at 184 pounds as a redshirt sophomore to 197 last season, but the jump in his performance dwarfed a mere 13-pound change. Pfarr spent much of the season ranked in the top-five at his weight nationally, finishing the season with a third-place performance at the NCAA Championships to earn his first career All-America honor. On his way to the podium, Pfarr won 40 matches, becoming the first Gopher to reach that mark in nearly a decade, and finished undefeated in dual competition, including all of his conference matches. Pfarr, who grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota, maintains a 3.78 GPA in agriculture and food business management.

Lee Stecklein earns her first CoSIDA Academic All-District nod this season. The Roseville, Minn., native is a two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team honoree along with being a two-time AHCA/CCM Second Team All-American and All-WCHA First Team selection. She served as a co-captain with Brandt this season, leading the Gophers to their second-straight and seventh overall NCAA title. Stecklein posted a career-high 30 points, scoring eight goals and adding 22 assists. The junior is studying Entrepreneurial Management in the Carlson School of Management.

Gopher Student-Athletes Recognized on 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams
Paige Tapp (Volleyball)*
Hannah Tapp (Volleyball)
Katie Schau (Volleyball)
Briean Boddy-Calhoun (Football)
Jon Christenson (Football)
Brandon Lingen (Football)*
Rashida Beal (Soccer)
Rachel McCloskey (Soccer)
Josee Stiever (Soccer)
Taylor Stainbrook (Soccer)
Joanna Hedstrom (Women's Basketball)
Shayne Mullaney (Women's Basketball)
Carlie Wagner (Women's Basketball)
Matt Fiedler (Baseball)
Sam Macken (Softball)
Hannah Brandt (Women's Hockey)
Jessica Flakne (Rowing)
Michael Kroells (Wrestling)
Lindsay Mable (Women's Gymnastics)
Brett Pfarr (Wrestling)
Lee Stecklein (Women's Hockey)

*Also honored as CoSIDA Academic All-America selections.


Gophers Earn Academic All-B1G Laurels

The Big Ten Conference has recognized 69 student-athletes from the University of Minnesota as Academic All-Big Ten honorees.

Gophersports.com
March 23, 2016



MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – The Big Ten Conference has recognized 69 student-athletes from the University of Minnesota as Academic All-Big Ten honorees, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon.

In total, the Big Ten honored 778 student-athletes who compete in winter sports across the conference. Of the representatives chosen from the Gophers, eight programs were recognized for their academic success. Men’s hockey paced the department with 14 representatives while men’s swimming & diving (13), women’s swimming & diving (12) and men’s gymnastics (10) touted double-digit honorees. Women’s gymnastics and wrestling placed seven honorees each while women’s basketball (four) and men’s basketball (two) rounded out the list.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Women’s Basketball (4)
Mikayla Bailey
Joanna Hedstrom
Shayne Mullaney
Carlie Wagner

Women’s Gymnastics (7)
Bailey Abernathy
Rachel Haines
Madeline Hanley
Bailie Holst
Lindsay Mable
Kaitlin Rahon
Rachel Rowland

Women’s Swimming & Diving (12)
Ellen Bloom
Rae Bullinger
Beth Etterman
Samantha Harding
Katelyn Holmquist
Danielle Nack
Abigail Raatz
Jessica Ramberg
Lexi Tenenbaum
Lauren Votava
Brooke Zeiger
Yu Zhou

Men’s Basketball (2)
Joey King
Mike Lukashewich

Men’s Gymnastics (10)
Luke Aldrich
Ryan Bergman
Daniel DiBenedetto
Tristan Duran
Joel Gagnon
Jack Kramer
Zach Liebler
Yaroslav Pochinka
Shashank Yallamraju

Men’s Hockey (14)
Jake Bischoff
Leon Bristedt
Taylor Cammarata
Ryan Collins
Hudson Fasching
Jack Glover
Steve Johnson
Justin Kloos
Nick Lehr
Vinni Lettieri
A.J. Michaelson
Connor Reilly
Ryan Reilly
Nick Seeler

Men’s Swimming & Diving (13)
Matt Barnard
Viktor Bjoerk
Ben Bravence
Noah Busch
John Bushman
Ian Gordon
Jan Hansen
Jakub Maly
Conner McHugh
Ryan Miksch
Nick Orf
Jon Thielen
Dylan Zoe

Wrestling (7)
Will Balow
Jordan Kingsley
Micahel Kroells
Josh Mora
Bret Pfarr
Chris Pfarr
Nick Wanzek

An unexpected home run hire by Kaler. I thought he'd play it safe (Goetz) or down the middle (Esten) and was prepared to fall in line with wherever he went. Instead he threw into a tight window and brought a P5 AD with a strong resume and local credibility. Hats off to Kaler!

Love it. Birmingham right in the middle of SEC country.
Login to view embedded media

Palm Beach Gardens, FL DB Kenih Lovely received an offer from Minnesota tonight, his fifth or sixth offer, depending on which he said came first. He also received an offer from Rutgers around the same time.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Minnesota has offered two-way 2017 Noah Curtis, who plays defensive line and tight end.
He has 12 offers , including North Carolina and W. Virginia.
Login to view embedded media

..."Love(s) Him! The best guy I've worked under in an athletic department. He gets hoops all the way"

That's from a basketball assistant I know who would not b.s. me.

Maxie should now shut the f@ck up or quit.

Sit down with RP and clear air and set up strong parameters. Pitino has to good of a team ready to take the floor to pull the rug out on him. Let him have a shot at righting the ship and tune out the TC media.

Eric Kaler

• In many ways, Mark is coming home. Worked at the U before. He's from Waterloo and wife is from Cedar Rapids.
• He has strong, diverse, and demonstrated experience. He's worked in programs that have had success on and off the playing field.
• I have very high experience for Mark. He is a proven talent and we are investing in him.
• It's been a tough week for the men's basketball program and we're disappointed in the off-the-court issues that have occurred. I trust Mark's judgement and leadership.
• Mark brings an easy-going and accessible personality that we wanted.
• I'm confident Mark will energize our effort, and we will hit our fundraising goals.
• Our goal is to make the athletics department a net contributor to the University financially.
• Thankful for Beth Goetz. She's been an incredible partner and know she has a bright, bright future. We're glad to have her with us.
• Gopher athletics is a touchpoint for many, many Minnesotans.
• With Athletes Village, we won't have many excuses. It's realistic and expected that we start to compete for Big Ten West titles in football and Big Ten titles in basketball.
• It's my hope that Beth will stay. She has an incredibly bright future in front of her.
• It was very important to bring on board an experienced power five AD. It is a challenging time right now for Gophers. We've had such success in the non-revenue sports. We've been successful in a couple of the revenue sports, but not enough. The icing on the cake is the wonderful person that Mark is.
• In the past, we've been in the lower level of competition for Big Ten athletic directors, but Mark is in a different class and will be compensated as such.
• We actually met very, very briefly at the NCAA convention in January. I was aware of his connection to Minnesota.

Mark Coyle

• *Recognizes family first* Can't tell you how excited we are to be back near the family.
• I want to give my thanks to Beth, and I appreciate everything she did, and I look forward to working with her in the future.
• I regret the timing with Syracuse. They're a first-class institution. I hope they know how much they did for me and my time at my time at Syracuse.
• Why Minnesota? I've been in this for a long time, and we love this place.
• I remember when Gracie turned 3 and Goldie came over.
• This is a special place, and I can't wait to work here.
• Our top priority is our students.
• A big part of my job is to develop relationships. I need to be transparent and provide stability that we need.
• On hoops program: I think it's my job to create accountability. I look forward to creating that culture for all of our programs.
• I was very happy at Syracuse and had a wonderful Chancellor there. Turnkey (the search firm) reached out and we went from there.
• Realistic goals for basketball/football: All the pieces to the puzzle are here, and we need to talk about it. Our expectations are to compete at a high level. We have the wow factor.
• I had a great meeting with Beth this afternoon, and I hope she stays.
• It's important to develop genuine relationships. (Boosters) are invested in the program, and you need to be invested in them.
• I'm forever grateful to Joel and his wife. He provided me with unbelievable opportunities to learn and grow. When I left the University of Minnesota, it was one of the hardest things I did. He is one of the people I respect most.
• These are very visible jobs. I've learned to not lose sight of what's important, and that's the students.
• We will be very visible. My kids will tell you that I attend a record-setting amount of sports events. I remember going to Mariucci and I love the atmosphere at Mariucci. I want to be around our fans and supports and make sure they know how appreciative I am of their support.
• We have a great fanbase here, and we have to continue to earn their respect. I get the Vikings, and the Wild, and that's awesome. If we do it the right way, people will want to be a part of what we're doing -- there's no doubt in my mind.
• When I was at Boise State, I had the opportunity to go through the coaching search process and learned a lot from it. Didn't use a search firm for either.
• Not going to dial in on the basketball program. I look forward to meeting with the coaches and players and figuring out how we can improve.
• There was one place I was going to leave Syracuse for, and it was Minnesota.

Minnesota has offered Dalton HS running back/ DB Kyric McGowan
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

According to a couple of your competitors we're in the lead for a few recruits. Are you able to dig up some of the same information and share it with your subscribers. Thanks in advance!

https://basketballrecruiting.n.rivals.com/news/instant-impact-freshmen-who-will-need-to-produce

Hit the link to read Eric's article. Ponds on there too.

the staff offered Georgia running back Trey Creamer late Wednesday night. It's the first Big 10 offer for the Running back/ defensive back

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

When I coached, I thought the most important thing, at a MACRO level, is making sure I was as balanced in telling the players what they were DOING RIGHT as much as correcting what they were doing wrong. That way, they would REPEAT what they were doing right as well as correcting what they did wrong... Teaching at any level requires patience and not everyone comprehends at the same level or in the same way at the same time. It is a process.. But when the "LIGHT TURNS ON", I feel that the player needs to know that so that same action, routine, process continues. I didn't mind being positive on a consistent basis IF....IF... it was warranted.

We have a culture that NEGATIVE is equated with being honest and POSITIVE is equated with being naïve, if it becomes habitual. Being NEGATIVE helps you sound educated on the matter. This board is analytical yet humorous with our negative circumstances and, Heaven knows, the Twin Cities press will not allow us to forget every transgression of the program, especially for men's basketball, football, and maybe hockey. We have so many threads, and I am as guilty as anyone else, of bringing up the negatives and how to solve it.. It creates purpose for us, to a degree, plus allows us to think we are participating in the program in a productive way. But a positive outlook that is habitual is almost dismissed as a person wearing "rose colored glasses" and not accepting of the reality.

I have often pondered helping to participate and in a small way, help finance a 30 minute radio or TV news show with NOTHING BUT GOOD WHOLESOME NEWS!! Put human interest stories like the days of Charles Kuralt. "Feel Good" news. Maybe we are so jaded that people would be bored with it. Maybe there is not enough content to fill a 30 minute segment for days upon weeks upon years. Maybe advertisers would not pay for the air time.. But I have pondered this and its potential success,

On this board, it is no different.. I have seen positive posts so I know they exist. I do like to participate in some negative posts to just add some stupid comment that is either over the top or as some silly observation.. I like the straight, serious recruiting news, no doubt... But I would love to dig up some of the good things, either historically or what is currently happening, that puts Gopher athletes in any varsity sport, in a POSITIVE LIGHT so we can be proud of them.. I know its out there but it takes A LOT OF TIME, work, determination, and focus to get those stories.. I think we need some of that here at GI and in the Twin Cities in general.

I dont think any of us that did not play college football realize the pounding that the body takes.. I had the privilege of talking to Rob Lytle numerous times.. His wife, Tracy, is about as nice as you will find in a person as she is an elementary teacher.. Their kids, Kelly(son) and Erin(daughter) are great people. Rob never forgot his small town roots and if you met him, you would not know that he was a first team All-American as a RB at Michigan by just talking to him. Always had a smile, very kind, and had a heart for those with developmental disabilities Interesting that he played high school ball with another first team all Big Ten athlete in Bob Brudzinski who played at Ohio State and other Big Ten players at Fremont Ross yet never won a state playoff game in Ohio. I guess Woody Hayes spent a ton of time in the town of 17,000, which later would be known as the hometown of Charles Woodson. You may be like me and hate Michigan but I guarantee you would have liked Rob Lytle.. He died of a heart attack in 2010 as I saw him 2 weeks before he died. This is a story written by his son to help appreciate what football players sacrifice to entertain us yet love the game. Login to view embedded media

Link: Reactions to the Mark Coyle hire

Here's a compilation of quotes from those who have worked with Coyle.

an internal review discovered that Pitino has went over budget by $175k in private plane use the past 3 years. He is allotted $50k per and spent $325k in the 3 years. I am no pilot, but $50k per year seems quite paltry. Is that more than 2-3 flights? Whoever did the the review suggested that Pitino pay the money back, shouldn't that be the job of the ADs office to control the purse strings? Shouldn't the person in charge of hoops be in the know and keep a running tally and inform the coaches when they have used up their allotted bank? Report also says Stallings has went over her budget too. Wonder what the budget is for NE, IA, WI, IL, etc.

The Rutgers game is homecoming & a 11AM kickoff.