Just when Vikings' fans were settling in for another off-season of promising rebuilding, it appears that one of the primary bright spots of the 2006 team will be leaving--possibly as soon as Monday. On Saturday evening, reports began circulating that Vikings' defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin had been offered the head coaching position with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Predictably, given the league's desire to showcase its championship games, the Steelers, on Sunday, denied the reports, going so far as to post an ambiguous statement on their official site.
With the Steelers stating that they would have no statement on their head coaching vacancy until at least Monday and Tomlin denying that he had accepted or even been offered the position, more telling was Tomlin's seeming uneasiness that all of the media attention might somehow give the Pittsburgh management team cause to reassess their offer. Clearly, Pittsburgh has made an offer. And, just as clearly, Tomlin already has agreed, at least in principle.
If Tomlin does leave, he will leave behind a defense that was greatly improved last season. But with that improvement seemingly the result not only of coaching but of an additional year of experience for several players, increased continuity at certain positions, and an influx of young, ready-for-the-NFL talent, whomever replaces Tomlin will be in an eviable position.
And Tomlin's departure might just give the Vikings the push they need to bring in a seasoned coordinator or defensive specialist who is able to control both the running and passing game. To be certain, the Vikings' difficulties stopping the pass in 2006 were not all attributable to coaching. But, as coaches accept blame at all other positions when things fall apart, so, too, must Tomlin accept some blame for the Vikings' seeming inability to adjust to opponents' passing games. Tomlin never did make the adjustment and never was able to come up with any semblance of a pass rush. And, in that respect, and perhaps only in that respect, Tomlin came up a bit short as a defensive coordinator--still a nice showing for a first-year coordinator, however.
The only obstacle to the Vikings' search for a seasoned defensive mind to replace Tomlin--somebody like Mike Singletary, for example--is head coach Brad Childress' ego. Already clearly disturbed by the plaudits that Tomlin received for his work with the defense, Childress might very well pull a Bevell in his hiring of the Vikings' new defensive coordinator. If that happens, Vikings' fans not only will regret that the Vikings opted for Childress over Tomlin but also that next year wasn't as good as last year.
Up Next: Still Building a Better Mousetrap.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Taking Time Out To Rip Maturi
On Wednesday, January 17, 2006, University of Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi put another notch in his string of poor decisions when he introduced his solution to the Gopher football team's decades long malaise, former Denver Broncos' tight ends coach Tim Brewster.
In a season when the Gophers' football program needed the type of boost that only the hiring of a recognized name would serve, Maturi missed the boat--and he wasn't even close. As Maturi acknowledged during his introductory press conference, "even I didn't know who Tim Brewster was when his name was first brought up." Huh?
How is this possible? How is it even conceivable that Maturi hired a no-name to rejuvenate the fan base in time for the opening of the new, and poorly planned, stadium in 2009?
It's possible, let alone conceivable, because it is how business is conducted these days in the University of Minnesota athletic department when it comes to the revenue-generating sports--sports that only merit continuation if they show a profit. Based on the early indications, there is little reason to expect the Gophers' football team to contribute positively to that bottom line.
Among the nuggets tossed out by Maturi at the press conference, in addition to his admission that he did not even know who Brewster was when the name was first proposed by someone within his group of unofficial advisors, was that it was important to make sure that Brewster was the kind of guy that fit with Minnesota. Maturi was Zygi like in lauding Brewster as a "good person" and a person with "character." And Maturi claimed that he even asked the groundskeepers at Mile High Stadium about Brewster's character and received glowing reports.
Of course, there really has never been any reason for Brewster to be haughty, given that he has yet to accomplish much of anything in his chosen profession. Nevertheless, Maturi might have asked someone other than a member of the coaching inner-cirlce why Brewster left Texas or why Brewster left an assistant head coaching position in San Diego to take a tight end coaching position in Denver. But Maturi, instead, went to those who would offer the glowing reports that Maturi hoped to be able to relate to the Gophers' dwindling fan base to help explain away a signing that appears motivated more by financial considerations and rejection of Maturi's program by other would-be candidates than anything else.
One of those whose opinion Maturi chose to solicit was Brewster himself. In Glen Masonlike fashion, Brewster consistently referred to his ability to recruit--citing his recruitment of Vince Young (all the way from Houston) while at Tezas--and his general abilities.
When Brewster wasn't lauding himself, he was busy repeating the themes drilled into him by Maturi and his coterie of advisors. "We're going to recruit this state. I'm going to recruit this state. That's my top priority. Making sure that Minnesota kids understand why this is the place for them to play football. That's my priority." As an after-thought, apparently aware that he had just committed to a recruiting class of roughly seven players a season, Brewster added that he would "recruit the rest of the country as well."
Look out rest of country.
When asked why he left a good job in San Diego for a fairly meaningless job with Denver, Brewster trotted out another clearly rehearsed line contending that the move was one made in the pursuit of "knowledge." "It's about learning, knowledge," Brewster claimed. "I got the call from Shanahan and I couldn't turn it down." Why, precisely, that was the case seems unlikely to be solely about learning, particularly at this stage of Brewster's career.
When another reporter asked Brewster what type of offense he intended to run, the response was chilling. "Tough. Determined. Hard-working," came the reply. "Our kids are going to work hard, play with passion, and do it the right way." Did Brewster think he was auditioning for a vacancy with the Twins? Or maybe he thought he was taking over a scandal-ridden program. Whatever the rationale, the answer was trite, cliche-ridden, and the sign of a coach without a plan.
Brewster might work out for Minnesota just like Troy Williamson might have worked out for the Vikings or Brad Childress--incidentlally, one of Brewster's close personal friends and a guy to whom Brewster referred as an "excellent coach." But the time had come for the U to hire a coach that would work out, not one that merely might work out. And based on early indicators, even the wishful thinking might be wishful--if that's possible.
Up Next: Vikings. More mousetrap rebuilding.
In a season when the Gophers' football program needed the type of boost that only the hiring of a recognized name would serve, Maturi missed the boat--and he wasn't even close. As Maturi acknowledged during his introductory press conference, "even I didn't know who Tim Brewster was when his name was first brought up." Huh?
How is this possible? How is it even conceivable that Maturi hired a no-name to rejuvenate the fan base in time for the opening of the new, and poorly planned, stadium in 2009?
It's possible, let alone conceivable, because it is how business is conducted these days in the University of Minnesota athletic department when it comes to the revenue-generating sports--sports that only merit continuation if they show a profit. Based on the early indications, there is little reason to expect the Gophers' football team to contribute positively to that bottom line.
Among the nuggets tossed out by Maturi at the press conference, in addition to his admission that he did not even know who Brewster was when the name was first proposed by someone within his group of unofficial advisors, was that it was important to make sure that Brewster was the kind of guy that fit with Minnesota. Maturi was Zygi like in lauding Brewster as a "good person" and a person with "character." And Maturi claimed that he even asked the groundskeepers at Mile High Stadium about Brewster's character and received glowing reports.
Of course, there really has never been any reason for Brewster to be haughty, given that he has yet to accomplish much of anything in his chosen profession. Nevertheless, Maturi might have asked someone other than a member of the coaching inner-cirlce why Brewster left Texas or why Brewster left an assistant head coaching position in San Diego to take a tight end coaching position in Denver. But Maturi, instead, went to those who would offer the glowing reports that Maturi hoped to be able to relate to the Gophers' dwindling fan base to help explain away a signing that appears motivated more by financial considerations and rejection of Maturi's program by other would-be candidates than anything else.
One of those whose opinion Maturi chose to solicit was Brewster himself. In Glen Masonlike fashion, Brewster consistently referred to his ability to recruit--citing his recruitment of Vince Young (all the way from Houston) while at Tezas--and his general abilities.
When Brewster wasn't lauding himself, he was busy repeating the themes drilled into him by Maturi and his coterie of advisors. "We're going to recruit this state. I'm going to recruit this state. That's my top priority. Making sure that Minnesota kids understand why this is the place for them to play football. That's my priority." As an after-thought, apparently aware that he had just committed to a recruiting class of roughly seven players a season, Brewster added that he would "recruit the rest of the country as well."
Look out rest of country.
When asked why he left a good job in San Diego for a fairly meaningless job with Denver, Brewster trotted out another clearly rehearsed line contending that the move was one made in the pursuit of "knowledge." "It's about learning, knowledge," Brewster claimed. "I got the call from Shanahan and I couldn't turn it down." Why, precisely, that was the case seems unlikely to be solely about learning, particularly at this stage of Brewster's career.
When another reporter asked Brewster what type of offense he intended to run, the response was chilling. "Tough. Determined. Hard-working," came the reply. "Our kids are going to work hard, play with passion, and do it the right way." Did Brewster think he was auditioning for a vacancy with the Twins? Or maybe he thought he was taking over a scandal-ridden program. Whatever the rationale, the answer was trite, cliche-ridden, and the sign of a coach without a plan.
Brewster might work out for Minnesota just like Troy Williamson might have worked out for the Vikings or Brad Childress--incidentlally, one of Brewster's close personal friends and a guy to whom Brewster referred as an "excellent coach." But the time had come for the U to hire a coach that would work out, not one that merely might work out. And based on early indicators, even the wishful thinking might be wishful--if that's possible.
Up Next: Vikings. More mousetrap rebuilding.
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