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Secret of success at Minny?

Let 'er Fly

Junior
Feb 12, 2005
1,961
145
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Did they have stud recruits, great conditioning coach, great coaching, great fans... What?
 
They know to pick up laterals....

otherwise, they'd be right where we are.

Well, that and play in the B1G West Division.
 
They lost today and IU won today. They did not have the key injuries this year that IU did. They are playing in the weaker division. Last year would have been different for IU, but we were handicapped by a poor DC and horrendous defense.
 
They also have a seasoned head coach.
I really like CKW but he is learning how to be a head coach while on the job.
I still think he has a bigger upside than Kill.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Jerry Kill knows how to build programs up. Plain and simple. He is a very solid coach kind of in the "Bill Mallory mold" and a decent recruiter. My brother used to live in southern IL and he got a chance to watch the Salukis rebuild with J. Kill. He was impressed with his ability to take a down trodden So. Ill team and make them into a winning program. He has done this everywhere he has been. Junior college, So Ill,, No. Ill and now Minnesota.

Some more reasons for Minnesota's success: smart scheduling, weak division competition and a solid cohesive coaching staff that make good In-Game decisions. Do not underestimate the advantage that Minny had when Jerry Kill brought most of his staff from his previous job. Most of the coaches he brought over have been with him for many years. He has built a trust with them and it shows. I think that Tracy Claeys ?sp is one of the best D Cor. in the business.

I know people are losing patience with the current staff, but CKW is still having to play the Asst Coaches shuffle. He did not have the luxury of a solid cohesive staff like J. Kill and he is still feeling his way through this Head Coaching gig. If you remember the last time we had football success is when a seasoned B. Mallory and his whole staff came in to B-Town. I think that Coach Hep had an advantage with his staff from Miami but he did not get to show us what he could do, unfortunately. Stability is a very important part of the equation. This is why I feel we need to be patient and give CKW some more time to figure things out. We made the mistake with Cam Cameron when we cut him loose. He was just starting to get stability and starting to realize that you do have to play defense to win games. I feel CKW is in the same boat.

82
 
excellent post. Jerry Kill is a great coach who has benefited from a family of assistants who have remained loyal to each other. We have the right coach at Indiana. Everyone struggled through the adversity. What they did with Zander is remarkable.
 
Lots of hot, blonde women of Norwegian heritage...

That has to be the difference...
 
Agree completely. I've watched Jerry Kill coach at Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Minnesota, and he's not deviated one bit from his successful approach at stressing fundamentals. He is truly a football coach, that are as difficult to find as a needle in the haystack. When Jerry Northern to Minnesota, there were some hurt feelings over how he left, but that goes to show how successful he is and each school he's associated with should lock him up with an extension. I'm more than certain Minnesota will reward him following this season, and he's made the Gopher program a top tier football team in the Big Ten Conference.
 
I don't necessarily agree Coach Wilson has an upside relative to Coach Kill. They are two different coaches. Coach Kill has a seasoned and success track record at three different institutions. Coach Wilson has been given a rare leach by this administration, unlike what was given to Cameron or Dinardo. I think he has to win next season, or else. Coach Kill is likely to get an extension from Minnesota.
 
Top tier? Hold up a little bit. In a down year for the conference, an 8 win season in with only 2 against bowl teams is not top tier. Minny is solidly middle of the pack in the conference.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Fair observation, but clearly Minnesota has separated themselves (to a higher level) from where they were in the Big Ten Conference.
 
Actually, there's some truth to that. Spent some time there

for work in the past, Wisconsin too, same story. LOTS of blondes, I assume due to all of the Scandinavian ancestry up there. Really made me contemplate things.....
 
Re: They know to pick up laterals....What If

Fall on lateral, kick field goal, and go on to win. Go to bowl.
Pick up a few more recruits. Cody Latimer stays for senior season.
Sudfeld stays healthy or one of the QB stay.
We go 8-4. We are looking at plans to go to Dallas for the
Heart of Dallas bowl against Texas or WVU .
 
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