FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[USTBench]

From Charley Walters column:

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_19021239

"It shouldn't be long after the season that St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso begins getting coaching offers, maybe from the Ivy League."


So Caruso takes the Cornell job next year (mostly because he's a huge fan of Andy on The Office).  UST steals Ramler away from Carleton and SJU.  Thoughts???

What an irrational rambling of non-sequitors by Charley Walters. What the hell was that?

Caruso might as well take a D-1 job if offered who knows when the chance will come up again.  You would figure the gophers would look to hire him as an assistant to take advantage of his recruiting skills.  Once Caruso leaves the Tommies will go from stellar to the cellar of the MIAC.

The investment has been too significant by Fritz, Deinhart and company. The "Football is the hood ornament of a university" quote has been thrown around too many times to just curl up in the fetal position if Caruso leaves. And who is to say he will at this point? I've heard people prognosticate that he's leaving for the last three years and he is still here.

He might, sure. But he's a DIII alum, has got job security, a stranglehold on recruiting at our level in Minnesota right now, a nice house, a contract with WCCO, and no desire to coach forever like Gags.

Besides that, IF he leaves, it's not like he's taking everyone with him. Why change the system if it's working perfectly?

[onearmedscot]

Highlight of the Johnnies 63-7 loss on Saturday is that it has brought Macalester back into the MIAC message boards!  Thanks guys. 

I mean they did shutout a Hamline team (17-0) on Saturday while no one was watching.  This is aHamline team who played Augsburg to a eight point loss and we all know what Augsburg did to St. John's.  I'm recommending a Macalester vs St. John's showdown next year - I think it could be a close one!!

Personally, I'd like to see Coach Caruso run the Gopher program.  I think he would do an incredible job.

oAs.

I believe Donovan Larson said it best, "Your football program is the front porch of your academic institution."

[USTBench]

Highlight of the Johnnies 63-7 loss on Saturday is that it has brought Macalester back into the MIAC message boards!  Thanks guys. 

I mean they did shutout a Hamline team (17-0) on Saturday while no one was watching.  This is aHamline team who played Augsburg to a eight point loss and we all know what Augsburg did to St. John's.  I'm recommending a Macalester vs St. John's showdown next year - I think it could be a close one!!

Personally, I'd like to see Coach Caruso run the Gopher program.  I think he would do an incredible job.

oAs.

I believe Donovan Larson said it best, "Your football program is the front porch of your academic institution."

I've seen Caruso's name thrown around on the Goofer message boards occassionally, and the D-1, frat boy, idiots that think D-III is a glorified HS endeavour just lose their $hit when this is mentioned. Like, the game gets infinitely more complicated at the D-1 level.

As far as I can tell, you still recruit the same high schools, you have the same relationships with the same high school coaches, and still run in the same circles. The stadium is bigger. That's it. Caruso has been recruiting this area when he was at USD, NDSU, Mac and UST. Now he's got a Chicago pipeline and kids coming from California and Missouri.

I don't want him to leave, but I also know, he couldn't do any worse.

[OzJohnnie]

In my opinion there's something else happening on campus behind the scenes and unfortunately playing out in front of us every Saturday afternoon.


OK, I'm thoroughly depressed now....

Interesting comment. There are many things that could influence football performance beyond Gags' retirement. I'm intrigued.

[sfury]

Bench, it is a bit more than recruiting and the size of the stadium, though. And Caruso might be good enough to be a great D1 coach, no doubt. But recruiting is but a small part of D1. Boosters. Friends of the program. Ridiculous expectations. I mean we think SJU has high expectations but there are, what, 15-20 SJU diehards who post here. D1 you're talking hundreds of thousands of crazed zealots who want to win NOW, no matter what your past record is as a school. And the boosters are willing to shell out to do that and you have to try and keep some watch on that or you're the next school being visited by Yahoo!'s investigative reporters. And then, yeah, you do have to deal with the recruiting. Caruso's got a great record recruiting suburban schools with kids from upper- and middle-class families. 100 of those kids aren't winning three games in the Big Ten.

Again, he could very well be the guy who could do it. Plenty have gone from D2 and 1-AA to great success. He could also be one level ahead of being the next Gerry Faust.

[sfury]

One more note: You'd need a school that had a lot of guts to hire a D3 guy to a big D1 school. If it's a down program like the Gophers, the fan base will think, "Jesus, we really are minor league. We need a big-time guy to turn this mess around." And if it's a school that's strong or dominant, the fanbase might be even more upset: "We're entrusting our dynasty to this guy? Who can only draw 2,000 fans to home games, according to my SJU friends?"

It could be a great hire. But college administrators aren't exactly known for being daring. Maybe the best bet would be a school that's always around .500, at a place where basketball and not football is king (Duke?). So there are expectations but not the insane ones. Even better, one where there's apathy about the program amongst the fan base, but not anger you see with Gophers fans.

[USTBench]

Bench, it is a bit more than recruiting and the size of the stadium, though. And Caruso might be good enough to be a great D1 coach, no doubt. But recruiting is but a small part of D1. Boosters. Friends of the program. Ridiculous expectations. I mean we think SJU has high expectations but there are, what, 15-20 SJU diehards who post here. D1 you're talking hundreds of thousands of crazed zealots who want to win NOW, no matter what your past record is as a school. And the boosters are willing to shell out to do that and you have to try and keep some watch on that or you're the next school being visited by Yahoo!'s investigative reporters. And then, yeah, you do have to deal with the recruiting. Caruso's got a great record recruiting suburban schools with kids from upper- and middle-class families. 100 of those kids aren't winning three games in the Big Ten.

Again, he could very well be the guy who could do it. Plenty have gone from D2 and 1-AA to great success. He could also be one level ahead of being the next Gerry Faust.

Personally, if Jerry Kill is still alive next year, people need to give him a chance at implementing his program. Brewster absolutely slaughtered any remnants of legitimate football team left by Mason, and it's really sad. D-1 boosters and fans at every school are unrealistic about their expectations and it's quite pathetic, and one of the main reasons I prefer our brand of football.

All that said, with the major mistakes Maturi has made there, hiring a D-III coach would be his last. I'm just saying, if given the chance, Caruso could have them in a bowl game in a few years (albeit the Cub Foods Bowl or something of similar ilk). Reason being, his recruiting experience isn't just limited to upper/middle class white kids. He's developed relationships with the likes of Steffan Logan, Lamar Gordon and plenty of other "urban" (read: black) high school kids and plenty of other players that with NFL talent. It's not beyond his ability to win 7 games with the Gophers.

I also don't believe it's beyond Kill's ability either. But you can't expect a guy to do much right out of the gate when he inherited the University of Minnesota's second biggest mistake athletically.

[Retired Old Rat]

St. Thomas finally decided that football success was a priority.  They will not allow a slip back to mediocrity.  Should Caruso move on, for whatever reason, they will go  out and find the best possible coach out there.  Money and other resources will NOT be an issue.  They learned their lesson with Roney.  If that next guy doesn't do the job, he will gone.

Thinking other wise is delusional.  We all better get used to it.

[USTBench]

St. Thomas finally decided that football success was a priority.  They will not allow a slip back to mediocrity.  Should Caruso move on, for whatever reason, they will go  out and find the best possible coach out there.  Money and other resources will NOT be an issue.  They learned their lesson with Roney.  If that next guy doesn't do the job, he will gone.

Thinking other wise is delusional.  We all better get used to it.

It'd be nice if Caruso had the Kehres/Gagliardi mentality that alludes today's coaches. Those kinds of guys are hard to find, and those big opportunities are hard to pass up when you look at it from a dollars and cents stand point.

Some guys prefer to build a resume at one school and leave a legacy. Some guys chase the dream.

That being said, we all forget, SJU wasn't Gags' first stop either. 

[sfury]

Bench, it is a bit more than recruiting and the size of the stadium, though. And Caruso might be good enough to be a great D1 coach, no doubt. But recruiting is but a small part of D1. Boosters. Friends of the program. Ridiculous expectations. I mean we think SJU has high expectations but there are, what, 15-20 SJU diehards who post here. D1 you're talking hundreds of thousands of crazed zealots who want to win NOW, no matter what your past record is as a school. And the boosters are willing to shell out to do that and you have to try and keep some watch on that or you're the next school being visited by Yahoo!'s investigative reporters. And then, yeah, you do have to deal with the recruiting. Caruso's got a great record recruiting suburban schools with kids from upper- and middle-class families. 100 of those kids aren't winning three games in the Big Ten.

Again, he could very well be the guy who could do it. Plenty have gone from D2 and 1-AA to great success. He could also be one level ahead of being the next Gerry Faust.

Personally, if Jerry Kill is still alive next year, people need to give him a chance at implementing his program. Brewster absolutely slaughtered any remnants of legitimate football team left by Mason, and it's really sad. D-1 boosters and fans at every school are unrealistic about their expectations and it's quite pathetic, and one of the main reasons I prefer our brand of football.

All that said, with the major mistakes Maturi has made there, hiring a D-III coach would be his last. I'm just saying, if given the chance, Caruso could have them in a bowl game in a few years (albeit the Cub Foods Bowl or something of similar ilk). Reason being, his recruiting experience isn't just limited to upper/middle class white kids. He's developed relationships with the likes of Steffan Logan, Lamar Gordon and plenty of other "urban" (read: black) high school kids and plenty of other players that with NFL talent. It's not beyond his ability to win 7 games with the Gophers.

I also don't believe it's beyond Kill's ability either. But you can't expect a guy to do much right out of the gate when he inherited the University of Minnesota's second biggest mistake athletically.

My nephew graduated from the U last year. He still says his greatest regret is being among the students who chanted "FIRE MASON."

"I didn't know things could get 100 times worse," he says now.

Lamar Gordon...blast from the past from my Fargo days!

[Retired Old Rat]

Personally, I'd like to see Coach Caruso run the Gopher program.  I think he would do an incredible job.

DIII HC to DI FBS HC?  Not going to happen.  He's going to need to be a head coach at a higher level or a DI coordinator to get that shot.  Most DI HCs like to bring there own guys in as coordinators, ala Jerry Kill.  Except Tim Brewster.  Those that worked with him in the past didn't want to be on the sideline with him as the head man.

Geez, an SJU a$$ kicking and this board really lights up.

[sfury]

St. Thomas finally decided that football success was a priority.  They will not allow a slip back to mediocrity.  Should Caruso move on, for whatever reason, they will go  out and find the best possible coach out there.  Money and other resources will NOT be an issue.  They learned their lesson with Roney.  If that next guy doesn't do the job, he will gone.

Thinking other wise is delusional.  We all better get used to it.

Maybe Caruso will follow in the footsteps of the last coach who threatened to turn the Tommies into the dominant team, meaning he'll become, not the coach of the Gophers, but the athletic director, only to leave after his basketball coach gets caught up in a cheating scandal.

[faunch]

One more note: You'd need a school that had a lot of guts to hire a D3 guy to a big D1 school. If it's a down program like the Gophers, the fan base will think, "Jesus, we really are minor league. We need a big-time guy to turn this mess around." And if it's a school that's strong or dominant, the fanbase might be even more upset: "We're entrusting our dynasty to this guy? Who can only draw 2,000 fans to home games, according to my SJU friends?"

It could be a great hire. But college administrators aren't exactly known for being daring. Maybe the best bet would be a school that's always around .500, at a place where basketball and not football is king (Duke?). So there are expectations but not the insane ones. Even better, one where there's apathy about the program amongst the fan base, but not anger you see with Gophers fans.

Remember that Gopher supporters weren't exactly thrilled with hiring of Jerry Kill from little Northern Illinois (and they actually beat the Gophs last year).  Imagine how nuts they'd go if a DIII coach would have been hired.  The only thing is that U of M fans tend to be more patient because of previous results and low expectations.

[sju56321]

Should be an interesting game on Saturday in Collegeville-both teams coming off disappointing losses-for different reasons. The hope has got to be that SJU shows improvement-I know not that hard after last week-but not in the score as much as making the plays.
I know SJU is showing the game at certain alumni gatherings-unfortunately I cannot make the drive to Chicago to see the game.

[AO]

Week 5 Pick Em' Results:

St. John's 7 - St. Thomas 63
Hamline 0 - Macalester 17
Carleton 14 - Augsburg 35
St. Olaf 30 - Bethel 28
Concordia 37 - Gustavus 20
UW-Platteville 14 - UW-Whitewater 34
Mount Union 14 - Ohio Northern 6

Name	W1	W2	W3	W4	W5	W6	W7	W8	W9	W10	W11	Overall
finsleft	12	13	13	14	12							64
USTBench	12	11	9	6	16							54
AO	12	10	10	8	13							53
hazzben	8	12	5	11	14							50
sju56321	10	11	4	11	14							50
WashedUp	10	15	9	5	11							50
cobbernation	11	9	5	10	12							47
jayhawkdaddy	6	7	7	9	12							41
Repete	11	13	-	9	7							40
smedindy	6	11	9	8	5							39
stanbob	11	9	4	8	7							39
tmerton	6	14	5	-	14							39
Phred	-	7	5	11	14							37
GoldandBlueBU	7	9	4	7	9							36
miacmaniac	6	11	3	-	14							34
raiderguy	9	6	6	-	11							32
Sprained68	5	6	10	7	-							28
TheManWhoRidesAlone	6	9	-	-	11							26
BURoyal	-	9	4	-	-							13
Chubbs	-	-	-	-	11							11
OzJohnnie	7	-	-	-	-							7