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Gophers: Like Claeys. Hate process.

Claeys is a credible coach. But he was hired not because he had proved that he could do the job, but because Minnesota has no idea how to try to find someone who might be better.

November 11, 2015 at 2:15PM
University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler
University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

I don't hate the hiring of Tracy Claeys.

I hate the University of Minnesota's process.

Claeys is a credible coach. But he was hired not because he had proved that he could do the job, but because Minnesota has no idea how to try to find someone who might be better.

The president, Eric Kaler, has hired one athletic director, and that man was a serial sexual harasser.

The U doesn't have a full-fledged athletic director, yet Beth Goetz was allowed to contribute to this decision.

Hiring a football coach without hiring an athletic director first is the kind of backward thinking that has mired Gopher football and basketball in the second division of Big Ten sports for, oh, 20 or 30 years.

I think an intelligent and thorough process may have led to the hiring of Claeys. But we'll never know.

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New at MalePatternPodcasts.com: The Russo-Souhan Show live from Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub with guest Craig Leipold, the Wild owner, who spends most of his time teasing Russo. Also, Viking Update's Tim Yotter and I dissect (OK, rip) Jeff Fisher, Gregg Williams and the Rams, and praise Mike Zimmer.

@Souhanstrib

about the writer

about the writer

Jim Souhan

Columnist

Jim Souhan is a sports columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He has worked at the paper since 1990, previously covering the Twins and Vikings.

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