Tim Brewster has rehearsed the speech thousands of times in his head. He's thought about what he wants to say, how he wants to say it and the impact he hopes it makes.
He's waited 21 years to give this speech. Twenty-one years of climbing the coaching ladder, from preps to pros, with a brief stint selling cars back in those early days.
Tonight, a few minutes before 7 p.m., Brewster will gather his Gophers football team in the locker room and give the speech he's waited so long to deliver his first pregame pep talk as a college football head coach.
Brewster has stood before countless audiences in the 227 days since taking over the program. But this one is different. You can hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes. He wants to nail it.
"This is something I've dreamed about all my life," he says. "And it's almost here." Brewster allowed an inside look at his week leading up to tonight's season opener against Bowling Green. From staff meetings to fan greetings, Brewster's week was a whirlwind of activity, preparation and emotion, with tonight's kickoff always at the forefront of his thoughts.
Sunday, 2 p.m.
The sun shines brightly as Brewster walks onto the track behind the football facility. Today is Fan Fest, an annual event that includes interactive games for kids, tours of the facility, free food and a chance to meet the players and coaching staff.
Public relations is an important part of any head coach's job, and the week of the season opener is filled with pomp and circumstance. Brewster spent nearly three hours earlier in the morning at the State Fair, doing a radio show and an autograph signing/pep rally. He is a busy man again at Fan Fest.
Any fan who wants a picture, handshake, hug or minute of his time gets it. Brewster hugs grown men, kneels for photos with young kids and kisses tiny babies. He is clearly in his element, a master salesman surrounded by eager customers.
"This just reinforces all the reasons why I wanted to come here," he says. "This is part of the job, and I love it. Obviously I wear down at times just like everybody else does. But I wake up every day excited about being the football coach at the University of Minnesota."
Brewster is constantly on the move, rarely stopping for longer than a few minutes. He tries to greet as many fans as possible, and he makes sure to ask every one of them whether they will be at tonight's game.
He stops and chats with the parents of one of his players. Brewster gives them a favorable report and then ends the conversation by saying, "I love speed." The player's father smiles.
One fan asks Brewster to pose for a picture with him and his 5-year-old daughter. Brewster grabs the girl out of her father's arms and holds her tight for the photo.
Brewster makes a point to remove his sunglasses before every picture, even if he's staring into the sun. It's so subtle few, if any, even notice. But it's important to him, he says.
"They want to see who I am," he says. "See my face. That's who I am."
After 90 minutes of mingling, Brewster takes the stage inside the practice facility for a mini-pep rally. He promises that his team will play "like our hair is on fire." The crowd cheers loudly.
Upstairs, his office is empty. A yellow notebook pad on his desk contains a message from some fans who had visited his office. It reads: "Go Gophers! You rock coach. Luv You. The girls from section 131, 132, 206."
Monday, 4:45 a.m.
gophers/ncaa
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