ufot010709
On the homepage
Sunday's paper
Out There
Music
Travel
U loses two top football coaches
Offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar resigned and defensive coordinator Ted Roof took a similar position at Auburn.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on Digg
Gophers coach Tim Brewster is on the recruiting trail in California. And he's searching for coaches as well as players.
Offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Mike Dunbar and defensive coordinator Ted Roof left the program Tuesday. Dunbar's resignation was expected, perhaps even encouraged. Roof's resignation hit a little harder.
Dunbar, a spread offense guru whose role was altered when Brewster pledged to add a power running game to the Gophers' attack, resigned his position to "pursue other professional interests," according to a University of Minnesota release. Roof resigned to take the defensive coordinator position at Auburn under new coach Gene Chizik.
Both moves make sense, for different reasons.
Dunbar is a spread offense purist -- his hiring was a much-heralded addition to Brewster's first staff -- and his fate appeared sealed when Brewster hired Tim Davis as his line coach and running coordinator three days after the Gophers ended the regular season with a four-game losing streak and a struggling offense.
Roof, meanwhile, is heading closer to home. A Georgia native, Roof played and coached mainly in the South. His move to Auburn means getting closer to his Atlanta-area home and making more money. Some reports put Roof's Auburn salary at $500,000, $150,000 more than the Gophers were paying him.
At first glance it would appear things are a bit chaotic at the Gibson-Nagurski complex. Not so, said athletic director Joel Maturi.
"I've been in this business a long time," Maturi said. "These things happen. I'm not happy about it, I don't think anybody's happy about it. But we shouldn't be alarmed either. In Ted's case, it was a chance to be closer to home, to make more money. It's a decision he made."
Brewster won't waste much time finding replacements. Indications are that, much as he did in the case of Davis, Brewster had a good idea who his next offensive coordinator would be before Dunbar officially resigned.
"I do have a plan," Brewster said Tuesday morning. "There is nothing I do that doesn't have a bit of calculation."
Brewster is believed to have a short list of three candidates for the offensive coordinator position. Requirements would be the ability to coach and develop quarterbacks, be adept at coaching the passing game and good at working with Davis when it comes to the running game. Brewster wasn't tipping his hand, but he promised a significant hire.
"It could be relatively soon," he said. "It's not going to be long. I think the hire will be an absolute knockout. An absolute killer shot."
After a fairly productive offensive year in 2007, the Gophers offense ended the 2008 season by stumbling down the stretch, averaging less than 14 points per game over the final month.
As for the defensive job, whoever is hired will be the third defensive coordinator of the Brewster era and the seventh in the program's past 10 years. Roof inherited a team that finished 119th -- dead last -- in the nation in yards allowed. There was significant improvement, especially early. But the Gophers finished the season 0-5 after a 7-1 start. The defense allowed 132 points in the final two regular- season games and the Insight Bowl loss to Kansas. But Roof's defense finished 80th in yards allowed and tied for 16th in turnover margin.
"Our defense improved a great deal under coach Roof this past season," Brewster said in a statement. "Good coaches are always going to be in demand, and I wish Ted the best of luck in the future."
Also in a release, Roof thanked the Gophers for the opportunity.
"It was a tough decision," he said. "But I know that under coach Brewster and his staff, the Minnesota football team will continue to get better, grow and develop."
One candidate that could be considered is former Wisconsin and Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove, who was considered for the job a year ago. Cosgrove and Brewster have been friends since the early 1980s when both were at Illinois.
Maturi, meanwhile, has a message for Gophers fans: Don't worry.
"Take a deep breath and slow down," he said. "Things will be OK. Last year we brought in a new defensive coordinator and it worked out well. Maybe we'll bring in one that works out even better. We've lost two coaches and we're going to replace them with people who will be the best fits for Minnesota."
 Open House ShowcaseThousands of homes open this weekend!View all open houses >> View all homes for sale >> |
Win tickets to the Yer Cronies Beach Party with Yer Cronies and Joey Ryan & the Inks at 7th Street Entry.Vita.mn presents the Yer Cronies Beach Party with Yer Cronies and Joey Ryan & the Inks at 7th Street Entry on July 25. |
Comment on this story | Read all 49 comments | Hide reader comments