Rand: The long and the short of recent coaching/managerial searches

Four high-profile Minnesota men's sports teams have conducted coaching/managerial searches since the start of 2013. Here is a quick look back at all of them:

TIMBERWOLVES

Length of search: April 21 (Rick Adelman announces he is not coming back) to June 5 (first reports that Flip Saunders is taking over as coach), 45 days.

The process: Many assumed Saunders, already president of basketball operations, would end up hiring himself. But don't forget there was a point late in the process that it seemed likely that Dave Joerger was leaving Memphis to come here. It didn't happen, of course.

Public reaction: It was a mix of "didn't we already have this guy a decade ago" to "wait, isn't this the only coach to ever take the Wolves to the playoffs?" Neither side was wrong, it's just a matter of how you look at it.

Length of search: Sept. 29 (Ron Gardenhire fired) to Nov. 3 (Twins announce Paul Molitor hired), 35 days.

The process: Many thought Molitor was the front-runner from the start, though Doug Mientkiewicz and Torey Lovullo also drew consideration. Joe Maddon was a wild card, though never apparently a serious one.

VIKINGS

Length of search: Dec. 30 (Leslie Frazier fired) to Jan. 15 (Mike Zimmer hired), 16 days.

The process: For a hire that took just over two weeks, there sure were a lot of names linked to the job. Todd Bowles, Ray Horton, Darrell Bevell, Dan Quinn, Jay Gruden and Ken Whisenhunt were among those the Vikings either interviewed or were reportedly interested in interviewing before deciding on Zimmer.

Public reaction: Zimmer's fiery sideline demeanor and defensive background won over a lot of fans who craved a return to tough-minded football, and he has generally been well-received in his first season.

GOPHERS MEN'S BASKETBALL

The process: While much of the early speculation was focused on shoot-for-the-moon candidates such as Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens, the hiring of Pitino served as the surprise twist. He was very much off the public radar as a candidate until emerging late in the process.

Public reaction: The perception that Pitino was nowhere close to the Gophers' first choice made some fans skeptical immediately after his hire, but a strong first season won them over.