Latest news with #UniversityofMinnesotaGophers
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Minnesota AD Coyle embarks on coach search with belief basketball program can return to prominence
The challenge at Minnesota of growing the men's basketball program into a consistent Big Ten contender has probably never been greater, considering the surging cost of competing in the current landscape of major college sports. The University of Minnesota Gophers don't plan to sit still, though, as evidenced by athletic director Mark Coyle's decision to fire coach Ben Johnson after four seasons . He has begun the search for a replacement with an unabashed belief he's filling a desirable job. "We had those four years. We had a good sample of what we looked like in nonconference, what we looked like in Big Ten play, and I just felt the timing was right now for a change, given some of the transformations we're going through as an industry in college athletics," Coyle said, reiterating his confidence Minnesota can be an annual NCAA Tournament team despite only three appearances in the last 15 seasons. Coyle held a video conference call with reporters on Friday from Indianapolis, where he's decamped with the NCAA Tournament selection committee he has served on for the last four years. Citing the basketball practice facility that opened in 2018, the department's commitment to holistic athlete support, the big-city feel at the state's flagship university and its presence in the powerful Big Ten, Coyle left no doubt about his expectation for the program. "We've gotten calls from coaches who want to be a part of that. They understand the value of the Big Ten. They understand the value of Minnesota, what it means. Our media contracts are phenomenal in terms of the exposure we get and the exposure we can provide to student-athletes, as many of them have dreams to compete at the next level," Coyle said. "We feel like we're in a very, very good spot." Coyle, who will enter his 10th season on the job this fall, has overseen a whirlwind of change with the recent expansion of the Big Ten to 18 teams, the global pandemic that threw schedules, eligibility and overall health and wellness out of whack, and the NIL era that began shortly after the relaxing of the transfer rule that allowed athletes to switch schools and play immediately. Now revenue sharing is coming to further complicate the finances around power conference sports. But Coyle said University President Rebecca Cunningham is committed to keeping up in this sport, even given the immense amount of resources necessary to do the same in football and the mandate to operate with a balanced budget. "Our ideal candidate will be someone with experience in these landscapes, who understands a changing landscape," Coyle said. The Gophers first began playing organized basketball in the late 19th century, but sustained success has been fleeting no matter the head coach. Clem Haskins came the closest to fielding consistent Big Ten contenders, but the end of his 13-season run was infamously tainted by the academic fraud scandal from which the program has seemingly yet to fully recover more than a quarter-century later. Haskins took the Gophers to their lone Final Four appearance in 1997. Williams Arena was a true advantage then and still can be when it's packed for a premier opponent, but "The Barn" is now 97 years old with few upgrades made in the last two decades. The average over 19 home games of announced attendance figures was 8,923 per game, about 61% of the arena's current capacity and a slight increase from last season. The average for 15 home games during Johnson's first year was 10,267. The Big Ten average for last season was 11,934. The mid-major route ought to present plenty of viable candidates should Coyle decide to go that way, starting with Colorado State's Niko Medved, a native and alum of Minnesota who has previously coached at Furman and Drake. Coyle, a former Drake football player, could consider his alma mater's basketball success under Ben McCollum, who in his first year led the Bulldogs to 30 wins after moving up from the NCAA Division II level at Northwest Missouri State. His predecessor, Darian DeVries, took Drake to the NCAA Tournament three times in six years before departing for West Virginia. "There's no doubt we need somebody who embraces Minnesota," Coyle said. "We need somebody who's going to generate excitement. At the end of the day, I'm a firm believer: When you're winning games, people want to be a part of that."
CBS News
11-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
WoMN in Sports: Three Gophers qualify for the Women's NCAA swimming championships
The University of Minnesota Gophers swim team will be making a splash at the NCAA championships next week. Three women punched their tickets to the tourney and plan to represent Minnesota proudly. "This means everything," said Ava Yablonski, a junior on the Gophers swim team who is making her NCAA debut. She'll be competing in the 100 and 200 backstroke. "I'm just excited to be there and experience everything that I didn't even know I could accomplish," said Yablonski. Yablonski set a new school record in the 100 backstroke during the Big Ten championships this year. To get to this next level, she says the biggest hurdle she overcame was getting out of her own head. "I think there were some doubts about myself, and I knew that I was better than that," said Yablonski. She will have the support of two of her teammates, sophomore Katie McCarthy and senior Eliot Kennedy, who have competed at the NCAA tournament before. McCarthy swam for two personal records this season. The Edina native is proud to swim for her home state. "I grew up watching [the Gopher swim team] and coming to their meets, and it was so fun to cheer them on," said McCarthy. "Being able to put the cap on and represent the 'M' has just been so fun." McCarthy and Kennedy are both competing in the same events, the 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle — also known as "the mile." "Getting [Eliot] to push me through practices has been really helpful," said McCarthy. "[Katie] is such a fun person to race against. I'm so happy to experience my final season with her," said Kennedy. Kennedy has already hit a high note as she wraps up her time as a Gopher. She shattered her own personal best, finishing "the mile" event in 15 minutes and 54 seconds. "When I touched the wall, I couldn't believe I swam under 16 minutes," said Kennedy. "It was really exciting to see all the hard work, not just in the past year, but the past 15 years I've been swimming, to pay off in that way." Washington State University will serve as host of the 2025 NCAA championships. The meet starts Wednesday, March 19.
