Earlier today, Coach McCutcheon announced that he would be leaving the program at the end of the season. He declined to explain, and said he would not be explaining until after the season. Reader G.H. writes, “This is going to cause some serious recruiting problems and use of the portal. Did you see this coming?”
JOHN: It certainly could; let’s hope not. And no, I didn’t. My first thought is that a career-shift out of volleyball seems improbable. So what, then?
- A better coaching job? He’s already been the U.S. Olympic Coach; can’t see him retracing those steps? Coaching his native Australian Squad?
- There aren’t many better Women’s Collegiate Programs, and to my knowledge, the jobs at Stanford, Texas and Nebraska aren’t open.
- Does he have an offer to coach Men’s volleyball, and prefers that?
- I’ve expressed frustration with the results produced by this current talent-rich Gopher Squad; is he frustrated? Is there conflict between McCutcheon and his team?
- Is he in conflict with the A.D.?
- Does he have a health problem? A family problem?
- He married a local woman, a Bachman, with deep roots in our community; is he having personal problems?
I don’t know what to think?
The Gophers have announced that there will be a nationwide search conducted at the end of the season, and that long-time Gopher Associate Head Coach Matt Houk will serve as the Interim Head Coach.
Houk is a logical choice for Interim if the Gophers need an Interim Head Coach – but why do we need an Interim Head Coach if McCutcheon is staying on through the end of the season? And we can’t afford to wait until the end of the season to begin a search process; the next 60 days are the most critical period of the year for recruiting the H.S. class of 2024 and the Transfer Portal class of 2023.
The other name that came to mind immediately was Laura Kasey, the other long-time Gopher Associate Head Coach – until last January. I’ve been meaning to write something about Kasey, and where she went; I assumed that she probably got a head coaching job somewhere else. But I can’t find any record of what happened to her.
READERS RESPOND (PRIOR TO TODAY’S BOMBSHELL):
Reader G.U. wrote: “C.C. McGraw being hit by a six pack is a huge understatement. Most of the geezers we play with would still be on the floor if they were nailed as she was. In my opinion, McGraw is as tough as they make ’em.”
Reader C.B was one (of several) to point out that I messed up the names of the Swenson Girls. Samantha Seliger Swenson (SSS) starred as the Gopher Setter from 2015 through 2018, becoming a First Team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year) Her sisters, who we expect to follow in her footsteps, are Wayzata juniors Stella Swenson, Olivia Swenson and Wayzata sophomore Eva Swenson. C.B. also asks why their last names are different? I have no inside info on this, but I’m guessing that mom’s marital status changed at some point.
GIRLS TOURNEY-TIME
And speaking of H.S. volleyball, H.S. Girls Tournament Time is right around the corner. The 4-Division State Tournament will be held, as usual, at the XCEL CENTER (downtown St. Paul) on Wednesday Nov 9 through Saturday Nov 12. Below is a link to the schedule:
The HS League puts on quite a spectacle each year at the Xcel. On Thursdays and Fridays, for example, there will be two matches going on simultaneously (one can easily watch both at the same time – but your neck gets sore) from 9:00 a.m. until roughly (:00 p.m. – 12 matches for a single admission. Naturally, the AAAA teams, representing the biggest schools, provide the highest overall level of volleyball, but there are plenty of highly-skilled players and highly-competitive matches, even in the Single A Division.