Many of us were devastated, ten days ago, by the announcement that Coach McCutcheon would be leaving his position as Head Coach of our Gophers. And also frustrated by the secrecy about the reasons and McCutcheon’s plans. But yesterday, we learned the answer to the second question: McCutcheon will be taking a newly created position, as the Gophers “Assistant Athletic Director / Sport Development Coach.” (Quite a mouthful.) Note that the word “sport” is singular. What sport? Duh, Men’s volleyball.*
More importantly, perhaps, what does this mean for our beloved Gopher Women’s Volleyball Team?
- It eliminates the possibility that McCutcheon will be “taking the team with him,” entirely possible under current transfer rules, to UCLA or anywhere else.
- It reduces the prospects of losing our best current players (to the transfer portal), and our near-future recruits. Losing players to the portal is a fact of life these days, and we might still lose some, but yesterday’s news make a mass exodus less likely.
- The key will be to quickly lock in a new coach, one that will inspire confidence in both current and recruited players.
- Along with the announcement of McCutcheon’s “promotion,” was the announcement of the “Search Committee” for the new coach:
Julie Manning, Deputy AD/SWA (Committee Chair)
Tricia Budke, Director of HR/Chief of Staff
JT Bruett, Director of Lindahl Academic Center
Stephanie Davis, Associate AD / Event Management
Susan Goldstein, Associate Professor Carlson School of Management
Katie Harms, Living Spaces Specialist, Podcaster & U of M Benefactor
Melissa Maines, General Manager of Women’s Basketball
Tim McCleary, Sr. Associate AD/Business Operations / CFO
Peyton Owens III, St. Associate AD/Leadership & Inclusion
5. No disrespect intended for anyone on this list, but I assume, and hope, that, given yesterday’s news, that McCutcheon has his successor picked out already.
6. McCutcheon is known as “a class act,” and I assume the successor he has in mind will be “a class act.”
7. Hopefully, McCutcheon will be able to convince current and recruited players to stay here.
Many of us were devastated, ten days ago, by the announcement that Coach McCutcheon would be leaving his position as Head Coach of our Gophers. And frustrated by the secrecy about the reasons and his plans. But yesterday, we learned the answer to the second question: McCutcheon will be taking a newly created position, as the Gophers “Assistant Athletic Director / Sport Development Coach.” (Quite a mouthful.) Note that the word “sport” is singular. What sport? Duh, Men’s volleyball.*
More importantly, perhaps, what does this mean for our beloved Gopher Women’s Volleyball Team?
- It eliminates the possibility that McCutcheon will be “taking the team with him,” entirely possible under current transfer rules, to UCLA or anywhere else.
- It reduces the prospects of losing our best current players (to the transfer portal), and our near-future recruits. Losing players to the portal is a fact of life these days, and we might still lose some, but yesterday’s news make a mass exodus less likely.
- The key will be to quickly lock in a new coach that will inspire confidence in both current and recruited players.
- Along with the announcement of McCutcheon’s “promotion,” was the announcement of the “Search Committee” for the new coach:
Julie Manning, Deputy AD/SWA (Committee Chair)
Tricia Budke, Director of HR/Chief of Staff
JT Bruett, Director of Lindahl Academic Center
Stephanie Davis, Associate AD / Event Management
Susan Goldstein, Associate Professor Carlson School of Management
Katie Harms, Living Spaces Specialist, Podcaster & U of M Benefactor
Melissa Maines, General Manager of Women’s Basketball
Tim McCleary, Sr. Associate AD/Business Operations / CFO
Peyton Owens III, St. Associate AD/Leadership & Inclusion
- No disrespect intended for anyone on this list, but I assume, and hope, that, given yesterday’s news, that McCutcheon has his successor picked out already.
- McCutcheon is known as “a class act,” and I assume the successor he has in mind will be “a class act.”
- Hopefully, McCutcheon will be able to convince current and recruited players to stay here.