Names Floated as Monson Treads Water

(photo caption) Is Bob Knight pointing an escape route out of Texas? (photo: courtesy Associated Press)

While the on-court play of the University of Minnesota Gophers men's basketball team has been cool, the rumor mill is beginning to run red-hot.

With the Gophers stumbling to a 9-7 overall start, including a 0-5 record in the Big Ten Conference, memories of last season's expectation exceeding squad begin to fade. Also beginning to fade, it seems, is the likelihood that head coach Dan Monson will be back to coach an eighth season next year. Monson has three years remaining on the 10 year contract he signed in 1999.

Monson successfully staved off his critics last year as he rode the crest of his team's NCAA Tournament appearance on the strength of a 21-11 record. The NCAA Tournament appearance was Minnesota's first under Monson, and ended with a first round loss to Iowa State.

The 05-06 season began amid the high hopes that the Gophers could improve on last year's results. The product thus far, however, has fallen well short of the mark.

With word surfacing in the past few days that Monson himself had deigned this to be his last year in Minnesota, the ship appears to be sinking, and the captain apparently looks to disembark.

If Monson, who has a 109-93 career record at Minnesota, were to be excused or leave on his own terms, sources near the Gophers squad report that several reputable and previously successful coaches could quickly become candidates to fill the void.

A partial list of suspected candidates would include: Bob Huggins, former University of Cincinnati head coach; Rick Majerus, former University of Utah head coach; and Steve Lavin, former UCLA head coach.

Perhaps the biggest shocker, however, is word that the soon-to-be winningest coach in college basketball may be interested in the Minnesota post.

That's right, the "General" himself: Bob Knight, currently the head coach at Texas Tech.

For some time now, there has been suspicion out of Lubbock, Tex. that Knight has his eyes set on returning to the Big Ten Conference for a farewell tour of three to five years, ostensibly to get a few parting shots at his former employer, Indiana University.

Since he took Texas Tech over in 2001, Knight has been grooming his son, Pat Knight, to be his successor. It might soon be time for the elder Knight to pass the reins of an established program to his now 35 year-old son. If that should happen, Bob Knight would be free to pursue coaching interests in his native middle America.

Perhaps at Minnesota?