Alumni Association Home > Past Issues > 2007 > March-April 2007	Print View

A few hours later, athletics director Joel Maturi introduced the new coach to the crowd during halftime at Williams Arena. The men’s basketball Gophers were playing gainst Brewster’s alma mater, Illinois, where he earned a degree in political science and was a two-time all–Big Ten tight end. “I can’t tell you how excited my family and I are to be here,” Brewster began. “I promise you this: On Saturday afternoons, our football players are going to play like their hair’s on fire. . . . Together, we’re going to get this done. We’re going to take the Gopher Nation to Pasadena.” Gopher Nation erupted into a deafening frenzy.

The search for a new head coach was set in motion by the December 31 firing of Glen Mason, whose last game was the Insight Bowl on December 28. The Gophers gave up a 31-point lead in the third quarter, losing 44–41 in overtime to Texas Tech in what was the biggest collapse in college football bowl history. Maturi, aided by a search firm, embarked on an extensive 18-day hunt for a new coach, ultimately swooping into the ranks of the National Football League to nab the energetic Brewster, tight ends coach for the Denver Broncos.

Brewster, 46, has 21 years under his belt as a coach in professional, college, and high school ranks, but Minnesota is his first head coaching job beyond high school. Still, he exuded confidence during his campus debut. “I went to the National Football League to get my Ph.D. in football,” Brewster said. “I’m ready to get on the road and go recruit. I’m ready to get this program going.”

Gopher Nation is ready too.

In January, the Board of Regents and the public got their first look at the schematic designs for the new on-campus Gopher football stadium. TCF Bank Stadium will be a traditional horseshoe design, blended with plazas, landscapes, a colonnade, and open gathering places. The west end will open up to campus and the downtown Minneapolis skyline. The design is for a 50,000-seat facility that can be expanded to 72,000 to 80,000 seats.

The design comes in at a cost of $288.5 million, nearly $40 million over original estimates. The added cost reflects changes intended to enhance the fan experience—for instance, seats will be roomier than traditional stadium seating—improve campus aesthetics, and incorporate sustainable architecture designs. Other cost increases are due to changes to the building code since the initial feasibility study and to engineering challenges because of the type of soil on the stadium site. The Board of Regents approved the design and the capital budget request for the increased cost by a vote of 11 to 1. TCF Bank Stadium is scheduled to open on September 12, 2009.

—Cynthia Scott