I wasn't around during the 1930s and too young to appreciate football in the '40s, but at one time, the University of Minnesota was a football factory producing some of the nation's best college football teams. The school had long been noted for its football program before the thirties. The joke about Bronko Nagurski was that Doc Williamson, the coach, had travelled about the state looking for football players for his team. When he found a likely candidate working in the field with plow in hand, he'd ask directions for a nearby town. If the candidate just pointed, he'd thank him and drive on. But if he used the plow to point, Williamson would sign him up on the spot. Nagurski pointed with the plow.

Though Williamson produced good teams, it wasn't until Bernie Bierman took over in 1932 that Minnesota became a household word in college football. According to his biography with the College football Hall of Fame, Bierman was a native Minnesotan who graduated from the U of M in 1915. He coached high school football for a year, served in the Marine Corps for two years, then went to Montana State University where he compiled a so-so record. After marrying in 1921 he became a bonds salesman, but his wife talked him into getting back into coaching because she didn't like staying home alone while he was on the road.

After assisting at Tulane, Bierman became head coach at Mississippi A & M (now Mississippi State) in 1925 and had an 8-8-1 record there in two seasons. At Tulane from 1927 through 1931, Bierman won 36 games, lost 10, and tied 3. His 1931 team won all 11 of its games, then lost 21-12 to Southern California in the Rose Bowl. He took over as coach at the University of Minnesota in 1932.

Bierman had 6 undefeated teams in ten years at Minnesota and his 1934, 1936, 1940 and 1941 teams won National Championships. Perennial champions Michigan and Ohio State went winless against them, including Michigan teams that included the legendary Tom Harmon. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed many things in America. One of the effects was to end Minnesota's dominance in football. Bierman returned as coach in 1945, and the 1949 came close to winning the Big Ten Championship, but he resigned after the 1950 season, winning only one game.

The coaching position was open early in 1951. One of the applicants was Bud Wilkinson, who was born in Minneapolis and had played for the University on the 1936 championship team. Another applicant was Wes Fesler, a coach at Ohio State University. The selection committee chose Fesler. Bud Wilkinson moved on to the University of Oklahoma and became the architect of the Sooner Dynasty that has produced fine teams to this day. Fesler retired in 1953, best known at the U of M as the man who coached Paul Giel.

Hindsight is 20/20, but this ardent Gopher fan wonders if things could have turned out differently if Minnesota had hired Wilkinson.

Another might-have-been for the Gophers occurred in 1954 when John Wooden applied for the job as head coach of the Minnesota Basketball team. Wooden at the time was an unknown, but I wonder if he could have worked his magic at Williams Arena. Ah well....

John Anderson is an ardent University of Minnesota sports fan. A 1966 graduate from the University, he attended graduate school in history and has had multiple careers. The most recent is author. In October of 2005, The Cellini Masterpiece was published by iUniverse under the pen-name of Raymond John. If you would like to read the first chapter or ask John a question, please log on to http://www.cmasterpiece.com. He will be happy to hear from you.