Announcement on MSU athletic cuts coming next week

Athletic director Kevin Buisman said an announcement on potential budget cuts for the Minnesota State athletic department will likely be announced in the next few days.
This spring, Buisman said the department, which cut $350,000 through staff reductions or additional fundraising last year, would have about a $90,000 shortfall for the 2010-11 competitive seasons, but the real challenge came for 2011-12, where he expected to be about $350,000 short, a number that might cause the university to eliminate some of its 23 programs.
On Friday, he said that he'll have a proposal to meet those budget problems and pass it on to the higher-ups.
There were plenty of rumors swirling about campus this week. Sources said that the cuts will be more than $400,000, and programs will be eliminated. Gender equity has to be among the main criteria, with Minnesota State offering 46 scholarships for men's and women's sports. Twenty-five of the men's scholarship go to football.
The programs most likely to be cut are the ones that don't have affiliation with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference: women's bowling, men's tennis and men's and women's swimming. But it hardly seems possible that nearly a half-million dollars can be saved by droppoing those four sports.
There will also need to be some staffing cuts.
Buisman said an announcement on the cuts will be made soon so that coaches can figure out how to work within the new parameters.

Anderson was good hire for Loyola boys basketball

Former Maple River boys basketball coach Tim Anderson became the next boys basketball coach at Mankato Loyola this week, and it seems like a good move for both parties.
Anderson resigned after the 2008 season, posting a 272-93 record in 19 seasons at Maple River. He led his teams to 10 Valley Conference championships and three state-tournament appearances.
But he said after resigning that he would coach again some day, and after a year off to watch his son Seth play at Gustavus Adolphus, he coached the Maple Rivers girls, finishing at 19-5 last season.
He applied at Fairmont and Loyola, accepting the Crusaders' job on Tuesday.
John Landkamer returned to coaching the Loyola baseball team, which created the opening for Anderson.
Anderson is a very good coach, and Loyola has a solid tradition in that sport, winning a state championship in 2003. If anybody can get Loyola back to a state tournament, it will be Anderson. He's passionate and demands discipline, and if the players respond, big things will happen in that program.

Dahl back in Mankato

Former Mankato East standout Craig Dahl was back in town this weekend, speaking at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes golf outing on Friday and signing autographs for young athletes at the East football camp Monday.
Dahl will report to the St. Louis Rams training camp on Friday, embarking on his fourth season in the NFL. He's overcome severe injuries to both knees, playing for the New York Giants his first two seasons before joining the Rams last season.
Dahl took advantage of injuries to both safeties to start some games last season, finishing fifth on the team in tackles. But the competition will be tough again during this preseason as Dahl continues his career.
He said he feels comfortable in his position, but he doesn't want to become complacent. He said that losing 15 games lat season was tough, but his team never quit.
For more on Dahl's last stop at Mankato, check out Tuesday's print edition.

Another Krugel victory for Chesley

Mankato native Steve Chesley won his second consecutive championship at the 62 annual Loren Krugel Invitational tournament, which wrapped up Sunday at the Mankato Golf Club.
Chesley has a championship resume, having won the state tournament as a senior at Mankato West in 1986. He then went to the University of Minnesota, where swing changes forced upon him caused great frustration.
After basically taking about nine years off from the game, he started showing up at Minnesota Golf Association events again recently, and he posted a one-stroke victory at the 2009 Krugel.
He was tested Sunday, as first Geoff Klein kept pace for most of the final 18 holes, and Jeff Barney had birdie opportunities on the last three holes that could have tied things.
However, Chesley prevailed again by one stroke.
For more on some tournament tidbits, check out Friday's column.

NBA free agency isn't as big in Minnesota

While a lot of interest centers around the most-prized group of free agents ever, the Minnesota Timberwolves are taking a more realistic approach.
There's no need for this franchise to go after LeBron James or Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh or any of the other marquee names because they have no interest in this beleagured franchise.
However, there may be some hope for the Timberwolves to attract less-bright stars.
The Timberwolves have scheduled a visit with Rudy Gay, a restricted free agent, but it makes little sense to add another wing player to the roster. Corey Brewer, newly acquired Martell Webster and top draft choice Wesley Johnson already fill that small forward/ shooting guard role, though Gay would be the most talented of that group.
The Timberwolves also have a visit planned with power forward David Lee, clearly a more attractive option. He's an unrestricted free agent who averaged more than 20 points and 11 rebounds last season. If he's added to the roster, Al Jefferson certainly would be gone, and Kevin Love's future might also be in doubt.

The Timberwolves have added center Darko Milicic and Euro-prospect Nikola Pekovic, a 6-11 center, but if that's it, the fan base will have every right to be upset.
The Timberwolves have about $20 million in salary-cap space, and the fans expect that it be spent wisely. It's got to be tough to watch other teams try to win championships, while the Timberwolves flounder.