Charley Walters: In Vikings-Harbaugh saga, who was using who?

Feb. 5—What we don't know regarding the brief Minnesota Vikings-Jim Harbaugh saga is who may have used who for leverage.

Harbaugh, the quirky but proven University of Michigan coach, spent eight hours in Eagan on Wednesday interviewing for the Vikings' head coaching job. Soon after, Harbaugh said he would return to his job at Michigan, where last season, with incentives, he was paid $6 million.

Soon after that, we learned the Vikings will hire Kevin O'Connell, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Los Angeles Rams.

So, it seems, either Harbaugh tried to use the Vikings to perhaps get a better deal from Michigan. Or, what might be more likely, the Vikings used Harbaugh to get O'Connell at a reasonable price.

Still, O'Connell is expected to get a four-year contract in the $20 million range from the Vikings. Fired coach Mike Zimmer has two years remaining on his deal for a reported $8 million a year. It's unknown, though, how much is guaranteed.

For Harbaugh to get especially serious about the Vikings job, word is an offer would have had to start at $8 million a year. That didn't happen.

In the end, it seems like the Harbaugh-Vikings meeting could have been a negotiating tool for one side or the other, or maybe both.

While it might appear that O'Connell's hiring — he's a former NFL quarterback who was QB coach in Kirk Cousins' final season (2017) in Washington — could mean the Vikings retain Cousins rather than trade him, the opposite might be true.

Had the Vikings brought in Harbaugh, it would have been to win now. But with a young coach in O'Connell (36), it could be that they move on from Cousins and his guaranteed $35 million salary ($45 million cap hit) and rebuild. The Vikings deny they are rebuilding.

Although O'Connell is offensive coordinator for the Rams through the Super Bowl, he doesn't call plays — his expertise is developing QBs. The Vikings drafted Kellon Mond last spring, but his development has been lagging. The Vikings could draft another QB this April, or wait until 2023. A veteran bridge QB — perhaps free agents Andy Dalton (34) or Marcus Mariota (28) — would be signed if the Vikings can find a trading partner for Cousins (33).

It still seems likely that the Vikings will trade Cousins. Carolina or Cleveland appear best bets. A trade can't be made until March 16.

Fired Vikings GM Rick Spielman is still rumored under consideration for a job (not GM) with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, Doug Pederson has been hired as coach. Supposedly, had the Vikings kept Spielman as GM, Pederson would have been front-runner to replace Zimmer.

Among those returning to Williams Arena for the Feb. 23 Gophers-Wisconsin game and the 40th anniversary celebration of Gophers coach Jim Dutcher's 1982 Big Ten men's basketball champions is Andy Thompson, the multi-Emmy Award winner who was an executive producer for ESPN's colossal hit, "The Last Dance," about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

"We'll have a good group and a good time," Dutcher said.

That group is expected to include Trent Tucker, Randy Breuer, Jim Petersen, Zeb Howell, Cookie Holmes, Kelly Scott and Barry Wohler. Darryl Mitchell, who practices law in Sarasota, Fla., will attend barring a conflict. Tommy Davis, who spends time in Paris, is also a possibility.

Over three days, those 1982 Gophers will watch the current Gophers practice, meet with team boosters for a buffet dinner, attend the game against Wisconsin, then attend a brunch hosted by Dutcher at McCormick & Schmick's.

"It should be fun," said Dutcher, who resides in Bloomington. He has three daughters, all Minnesota grads, living in the Twin Cities.

Dutcher will turn 89 in April.

"I don't take a pill of any kind or anything," he said. "I'm trying to catch John Kundla."

Kundla, the hall of fame former Gophers-Minneapolis Lakers coach, died at age 101 five years ago.

Is there a secret to Dutcher's health?

"Your parents — you pick your parents well," he said. "You get those long-living genes or you don't. I do have arthritic knees, but nobody I know of died from arthritic knees. I had my (physical) exam two weeks ago, and the guy said you've got the blood pressure of a teenager. It was 116 over 60. So I've just been fortunate."

While ex-Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino has New Mexico off to a 1-8 Mountain West start (8-14 overall) in his first season with the Lobos, his Gophers successor, Ben Johnson, is off to a 2-8 Big Ten start (11-8 overall).

That was former Gopher Amir Coffey, 24, scoring a career-high 29 points for the L.A. Clippers in a 116-115 victory over Washington the other day, then 27 points (including five three-pointers) in a 122-116 loss to Indiana.

Reid Travis, 26, the former DeLaSalle star, scored 39 points against Hitachi SRT recently playing for Shimane SM in Japan. The 6-foot-9, 244-pound forward is averaging 20.8 points and 9.5 rebounds.

At the all-star break, leading contender for NHL coach of the year is popular former Wild forward Andrew Brunette, interim coach for the first-place Florida Panthers.

Second baseman Rod Carew on fellow Twins hall of fame pitcher Jim Kaat, from Carew's recent blog: "Playing second base behind him, I knew he'd be like a vacuum sucking up balls hit anywhere near the mound. But my favorite part was how perfectly he threw to me on double plays. I never had to worry about someone barreling into me when Jim was on the mound. He always jumped on the ball quickly and made good throws. That's why he won all those Gold Gloves (16). I'm going to ask him for one."

Kaat, by the way, has a memoir, "Good as Gold: My Eight Decades in Baseball," with Douglas Lyons and a foreword by Bob Costas for an April 19 release.

Now that ex-Twin David Ortiz has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, signed baseballs by him are on the market for $599.99. Inscribed bats are $799.99. Meanwhile, new hall of fame former Twin Tony Oliva autographed baseballs are $99.99, a signed Louisville Slugger bat $199.99.

Recently retired Tom Brady autographed No. 12 Tampa Bay Bucs jerseys are on the market for $3,799.99. Signed footballs are $4,499.99.

Oliva said at a recent Twin Cities Dunkers gathering that he's "lost his name" since his election. Now, everywhere he goes, he said, people call him "Mr. Hall of Fame."

Chris Weinke, 49, the Cretin-Derham Hall QB who went on to win the 2000 Heisman Trophy at Florida State, after taking a season off with a $450,000 buyout from Tennessee, is the new QB coach at Georgia Tech.

The 37th Mancini's St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be May 9. Meanwhile, the St. Paul Baseball Old Timers Hot Stove League banquet, usually held in the winter, will not be held this year due to COVID.

Gustavus Adolphus' 2,750-square foot Drenttel indoor golf facility, which includes three heated hitting bays with state of art launch monitors and simulators, a putting green and weight and locker room, was featured in Golfweek the other day.

Three St. John's students — Anthony Gruidl, Matthew Holderness and Colin Glynn — thanks to their exceptional video scouting of former Johnnies offensive lineman Ben Bartch (now with Jacksonville) two years ago, were selected by NFL Films to shoot workouts of last week's NFLPA practices at the Rose Bowl for distribution to each of the NFL's 32 scouting departments.

That was former University of St. Thomas baseball shortstop standout Dan Marso acing the 151-yard 16th hole with a 7-iron at the Quail Run Country Club in Rio Verde, Ariz., last week.

Former Stillwater baseball star Austin Murr had a nice 2021 season split among three Detroit Tigers rookie and Class A clubs (composite .319 batting average) and will focus on playing outfield heading into spring training in Lakeland, Fla., soon.

The San Diego Padres have promoted Brett Becker, the former all-state baseball player from Mounds View and .400 career hitter for St. John's, where he had a NCAA record 47 bunts for base hits, to manager of player development.

Byron (Minn.) native Ayoka Lee, the 6-6 junior who scored a NCAA record 61 points for the Kansas State women's basketball team three weeks ago, has a 6-10 brother, Ahjany Lee, who is a senior at Totino-Grace and has committed to play for the University of St. Thomas next season.

Woodbury resident Bob Wilbur, a former minor league pitcher and son of noted late Twins player development manager Del Wilbur, has published another book, "How Far?" This work is historical fiction about a "surfer dude" baseball player form Southern California and a hockey player from Roseau.

DON'T PRINT THAT

It looks like Ryan Poles got more team control to be the Chicago Bears' GM than he would have from the Vikings, who interviewed him but instead signed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a reported $12 million, four-year contract.

The Poles hiring appears to be a package deal. Matt Eberflus, the coach the Bears hired, and Poles have the same agent, Trace Armstrong, the ex-Bears defensive end.

Other package deals include the Las Vegas Raiders, who hired Dave Ziegler as GM from New England, also hiring Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to coach. The New York Giants' new GM, Joe Schoen, and coach Brian Daboll, are from the Buffalo Bills. That's the popular strategy now, trying to link the GM and coach with similar backgrounds. Fired Vikings GM Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer did not have similar backgrounds. Zimmer was hired at the recommendation of Bill Parcells.

Adofo-Mensah and new coach Kevin O'Connell were with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.

It will be surprising if Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell isn't retained by new coach Kevin O'Connell. McCardell is a favorite of Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson.

It still looks like the Vikings could move one home game on their 2022 schedule to England.

Contrary to rumors, people in the know insist there is absolutely no chance that Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore will be able to move the Timberwolves to Seattle, where instead NBA teams could split a $2.6 billion expansion fee. The same for Las Vegas.

It'll be interesting whether ex-Timberwolf Fred Hoiberg stays as men's basketball coach at Nebraska, which is 0-11 in the Big Ten this season and 5-45 in the conference in his three years in Lincoln.

Former Somerset Country Cub assistant golf professional Robb Nelson has accepted the top assistant job at Woodhill Country Club. New head professional at Southview Country Club is Nick Sage, recently top assistant at the Minikahda Club.

Hazeltine National, site of the 2029 Ryder Cup, has hired Kyle Brandt from San Francisco Golf Club as its new head professional. The Chaska club received more than 75 applicants, narrowed those to 24, then interviewed four finalists. Brandt, who begins late next month, is only the fourth head professional at Hazeltine in 60 years.

Macalester College will begin reviewing applications for a new head football coach on Feb. 14.

That was U.S. Hockey League commissioner Billy Robertson from St. Paul chatting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman this weekend, both in Las Vegas for the NHL All-Star Game.

Fargo, N.D., native Tom Hoge, a two-time Minnesota State Amateur golf champion who is in contention this weekend in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, by finishing second in the recent American Express tournament moved up from 115th in the world ranking to 64. The top 50 receive an invitation to the Masters at Augusta National in April.

No doubt had Jim Harbaugh left as football coach at Michigan for the Vikings, his representation would be the first to call seeking the Wolverines job for the Gophers' P.J. Fleck.

While Gophers men's basketball coach Ben Johnson has gone on the record that he has no plans to schedule games against the state's other Division I program, St. Thomas, you can be sure that Gophers women's coach Lindsay Whalen feels the same. At this juncture, it would be a no-win for both Gophers programs.

Dan Quinn's decision to remain as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys couldn't have pleased fired Vikings coach Zimmer, who was rumored to be a candidate if the job opened.

OVERHEARD

Luke Witte, the Ohio State basketball player who became an ordained minister, on the on-court brawl between the Gophers and Buckeyes 50 years ago at Williams Arena that resulted in 29 stitches to his face, in the Columbus Dispatch the other day: "There really are things to be learned from every event, and if you don't walk away having learned something from it, you're the one lesser for the experience. Human nature hasn't changed since Cain and Abel. It's right below the surface. Are you going to be vindictive and angry or patient and loving."