A Roundup of Tweets from the First Installment of Big Ten Media Days

By D.J. Byrnes on July 25, 2016 at 2:41 pm
Tracy Claeys, hilarious Big Ten media day tweets.
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The Big Ten conference kicked off its 2016 season with its 45th annual luncheon and media days in Chicago on Monday afternoon.

Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), Darrell Hazell (Purdue), James Franklin (Penn State), Tracy Claeys (Minnesota) and Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) headlined the first day of coaching interviews from the podium.

Usually these events turn a college football fan's Twitter timeline into an endless stream of repetitive soundbite quotes that coaches labor to put forth. This is still Big Ten football, however, and comedy is always around the corner to the trained eye.

Without further ado, the good tweets (and accompanying video of each coach's appearance).

PAT FITZGERALD, NORTHWESTERN

The big news to come out of Pat Fitzgerald's interview was a snub of Lovie Smith when welcoming the new coaches to the Big Ten. Though this would've been the most interesting thing to transpire in the Northwestern–Illinois rivalry in my 29 years of life, Fitzgerald would later claim it was unintentional.

What does appear intentional is his blocking of people who don't blog about the Wildcats. He also set himself on a new frontier of American coaching: Using the bench as a motivator. 


DARRELL HAZELL, PURDUE

Yes, Darrell Hazell is miraculously back for his fourth media days after winning six games over three years. According to Purdue's coach, the Boilermakers are moving in the right direction and poised to raise some Hell in the Big Ten West this year.

In his defense, he basically returns the entirety of a team that went 2-10 in 2015 and 1-7 in Big Ten play. It didn't stop the media from treating as mercilessly as any other Purdue opponent. 

 

CHRIS ASH, RUTGERS

Pour one out for former Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who is going through with this "coaching Rutgers" thing.

Ash putt off the specter of a rivalry with Michigan (for now), preached the Urban Meyer culture gospel, and admitted he asked Rutgers sachems if they were trying to compete in the Big Ten or if they were satisfied by receiving an annual windfall of TV contract money.

 

JAMES FRANKLIN, PENN STATE

James Franklin went 7-6 in both of his first two years at Penn State, but PSU's coach would like to remind everyone the Nittany Lions have 85 scholarships now, which means this is actually his first year on the job.

He also wants you to know how excited he is about this year, which again, is his first year with 85 scholarships.

 

TRACY CLAEYS, MINNESOTA

Nobody expects much from new Minnesota frontman Tracy Claeys, whom the conference forced into new and uncomfortable threads.

Claeys claims this will be the best Minnesota team since he's been there. (He came from Northern Illinois with Jerry Kill in 2011.) I still think it's a bad omen when your coach's misfitting suit is the most noteworthy aspect of a season-opening address, but Gophers fans would point out Bill Belichick never gets accused of being a fashionista, either.

Is Tracy Claeys a young Bill Belichick? I'll let the Gophers play this fall answer that.

 

JIM HARBAUGH, MICHIGAN

Jim Harbaugh dressed like a flippant teenager, spoke like he's programmed by an alien algorithm and earned the dubious distinction as the only coach not to offer condolences to Nebraska and Michigan State after the tragic death of Sam Foltz and Mike Sadler. 

That is to say, it was just another day at the office for Harbaugh, who apparently is Jabrill Peppers' biggest fan.

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