Q&A: Mark Coyle on 5-year run as Gophers AD, sky-high football expectations, Lindsay Whalen, and more

We had a wide-ranging conversation with Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle this week. Coyle is close to his 5-year anniversary date when he was hired to run Gophers athletics.

***Click the video box above to watch our conversation with Coyle***

Among talking points:

• Coyle’s run as AD and all that has happened in the last 5-years
• His level of content working for Minnesota and if this is his dream job
• The challenges of navigating the athletic department through the pandemic
• Sky-high expectations for the football team this year
• Chances of welcoming back a full TCF Bank Stadium in September
• Hiring of new men’s hoops coach Ben Johnson
• The transfer portal
• NCAA champion and Gophers wrestler Gable Steveson
• Conversations with St. Thomas AD Dr. Phil Esten and wanting to see non-conference games between the schools

Coyle received a contract extension Feb. 2020 that has him locked in with the ‘U’ through June 2026.