JIM DUTCHER
Game 237 | September 1, 1975 | Jim Dutcher
A former head coach at Eastern Michigan and a three-year assistant at Michigan, Dutcher was hired to succeed Bill Musselman in 1975. His team won 16 games his first season, but improved to 24-3 the next year with a starting lineup that included Kevin McHale, Ray Williams, Mychal Thompson, Osborne Lockhart and Flip Saunders.
Game 267 | November 9, 1978 | Jim Dutcher, Leo Rautins, Darryl Mitchell
Dutcher assembled one of the best recruiting classes in Gopher basketball history in 1978. Mitchell and Rautins were joined by Cookie Holmes, Trent Tucker and Mark Hall on a team that featured Kevin McHale at center. Mitchell went on to star four years for the Gophers while Rautins transferred to Syracuse for his sophomore season. In 2008 Rautins coached the Canadian Olympic basketball team.
Game 275 | February 26, 1980 | Jim Dutcher, Kevin McHale, Randy Breuer
The Gophers went 21-11 in the 1979-80 season. They were disappointed in not being invited to play in the NCAA post-season tourney, but accepted a bid to the NIT where they won four games before losing to Ralph Sampson's Virginia team in the finals. Hibbing-native McHale, in his final season, averaged 17.4 points per game while Lake City freshman Breuer averaged 7.7.
Game 293 | November 24, 1981 | Jim Dutcher
The Gophers finished 19-11 in Dutcher's sixth season as head coach. Randy Breuer led the team in scoring with a 15.2 average, followed closely by Trent Tucker (14.8) and Mark Hall (14.5). The team defeated Drake and Connecticut in NIT play before losing to West Virginia at Williams Arena.
Game 311 | November 15, 1983 | Jim Dutcher
With Randy Breuer gone, Dutcher faced a rebuilding season in 1983-'84. Guards Tommy Davis and Marc Wilson were the leading scorers on a team that finished 15-13 overall and 6-12 in the Big Ten.
Game 321 | November 15, 1984 | Jim Dutcher
Tommy Davis, John Shasky and Marc Wilson led a young Gopher team to a 13-15 record in 1984-'85. Highly touted freshman Mitch Lee started the first 14 games for the Gophers in what was to be Dutcher's next -to-last season as head coach. Dutcher has been a Dunker since 1987, and his daughter; Judi, became a member in 2004.
