JOHN GUTEKUNST
Game 333 | March 3, 1986 | John Guteknust
With Lou Holtz off to Notre Dame, Gutekunst, a long-time defensive coordinator under Holtz, was named the Gophers head coach. In his first game he led the team to a 20-13 victory over Clemson in the Independence Bowl. The team finished third in the Big Ten with a 5-3 record in 1986 and went to its second consecutive bowl, losing 21-14 to Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl.
Game 349 | August 11, 1987 | John Gutekunst
With memories of Lou Holtz slowly fading, Gutekunst's 1987 Gophers got off to a solid start, winning three non-conference games and Big Ten games against Purdue and Northwestern. They were upset by Indiana at home in week six and won only one of their final six games. The team was led by Darrell Thomspon and Rickey Foggie on offense and Jon Leverentz on defense.
Game 360 | June 16, 1988 | John Gutekunst
With Rickey Foggie gone, the Gopher football team had a rough season in 1988. Chris Gaiters and Darrell Thompson anchored a strong offense, but the defense struggled, and the team slipped to a record of 2-7-2 and failed to win a single Big Ten game.
Game 373 | August 15, 1989 | John Gutekunst
The Gopher football team improved significantly from the year before, going 6-5 with a pair of Big Ten victories over arch rivals Iowa and Wisconsin. It was the final season for running back Darrell Thompson, who became the Gophers' career rushing leader with 40 touchdowns and 4,654 yards. Thompson joined the Gopher football broadcast team in 1998.
Game 391 | September 6, 1990 | John Gutekunst
The football Gophers started the season 4-2 and finished with a 6-5 record. They went 5-3 in the Big Ten and finished sixth. Center Chris Thome was named to the All Big Ten team while Sean Lumpkin and Mike Sunvold made the second team.
Game 410 | August 22, 1991 | John Gutekunst
Attendance was falling at the Metrodome, and Gopher football coach Gutekunst told Dunkers he realized he was under pressure to produce a winner in 1991. The team beat Purdue 6-3 in its second Big Ten game, but lost its final six Big Ten games. Gutekunst was fired after finishing the season in last place with a 2-9 record. His six-year Gopher coaching record was 29-36-2.
