BleedGopher
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per Rand:
Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle declared he is trying to build a “culture of excellence” within an athletic program that needs more “integrity and class” earlier this week upon firing football coach Tracy Claeys.
Three days later, in the first major hire of his tenure, Coyle entrusted 36-year-old P.J. Fleck with bringing those qualities to the on-field and off-field performances of the school’s most-visible team.
Fleck hardly bears the sole responsibility for achieving those goals. But Coyle’s message in the wake of a tumultuous recent past across Gophers sports that included the suspension of 10 football players in connection to an alleged sexual assault makes it clear that Fleck and his university coaching peers will be judged on their ability to deliver in more ways than just wins and losses.
That’s a lot of responsibility for the youngest head coach of a major conference football program in the country. But Fleck — who at one point Friday declared, “I have news for everybody: Change has arrived!” — does not seem daunted by the task.
“I look at this as a culture change,” Fleck said. “In the first year … we have to dig and find what parts of the culture we need to change.”
Fleck said he met with about 25 Gophers players in person Friday, with others joining via Facebook Live.
“I promised them every single day I’m going to find a solution to make your life elite,” Fleck said, adding that a head coach’s job “has a lot more to do with people than players.”
http://www.startribune.com/mark-coy...man-to-help-change-gophers-culture/409947405/
Go Gophers!!
Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle declared he is trying to build a “culture of excellence” within an athletic program that needs more “integrity and class” earlier this week upon firing football coach Tracy Claeys.
Three days later, in the first major hire of his tenure, Coyle entrusted 36-year-old P.J. Fleck with bringing those qualities to the on-field and off-field performances of the school’s most-visible team.
Fleck hardly bears the sole responsibility for achieving those goals. But Coyle’s message in the wake of a tumultuous recent past across Gophers sports that included the suspension of 10 football players in connection to an alleged sexual assault makes it clear that Fleck and his university coaching peers will be judged on their ability to deliver in more ways than just wins and losses.
That’s a lot of responsibility for the youngest head coach of a major conference football program in the country. But Fleck — who at one point Friday declared, “I have news for everybody: Change has arrived!” — does not seem daunted by the task.
“I look at this as a culture change,” Fleck said. “In the first year … we have to dig and find what parts of the culture we need to change.”
Fleck said he met with about 25 Gophers players in person Friday, with others joining via Facebook Live.
“I promised them every single day I’m going to find a solution to make your life elite,” Fleck said, adding that a head coach’s job “has a lot more to do with people than players.”
http://www.startribune.com/mark-coy...man-to-help-change-gophers-culture/409947405/
Go Gophers!!