UW's Paul Chryst, Minnesota's P.J. Fleck guide their programs with different styles

BleedGopher

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per the Journal Sentinel:

The football rivalry between Wisconsin and Minnesota, which began in 1890 and spans 126 games, is as colorful off the field as it is between the goal lines.

Minnesota fans view their rivals across the state line as arrogant. They argue UW’s run of success that began with Barry Alvarez’s arrival in 1990 is evidence of a Johnny-come-lately program that lacks the rich tradition of their program, which boasts seven national titles.

UW fans argue most of the Gophers’ national titles were won when helmets were leather and that Minnesota’s last Big Ten title came 50 years ago in 1967. They chortle because the Gophers struggle to fill TCF Bank Stadium, which has a listed capacity of 50,805, and point to UW's 13-game winning streak in the series.

The current head coaches – UW’s Paul Chryst and Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck – could not be more disparate. Their differences will be on display when the Gophers (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) host UW (11-0, 8-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Fleck was 32 when he was named head coach at Western Michigan in 2013. Before that, he was an assistant with four teams, over a span of seven years.

Chryst was an assistant with nine teams, over a span of 23 years, before he was named head coach at Pittsburgh in 2011 at age 46.

Fleck promotes Minnesota’s program with the same zeal he did in his four seasons at Western Michigan.

He sprints down the sideline, seemingly trying to outrun his players, to celebrate big plays. Celebratory hip-bumps appear mandatory. He wears hand-painted, custom shoes the day of each game and his attire appears tailored to fit his lean frame.

His press briefings are high energy and he eagerly participated in a four-part miniseries – Being P.J. Fleck – on ESPNU earlier this year.

“A lot of people talk about self-promotion or self-promoters,” said Fleck, who acknowledges his personality isn't embraced by everyone. “Isn’t every head football coach in Division I, especially in this league, a self-promoter of their program, of their culture?

“That’s what we’re paid to do. We’re the front porch of the institution. We get paid a lot of money to be the face of the program.”

https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...de-their-programs-different-styles/886896001/

Go Gophers!!
 

Maturi wanted to hire Chryst (a personal friend) but he felt it would look bad if he hired his friend. (Not sure if that was during the Brewster or Kill hire).

In any regard, I do not believe we would be achieving WI success if Chryst were here.
 

If Chryst would have taken over after Mason, he would have simply continued the power running game instead if the idiotic move to the spread. He'd have done just fine here.
 

I found the section at the end of the article to be interesting:

"Ask Fleck about his coaching roots and you’ll need to buckle up.

“I knew I wanted to be a head football coach at a very young age,” he said. “I knew that. But I knew I also had to get around some of the best head football coaches in the country. I knew I had to work my way up.

"My dad is not in the coaching profession. I don't have that luxury. I don't have any family members that were ever a coach. I don’t have all of that. My dad worked for Terminix and AT&T, and my mom is a teacher’s aide.”

That was part of a lengthy answer Fleck provided the day before Western Michigan and UW met in the 2017 Cotton Bowl. Chryst was seated next to Fleck.

Ask Chryst about his coaching roots and he’ll likely talk about learning the game at the foot of his late father, who died on Dec. 3, 1992.

The conversation will be heartfelt but brief.

“Obviously, he’s not the type of guy who’s gonna do the best interviews,” redshirt junior left tackle Michael Deiter said. “But he’s a great coach and he’s a great person. And that’s what you want.

"You’d rather have a coach like that other than someone who could sit at a podium and sound perfect.”
 

"You’d rather have a coach like that other than someone who could sit at a podium and sound perfect.”

I’d rather have both, especially when trying to promote a program, build a culture. Those two qualities don’t have to be mutually exclusive.


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I’d rather have both, especially when trying to promote a program, build a culture. Those two qualities don’t have to be mutually exclusive.


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Who's a coach who has both?

Chryst is an X's and O's football coach, Fleck is not. There are coaches that are similar to Fleck and similar to Chryst that are both good and not so good.
 

I found the section at the end of the article to be interesting:

"Ask Fleck about his coaching roots and you’ll need to buckle up.

“I knew I wanted to be a head football coach at a very young age,” he said. “I knew that. But I knew I also had to get around some of the best head football coaches in the country. I knew I had to work my way up.

"My dad is not in the coaching profession. I don't have that luxury. I don't have any family members that were ever a coach. I don’t have all of that. My dad worked for Terminix and AT&T, and my mom is a teacher’s aide.”

That was part of a lengthy answer Fleck provided the day before Western Michigan and UW met in the 2017 Cotton Bowl. Chryst was seated next to Fleck.

Ask Chryst about his coaching roots and he’ll likely talk about learning the game at the foot of his late father, who died on Dec. 3, 1992.

The conversation will be heartfelt but brief.

“Obviously, he’s not the type of guy who’s gonna do the best interviews,” redshirt junior left tackle Michael Deiter said. “But he’s a great coach and he’s a great person. And that’s what you want.

"You’d rather have a coach like that other than someone who could sit at a podium and sound perfect.”

Yeah well, find this interesting: Does your coach have a crack on/in his shoulder? I think not!
One more thing: you're lucky Ruppert isn't here!
 

Yeah well, find this interesting: Does your coach have a crack on/in his shoulder? I think not!
One more thing: you're lucky Ruppert isn't here!

I laughed out loud after reading that. There’s been alleged Ruppert sightings on the badger board this week. Alas, investigators believe someone hacked his account (but managed to garble the English language with the same recklessness as the original Ruppert).
 

Who's a coach who has both?

Chryst is an X's and O's football coach, Fleck is not. There are coaches that are similar to Fleck and similar to Chryst that are both good and not so good.

Who said anything about X’s and O’s? I didn’t, the quoted didn’t. You can be a good coach and not be an X’s and O’s guy, sure. And vice versa, but again thats not what was quoted by NBbucky.

The quoted sounded like a jab at the gophers coach and since this a gopher football forum I thought I’d reply. Pretty simple.


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Who said anything about X’s and O’s? I didn’t, the quoted didn’t. You can be a good coach and not be an X’s and O’s guy, sure. And vice versa, but again thats not what was quoted by NBbucky.

The quoted sounded like a jab at the gophers coach and since this a gopher football forum I thought I’d reply. Pretty simple.


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I agree that quote was a jab at Fleck. I asked the question since you made the comment, wanting to know who you thought had both.

The x's and o's statement was not related, just my thought on the difference between Fleck and Chryst.
 

You look around the leagues, sometime it seems to be advantageous to have a father in the same profession. Learning from a young age, mentorship, etc.

Belichick, Harbaugh, Gruden, are just a few names that pop into my head. All had dads that were either scouts, director of personnel, or coaches. Belichick' dad literally wrote the book on scouting players. Kiffin obviously....

It's also clear one doesn't need to have that bloodline to be successful in any given field but IMO definitely gives a leg up.
 

The article, summarized: Fleck is the Anti-Chryst.
 

Biggest problem with the article?

Minnesota fans view their rivals across the state line as arrogant. They argue UW’s run of success that began with Barry Alvarez’s arrival in 1990 is evidence of a Johnny-come-lately program that lacks the rich tradition of their program, which boasts seven national titles."

It's the ones with drinking problems that are hated. As for the rest, it's factually wrong.

We've been told many times on here and sometimes in the stadium(s). Badger Fans certainly do not date their history back to 1990.

They use 1993.
 



So, the gist of this article is what? They are different people? No kidding. I’ve been critical of PJ as it seems like there is a lot of BS there, but, he’s in the first year at a program that has had numerous “issues” compared to where WI has been for 25 years. It’s utterly apples and oranges as to how a person would have to approach each situation. I’m dubious of the PJ approach, but guessing he’s trying things he thinks needs to happen here that would not be if he inherited an established program like WI. All WI had to do is maintain - PJ has to overhaul and overcome a LOT. He’s probably overdoing it - but, he’s 36, in his first year, and should get four years to give it a go. It’s two different people with two radically different scenarios on their hands. Chryst woukd struggle here too, regardless of his “approach”.
 

Maturi wanted to hire Chryst (a personal friend) but he felt it would look bad if he hired his friend. (Not sure if that was during the Brewster or Kill hire).

In any regard, I do not believe we would be achieving WI success if Chryst were here.

I think it was down to Chryst and Kill when the Kill hire was made. The reason given for the decision at the time is that the administration insisted on hiring someone with head coaching experience.
 

In my heart of hearts .... I'd rather have a head coach that leaves the motivation, cheerleading, "do the right thing", "be a good person", up to the players themselves, and just sticks to business.

That's my taste. That's what I prefer.


But if Fleck's way of doing things wins games ... fine.
 

I agree that quote was a jab at Fleck. I asked the question since you made the comment, wanting to know who you thought had both.

The x's and o's statement was not related, just my thought on the difference between Fleck and Chryst.

I gotchya, and I agree that the two coaches strengths are probably different.

I don’t quite understand a coach who’s “not an X’s and O’s guy”.All HC’s at some point or another had to be right, since they were position coaches and/or coordinators before? I think Fleck knows his X’s and O’s, but he probably leaves that to his coordinators for the most part. I know Chryst is not the rah rah type, but I don’t know that that makes him a big X’s and O’s, cerebral guy either.


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Fleck played WR in the NFL. He has forgotten more route patterns and defensive coverage schemes, than we know.

He might not have the most intimate knowledge of interior offensive and defensive linemen techniques ... but he doesn't exactly need to know those things now. He has position coaches for that. And he has coordinators to create the game plans and call the plays.

His job is to more or less just be responsible for what happens with everything beneath him, chum it up with donors, give the talks, etc. I'm sure he still has ideas about offense and defense, still watches game film, still has a bit of input on the schemes ... but guessing, hoping, he largely delegates the bulk of it.
 

I gotchya, and I agree that the two coaches strengths are probably different.

I don’t quite understand a coach who’s “not an X’s and O’s guy”.All HC’s at some point or another had to be right, since they were position coaches and/or coordinators before? I think Fleck knows his X’s and O’s, but he probably leaves that to his coordinators for the most part. I know Chryst is not the rah rah type, but I don’t know that that makes him a big X’s and O’s, cerebral guy either.


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Not really. He's been a receivers coach and a head coach. As the HC he has said he leaves the x's and o's to his coordinators. As a receivers coach he really only had to worry about technique for the WR.
 

I gotchya, and I agree that the two coaches strengths are probably different.

I don’t quite understand a coach who’s “not an X’s and O’s guy”.All HC’s at some point or another had to be right, since they were position coaches and/or coordinators before? I think Fleck knows his X’s and O’s, but he probably leaves that to his coordinators for the most part. I know Chryst is not the rah rah type, but I don’t know that that makes him a big X’s and O’s, cerebral guy either.


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Fleck has said as much...that he's not an X's and O's guy. Recruiter and motivator. Leaves the X/O stuff to assistants. Chryst is your prototypical X's and O's HC.

http://chippewa.com/chryst-implemen...cle_61c8231d-297e-511d-bb08-6024de3b309d.html
 

Not really. He's been a receivers coach and a head coach. As the HC he has said he leaves the x's and o's to his coordinators. As a receivers coach he really only had to worry about technique for the WR.

I get it, I guess my point is that he’s a knowledgable coach, if for no other reason than he played college ball, than pro ball, than was a WR coach for a while. I guess he never was coordinator? Fair enough.


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I get it, I guess my point is that he’s a knowledgable coach, if for no other reason than he played college ball, than pro ball, than was a WR coach for a while. I guess he never was coordinator? Fair enough.

Correct. Fleck was a WR coach from 2007-2012 with N Illinois, Rutgers, and Tampa Bay Bucs. Then went directly to HC at W Michigan.


Similar career path? Urban Meyer.

He was WR coach from 1990-2000 at Colo St and Notre Dame, then went directly to HC at Bowling Green.
 

Maturi wanted to hire Chryst (a personal friend) but he felt it would look bad if he hired his friend. (Not sure if that was during the Brewster or Kill hire).

In any regard, I do not believe we would be achieving WI success if Chryst were here.
He did a lot of things that looked bad, why should it stop him from hiring a good football coach?
 

Correct. Fleck was a WR coach from 2007-2012 with N Illinois, Rutgers, and Tampa Bay Bucs. Then went directly to HC at W Michigan.


Similar career path? Urban Meyer.

He was WR coach from 1990-2000 at Colo St and Notre Dame, then went directly to HC at Bowling Green.

Technically not correct. Fleck was OC at NIU. He was OC for one day. Then he resigned to go to the Bucs.
 

I gotchya, and I agree that the two coaches strengths are probably different.

I don’t quite understand a coach who’s “not an X’s and O’s guy”.All HC’s at some point or another had to be right, since they were position coaches and/or coordinators before? I think Fleck knows his X’s and O’s, but he probably leaves that to his coordinators for the most part. I know Chryst is not the rah rah type, but I don’t know that that makes him a big X’s and O’s, cerebral guy either.


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Chryst was a very highly thought of OC, not just at UW, but also Oregon State, so he definitely did have the offensive X&O bona fides. It was his mild-mannered personality that probably made ADs a little nervous about whether he could handle the PR part of the job (including Alvarez). He probably dodged a bullet by not getting the MN job - it would have been unlikely for him to ultimately go to UW if he had been here instead of Pitt.
 

Chryst was a very highly thought of OC, not just at UW, but also Oregon State, so he definitely did have the offensive X&O bona fides. It was his mild-mannered personality that probably made ADs a little nervous about whether he could handle the PR part of the job (including Alvarez). He probably dodged a bullet by not getting the MN job - it would have been unlikely for him to ultimately go to UW if he had been here instead of Pitt.

Not just that, but don’t you think it would probably be harder for a guy like Chryst to come in and be successful with Minnesota because of his quiet nature? Wisconsin is established enough to where he doesn’t necessarily have to do a lot more than X and Os. Minnesota is still trying to build. I think we need a guy like Fleck right now in our program. Personally I’m happy with who we have as HC, where we are at right now as a program I’d rather have PJ.


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Not just that, but don’t you think it would probably be harder for a guy like Chryst to come in and be successful with Minnesota because of his quiet nature? Wisconsin is established enough to where he doesn’t necessarily have to do a lot more than X and Os. Minnesota is still trying to build. I think we need a guy like Fleck right now in our program. Personally I’m happy with who we have as HC, where we are at right now as a program I’d rather have PJ.


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I think Chryst is a great coach for Wisconsin.
I don't think he would have had success here.

I like the coach we have.
 

Not just that, but don’t you think it would probably be harder for a guy like Chryst to come in and be successful with Minnesota because of his quiet nature? Wisconsin is established enough to where he doesn’t necessarily have to do a lot more than X and Os. Minnesota is still trying to build. I think we need a guy like Fleck right now in our program. Personally I’m happy with who we have as HC, where we are at right now as a program I’d rather have PJ.


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Ultimately, winning and ability to develop guys for the NFL is what drives recruiting. If PJ can win then he'll have a leg up on the more dour/quiet guys. Maybe we can build a list of long-time winning head coaches that fit the classic extrovert description or the prickly introvert strategist type. Then there are a bunch that fall in between.
 


Correct. Fleck was a WR coach from 2007-2012 with N Illinois, Rutgers, and Tampa Bay Bucs. Then went directly to HC at W Michigan.


Similar career path? Urban Meyer.

He was WR coach from 1990-2000 at Colo St and Notre Dame, then went directly to HC at Bowling Green.

That worked out pretty well for Utah. If Fleck ends up with similar success and decides to leave for a better program, I could live with the type of success Utah has enjoyed since Urban left there.
 




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