It doesn't seem like PJ is going to get divorced again. Not sure why you'd even suggest such a thing.
And you should stay for the second half of badger games...
It doesn't seem like PJ is going to get divorced again. Not sure why you'd even suggest such a thing.
I listened to Fleck's portion of the press conference.
Bullet points:
It's all on me. I make all the decisions.
team is young. youngest team in America. can't get FR to play like SR's.
lack of depth in secondary, so can't play certain defenses. Nebraska set up their offense to isolate vulnerable players on Gopher defense.
Defensive problems not with scheme, but with execution. players didn't hold the edge, and when they were in position, they missed tackles.
I'm rebuilding the team the way I know how. Said we were going to get younger.
team has lost best 2 players on offense and best 2 players on defense to injuries. every time a player gets injured, have to play another FR.
youngest team in America. (again) playing 5 FR on defense, 7 on offense.
have 100% faith in coaches.
those are some of the main points.
I’ll be honest, I usually don’t listen to his press conferences because of his use of cliche, and mantra is so over the top I end up tuning him out.
But I watched this one all the way through.
What he said wasn’t important to my take away. I expect him to say he has 100% confidence in his coaching staff and stuff like that.
His body language tells a different story. He was thoroughly dejected as he searched for answers he doesn’t have in his intro.
His growing frustration with the Minnesota press was evident as he became more defiant as the questions went on, but he still looked lost and unsure of himself except for key moments where he was positive he still has all the answers and his patter is rote:
We’re young.
Takes time.
Poor execution due to freshman mistakes.
He leaves a lot out, but none of the answers matter. I want to see the results i want to see the results of what he changes. This year is lost, although I don’t think he threw this one away like he did last year.
We’ll see if this gets any better, but if he’s going to blindly hang on to what worked at western Michigan, he’s not giving himself a chance and without some gunner of hope. Some idea of where we’re headed. The MN sports press is going to make his life miserable, exhibit “A” Chip’s article today which reflects a reaction to Fleck’s response to him last night.
We’re in trouble. We may come out of it but to do that you need calm and clear leadership from someone willing to examine everything unless and until this improves. I don’t expect us to run the table, but I do expect signs of a direction to be evident half way through your second conference season. Every new coach has shown that. I’m concerned more than ever that we’re seeing the direction. I hope I’m wrong.
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Stop hiring snake oil salesmen. 2 of the last 3 permanent hires now
Dan Barreiro has been taking his lazy approach to ripping the Gophers today on his morning show.
He was discussing how PJ made the choice to go young but that the defense isn't even that young, yet it's horrible.
He seemed to argue that PJ was playing young people in key positions because PJ wants to, as if he's passing on some really talented Juniors and Seniors that Fleck said "no thanks" to.
A little bit later he couldn't recall who the coach was after Kill... "the coordinator guy who took over for a year and was let go".
It never seemed to occur to him that the Juniors and Seniors for the program might not be here because they were never recruited or transferred out before Fleck arrived.
Good post.
Plenty of fans don’t like the decision Fleck made to go into a total rebuild mode. Some have decided 19 games into it that it’s over.
Fleck made the decision to go this route and as has been pointed out he’ll have his chance to see it through.
Whether it will work or not IMO can’t be determined after 19 games.
Agreed. Fleck and Coyle are tied at the hip. As Fleck goes, so goes Coyle. If it ever got to the point where PJ needed to be fired, Coyle would be gone too.
How was total rebuild mode his choice?
+1How was total rebuild mode his choice? Did he kick the secondary players out of school? Did he run Rhoda out of here? Should he have found some secret way to get Leidner another year of eligibility? Handy-Holly and Croft both wanted to leave rather than accept discipline for their mistakes. I'm sure they'd be great for the character of this team.
Players left with the coaching change. Even if they brought Urban Meyer or Nick Saban in, players would have transferred. Look at what was left - what was left was a total rebuild because there was so little left.
Additionally, as tired as people get of hearing this team is young, I get tired of the "9 win season" crap. They beat zero ranked teams, won zero trophies and beat one team they weren't favored to beat. Most of the teams were absolute garbage. That same team is lucky to get to a Bowl last year. No way they would have repeated even if it was possible.
Absolutely disagree. Whether Fleck works out or not does not reflect on whether Coyle made a good hire based on the information he had. No AD can predict whether any coach will work in their circumstances. Fleck was one of the top "hot" coaches in the country. Regardless of whether you thought he was the right pick or not, he checked nearly all of boxes on the "things we want out of our next coach" list. There is no guarantee Les Miles or whoever else would be doing any better right now.
Besides, if Maturi didn't get fired over the Brewster fiasco, where Brew was a much bigger risk for no good reason compared to other people interested in the job, no way Coyle gets fired for hiring a coach that made a New Year's Six Bowl (or whatever they're called).
How was "bringing in JUCOs" a viable option? How many were available in the 20 or so days prior to NSD after Fleck was hired? How many JUCOs are dominating the college football landscape?I think what people are getting at with Fleck's choice to rebuild:
he had other options. he could have brought in a lot of Juco's to fill gaps in the lineup, to protect the FR who aren't ready to play. He could have tried to bring in some grad transfers. He did not take that route. And he said publicly he did not want to take that route. he chose to go young. that is a choice. so, to say he had no choice is a bit disingenuous.
And who knows - if Fleck would have brought in a bunch of Juco's, the team could be in the exact same shape they're in now. But we don't know, because he didn't choose to go that route.
Just like we don't know what might have happened in year 2 or 3 of a Claeys regime. Maybe Claeys would have struggled with recruiting, and the team would have struggled. or maybe Claeys would have recruited kids who fit his system, and they would have continued to play decent, if not great, football.
we'll never know. so you can't say "the team would have gone downhill under Claeys," because there is no way to prove or disprove that statement. it's meaningless. it's like saying the country would have been better off if Clinton had been elected President. there's no way to prove or disprove that statement, either.
Additionally, as tired as people get of hearing this team is young, I get tired of the "9 win season" crap. They beat zero ranked teams, won zero trophies and beat one team they weren't favored to beat. Most of the teams were absolute garbage. That same team is lucky to get to a Bowl last year. No way they would have repeated even if it was possible.
And yet, that dogsh1t 2016 team beat 4 bowl teams in one season (CSU, Maryland, Northwestern, and WSU). How many bowl teams has Fleck beaten in 1.5 years? He beat MTSU last year and Fresno St. this year. It's not looking too optimistic to beat any of the remaining potential bowl teams on our schedule - maybe Indiana. The last time I checked, beating 4 bowl teams in one season is better than beating 2 or 3 bowl teams in two seasons.
Also, the point seems to elude you that "beat one team they weren't favored to beat" (which is factually wrong, btw) while winning 9 games means that we were favored in many games. How many games have we even been favored in during the Fleck era? How many times have we won as the underdog? We'll have lots of opportunities to "beat teams we weren't favored to beat," given that we were (embarrassingly) an underdog to an 0-6 team and (perhaps even more embarrassingly) home underdogs to freakin' Indiana.
Some of the same posters who denigrate the 9-4 season will be ready to release ceremonial doves if and when Fleck gets us there, without regard to number of wins over ranked opponents or in trophy games. It is amazing how the same people can see 9-4 both as a symbol of mediocrity for Claeys and an unreasonably optimistic goal for Fleck.
And yet, that dogsh1t 2016 team beat 4 bowl teams in one season (CSU, Maryland, Northwestern, and WSU). How many bowl teams has Fleck beaten in 1.5 years? He beat MTSU last year and Fresno St. this year. It's not looking too optimistic to beat any of the remaining potential bowl teams on our schedule - maybe Indiana. The last time I checked, beating 4 bowl teams in one season is better than beating 2 or 3 bowl teams in two seasons.
Also, the point seems to elude you that "beat one team they weren't favored to beat" (which is factually wrong, btw) while winning 9 games means that we were favored in many games. How many games have we even been favored in during the Fleck era? How many times have we won as the underdog? We'll have lots of opportunities to "beat teams we weren't favored to beat," given that we were (embarrassingly) an underdog to an 0-6 team and (perhaps even more embarrassingly) home underdogs to freakin' Indiana.
Some of the same posters who denigrate the 9-4 season will be ready to release ceremonial doves if and when Fleck gets us there, without regard to number of wins over ranked opponents or in trophy games. It is amazing how the same people can see 9-4 both as a symbol of mediocrity for Claeys and an unreasonably optimistic goal for Fleck.
It really is amazing. The 2019 season is close to as soft as a Big Ten schedule can get - no Ohio St., Michigan, or Michigan St. The only way it could possibly be easier is if we swapped out Penn St. for Indiana. And yet, even with this Charmin schedule, many posters here will be calling for a lifetime contract extension for Fleck if he goes 9-4 while losing to wisconsin and Iowa - book it. But the double standard is ok, though, because Fleck is thin, good-looking, charismatic, and well-spoken.
Fleck has said numerous times, including this weekend that it was his choice to rebuild the program.
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It really is amazing. The 2019 season is close to as soft as a Big Ten schedule can get - no Ohio St., Michigan, or Michigan St. The only way it could possibly be easier is if we swapped out Penn St. for Indiana. And yet, even with this Charmin schedule, many posters here will be calling for a lifetime contract extension for Fleck if he goes 9-4 while losing to wisconsin and Iowa - book it. But the double standard is ok, though, because Fleck is thin, good-looking, charismatic, and well-spoken.
I have a nice flock of doves (and some pigeons on contract) just for this event.
Here is our 2016 season from which Claeys was removed as Head Coach at the end of the season.
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance
September 1 8:00 PM Oregon State* W 30–23 44,582
September 10 11:00 AM Indiana State* W 58–28 41,026
September 24 11:00 AM Colorado State* W 31–24 44,854
October 1 2:30 PM at Penn State L 26–29 OT 95,332
October 8 11:00 AM Iowa L 7–14 49,145
October 15 11:00 AM at Maryland W 31–10 41,465
October 22 11:00 AM Rutgers W 34–32 46,096
October 29 11:00 AM at Illinois W 40–17 40,090
November 5 2:30 PM Purdue W 44–31 42,832
November 12 6:30 PM at No. 21 Nebraska L 17–24 90,456
November 19 2:30 PM Northwestern W 29–12 38,162
November 26 2:30 PM at No. 5 Wisconsin L 17–31 77,216
December 27 6:00 PM vs. Washington State* W 17–12 48,704
Four BigTen losses by a total of 31 points...only one by double figures. Boy do I miss the days where I actually believed we had a chance against anyone.
I just can’t take the endless mediocrity any longer. If there was a glimmer of hope that they were about to turn the corner I’d be ok, but 32 years into this crap as a fan of Gopher football it’s just the same old song that will seemingly never change.
We held the lead or were tied in the 4th quarter of every single game.
How was total rebuild mode his choice? Did he kick the secondary players out of school? Did he run Rhoda out of here? Should he have found some secret way to get Leidner another year of eligibility? Handy-Holly and Croft both wanted to leave rather than accept discipline for their mistakes. I'm sure they'd be great for the character of this team.
Players left with the coaching change. Even if they brought Urban Meyer or Nick Saban in, players would have transferred. Look at what was left - what was left was a total rebuild because there was so little left.
Additionally, as tired as people get of hearing this team is young, I get tired of the "9 win season" crap. They beat zero ranked teams, won zero trophies and beat one team they weren't favored to beat. Most of the teams were absolute garbage. That same team is lucky to get to a Bowl last year. No way they would have repeated even if it was possible.
Absolutely disagree. Whether Fleck works out or not does not reflect on whether Coyle made a good hire based on the information he had. No AD can predict whether any coach will work in their circumstances. Fleck was one of the top "hot" coaches in the country. Regardless of whether you thought he was the right pick or not, he checked nearly all of boxes on the "things we want out of our next coach" list. There is no guarantee Les Miles or whoever else would be doing any better right now.
Besides, if Maturi didn't get fired over the Brewster fiasco, where Brew was a much bigger risk for no good reason compared to other people interested in the job, no way Coyle gets fired for hiring a coach that made a New Year's Six Bowl (or whatever they're called).
Agreed 100%! This all crack me up from the mob.
So mob tell us what QB Cleays had that should be starting today?
Which WR Cleays had recruited that should be starting or how about TE?
What about Cleays forgetting to recruit lineman that we had to practice all spring with 4? Which one should be starting?
Oh on defense I can’t believe Murray and Travis didn’t come back from the NFL to play for PJ oh that’s right they graduated. Which DBs should be starting that would be juniors now Cleays recruited? These are all simple questions the mob should be able to answer?
If this is still happening in the 3rd or 4th year of Fleck's program, then yeah, he sucks and the Kill/Claeys regime will have been proven far better and more successful. Until then, I'd probably stop with the comparisons. We were all fans in 2014 and 2016...we remember...I was at the Citrus Bowl and it was really fun. I hope to get back there and beyond. I wanted it to be quickly. That isn't going to happen, but it doesn't mean it won't happen ever.
Well, it's not all on Claeys. Fleck did bring in some guys, including JUCOs, who he hoped would be helping right now but aren't. We didn't need a QB from Claeys -- Fleck went out and got a JUCO QB last winter. He lasted three months at the U and is now playing linebacker elsewhere. Fleck recruited two JUCOs for the offensive line, neither of whom are contributing. He had two highly regarded freshmen DBs in his first recruiting class, one of whom played extensively last year, and both are gone. Royal Silver is a JUCO who is contributing, and O.J. Smith (good) and Chris Williamson (meh, but not often healthy, either) are older SEC transfers Fleck brought in for depth.
The line that Fleck didn't try to add depth with JUCOs and transfers is a myth. We tend to forget this because some are invisible. He brought in a number of guys who lack talent or were poor fits culturally. This happens in every program, and it has happened here with Fleck. He owns some of this.
While the 9 win season was nice (and certainly preferable to what we’ve been subjected to watch this season) the goal isn’t to win 9 games. It’s to win the West and get to the Rose Bowl. Without being able to know definitively, I believe Coyle was correct in deciding that Claeys, despite his ability as a D-coordinator, wasn’t going to get us there as a Head Coach......
So, we go out and hire a coach who has proven he can recruit and field a competent passing offense (the two components lacking from the K/C era). Although not perfect by any stretch, I think it’s pretty clear Fleck and Kirk are moving the offense in the right direction.......
What makes this year so aggravating for me is that it’s clear that Fleck absolutely whiffed on choosing a D-Coordinator.