P.J. Fleck Strongly Praises His Coaching Role Model Pat Fitzgerald

per Banks:

Other than himself, obviously, there is probably one specific individual that Minnesota mentor P.J. Fleck would have win the Big Ten Coach of the Year award.

That would be the reigning the B1GCOY, Fleck’s head coaching mentor, Northwestern head man Pat Fitzgerald. Back when Fleck was just starting out in his coaching career, working as an assistant at his alma mater, Northern Illinois, he called up all the coaches in his contacts and offered to take them out to lunch and talk shop. The aim was to pick their brains and get some pro tips about how to move up the ladder.

One, yes, just one took him up on that offer and that was Fitzgerald.

“He’s a trail blazer,” Fleck said of Fitz at Media Day.

“Somebody to have that kind of job security at your alma mater in your hometown? that’s unheard of in this profession. A lot of people would rest on their laurels because it is their alma mater not Pat. He’s changed Northwestern forever, it’s a football powerhouse, as well as an academic powerhouse.”

https://www.thesportsbank.net/colle...aises-his-coaching-role-model-pat-fitzgerald/

Go Gophers!!

Fitzgerald is the real deal.

Fitz has long been my favorite non-gopher coach. How fortunate for them. They had that breakout magical season back in the 90's and it continues to pay off for them to this day, as the most visible representative of that breakout team has come back to coach his alma mater, very likely for a long, long time. Other similar skilled coaches would have used the Northwestern job as a stepping stone by now but for him it is his career job. All the kinds of things I admire. Great coach, there to stay.