Keeping PJ Fleck at Minnesota

It’s admittedly kind of sad that we rain on the parade with such discussions, but Fleck leaving as soon as December is a legitimate concern and possibility. It’s the price of success.

Well this has me convinced.

Might as well make Joe Rossi interim HC right now.

Need to get a list of candidates ready. I’ll start.

Bo Pelini



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Well this has me convinced.

Might as well make Joe Rossi interim HC right now.

Need to get a list of candidates ready. I’ll start.

Bo Pelini



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Row the b---

Pet the cat!
 

Barreiro brought it up again with Mason, specifically mentioning USC. Mason said if Coyle is convinced he’s the guy, he should lock him up.

Why leave out the part where Mason said it is “too soon” to be talking about it?

The whole thing is a bit by by Dan. He wants Gopher fans to alternate between wanting their coach fired or afraid they will leave. He’s been doing this bit for over 30 years. Some people still take the bait over and over and over. It’s amazing.
 

Why leave out the part where Mason said it is “too soon” to be talking about it?

The whole thing is a bit by by Dan. He wants Gopher fans to alternate between wanting their coach fired or afraid they will leave. He’s been doing this bit for over 30 years. Some people still take the bait over and over and over. It’s amazing.

Because I went with Mason’s first answer, before Dan asked him the leading questions, which led to the “too soon” part. He was giving his own opinion on PJ, not whether he should be extended. He also said beating Penn State would elevate him substantially. Prior to Mason’s original answer, he pointed out how much turnover we’ve had, and that the top programs don’t have that problem.


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The U might have the most fatalistic fanbase in the country.

Really. I can't imagine what the MAC message boards must be like. Their coaches actually get poached after one good year, which hasn't happened in a revenue sport at the U in 34 years and counting.
 


Sports_Realist says so.


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I said nothing except Fleck is going to be on the short list for coaching gigs this December and it would not be shocking if he took one because he's young, likely has higher goals than our program can attain, is going to be at his peak value for what this job can be parlayed into, and would likely not want to get into a situation of getting stuck or limiting his own growth potential such as if he'd stayed at WMU and had then presided over the seasons Tim Lester has had since.

Maybe he will stay at the U of M because he wants to stay long term, wants to remain in the shorter term because he thinks we can go higher and can make his next job better, likes his bosses, likes his house and the area in general or doesn't think any of the gigs that will or might be open warrant taking. If you extrapolate from this that I'm saying he's for sure a goner, you're misreading things entirely. If you want to ignore the chance that Fleck might go because it isn't fun or isn't a possibility you want to examine, that's up to you.
 
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As long as PJF believes he is fairly compensated and has the support of the athletic director/administration to run his program according to his vision he will not leave Minnesota.
 



When Zimmer decides to retire or gets fired, the one place RTB would fit would be with the Vikings. No uprooting of kids or moving either.
I believe if he leaves for somewhere it will be the NFL, not another college.

Fleck is a terrible fit for the NFL.
 

You are correct. I am a fan of PJF but I can not see his style working in the NFL. It would be nice to enjoy this current success without predicting negative future outcomes.
 

likely has higher goals than our program can attain

Anything to be attained in college football can be attained here. The only place he needs to go to achieve goals that he cannot here is the NFL. If he wants to go to the NFL, more power to him.
 

Didn't PJ hire Smith?

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Yes he did. Just one example of why i never use if to explain a team being average. It is a bottom line business based on results, winning something meaningful . USC has the power to hire way up the food chain and has their sight set on that already, even without a AD. Huge Fleck supporter here but there will be no substantial raise unless he wins a minimum of 10 games and or the division. People did this regarding Pitino when he had one decent Conference season and worried that big time programs were offering, none of it was true, just a agent spreading loose talk. Has anyone looked at our actual conference record, number of top 25 wins ?
 




If he wins and leaves we will find a good coach. He came here without the facilities yet complete. Everything is in place to continue the upward movement.

I would sign him at the end of the season to a 10 year extension. He gets everything about coaching here and the advantages it can have. To recruit and possibly win 10+ games in year three is outstanding.

No chance he gets just a one year bump after this season if it continues to be best season in 60+ years.

How long did it take Michigan to find a new coach after Carr left? Michigan has bigger pockets and is the hotter girl at the bar
 

Pete Carroll.

There are some similarities. Considering that, I guess I can appreciate why so many fans of opposing teams can’t stand Fleck, because Carroll bugs the crap out of me with his jumping around on the sidelines and such.


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Schad: Are the Gophers at risk of losing P.J. Fleck?

As Minnesota enjoys its best start since the 2003 season, it also doesn't come without one looming question. With the Gophers being far from a prestigious program, it might be a matter of time before larger programs (and their gigantic checkbooks) come calling.

While the U of M has made significant additions to their facilities over the past couple of years, it begs the question of whether they can convince Fleck to stay in Minnesota for the long haul or he'll leave for greener pastures. If the past is any indicator, it's that history may not be on the Gophers side.

Throughout the years, the Gophers have had their issues having coaches stick around and although they are a Power 5 school competing for a Big Ten West division title, it may not have the same allure as a school that is not living up to its standards.

Those schools could include a program such as USC (who is currently sitting at 3-3) or a struggling program under a relatively new regime such as Florida State (8-9 under Willie Taggert), UCLA (4-14 under Chip Kelly) or Tennessee (7-11 under Jeremy Pruitt).

Such has been the tradition of successful coaches at middle-level schools in college football, once they get success at where they are at, they head to an even bigger program in hopes of stardom. Not that anyone would blame Fleck for getting a chance to coach the Trojans, Seminoles, Bruins or Volunteers, but it would leave Minnesota in a rut.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sports/can-the-gophers-keep-pj-fleck

Go Gophers!!
 

If he leaves we are starting over again.

So may as well be proactive and get the multi year extension written up.
He's a top 20 coach now and he should be paid like one.
Top 20 coaches make a minimum of $4.3 million. Seems like a good starting point.

He’s already made it clear he’ll take a pay cut to change jobs., so paying him doesn’t mean a thing. It’s true. He said that.


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It is all a matter of how he wants his legacy written and what his family wants. Money is secondary to this.

If Heather and the kids really like it here, we have a chance. The Twin Cities metro area is a great place to live IMHO.
 

It is all a matter of how he wants his legacy written and what his family wants. Money is secondary to this.

If Heather and the kids really like it here, we have a chance. The Twin Cities metro area is a great place to live IMHO.

The kids don't live with them.
 


PJ Fleck has said on multiple occasions he loves it here and wants to build Minnesota into a winning program again! Minnesota isn’t just a fly by side football program, we have history and have major upside as a program and have a lot of resources as a B1G member.

Some of those programs mentioned UCLA and Tennessee I do not see as move up jobs. Florida State has had a lot of success lately but again, Minnesota offers just as much. It’s not like Saban is gone from Bama and they come calling tomorrow for Fleck.

You can tell fleck loves it here, he wants to grow his program here, and why not he has complete control to do just that.
 

What exactly has Fleck done as far as the actual play on the field goes that he deserves an extension?

Things seem to be trending in the right direction but locking him up with a huge contract extension seems a bit premature.



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Yeah...it's not like the Gophers have won more games in a row than they have at any other time in over 70 years...or just beat Wisconsin for the first time in Madison in almost 25 years....or beat Wisconsin for the first time in 14 tries or anything like that. I don't see what the Gophers have done to deserve an extension.

Do some people really hate PJFs mannerisms and slogans that much that they can't see what is happening here? I've been around sports and have followed football my whole life. I probably watched almost every Vikings play from 1971 until 2004. I'm a school teacher, and when I first began teaching, I was asked to help coach football at our school. It wasn't until then that I began to realize how different football was from any other sport. I played football through 9th grade, but quit after that because at that time I wasn't aggressive enough and when I got the letter from the football coach I didn't want to give up my last few weeks of summer. When I coached, I coached with a guy who actually helped me become a better teacher. I don't think we lost a game in 4 years....and it had nothing to do with me. I had students who were problems in my math class, who would do anything for me on the football field. That experience made me realize though that football is unlike any other sport. It's about teamwork, sacrifice, battling with other individuals for the common good. You build a brotherhood that isn't like any other sport. That's part of what PJF is talking about when he talks about Culture. Have any of you read, "Boys in the Boat"... You don't have to like it, but it's working for him and the team.

PJF is building something special here. We have been burned before so many times that I don't think some people believe it yet.
 
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Maybe I missed the many articles about keeping Paul Chryst in Madison. Are they as neurotic about this crap as we are?
 

When we were 7-1 in Brew's 2nd season, there were folks here convinced he was out the door to Tennessee. We cannot help ourselves. Clem could have left for a better job, he didn't. Monson could have left for Washington. He didn't. Mason could have left. He didn't. Tubby could have left for a half a dozen jobs. He didn't. But one time, 35 years ago, one guy did. The only other example since is Brenda Frese. We can't get over it.
 

Extend him now!

Do you guys listen when Fleck talks. He is all in here. He always says, we need cultural sustainability. We need someone to stick here for a long period of time. Connect the past with the present. Start doing things that haven’t been done in 50 years. He is starting to do some of these things.

I will say it again. He stays here and continues to win, he becomes a legend. He goes to another helmet school he becomes just another head coach.

If you can’t see the shift in culture and program you are just a hater. Will they beat Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin this year? Maybe not, but we have to remember this is still a very young team and I still think year 4, 5 & 6 will be when this team truly takes off. Maybe more year 5 & 6 as they will be losing some big time leaders after this year. Love the excitement and how more and more people are talking Gopher football!!!


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The Billds attended the GLC Signing Day Event just after Coach Fleck was hired. Our faces hurt after smiling for an hour while listening to him. Mrs. Billd noted she did not need to do that again.

This week we watched the Nebraska post-game presser plus The PJ Fleck Show last night. Mrs. Billd acknowledged that his style and manner does not bother her as much any more. My comment was that "winning makes him easier to take."

Very small sample but I think there are probably a fair number of Mrs. Billds, where Coach has earned the benefit of the doubt...even as he's "Being PJ Fleck."
 
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Personally I’d like to see him win another big game other than vs. Wisconsin last year. Don’t give me this crap about winning 10 straight vs. a bunch of cream puffs, including their bowl victory last year. He’s beaten Wisconsin...that’s it, if we’re talking about beating a big time program who was ranked and playing well without major injuries.

If he goes out and loses to PSU, Iowa and Wisconsin, do you still feel he deserves a significant raise? Maybe you do and are happy with just being relevant. But if those 3 teams were front-loaded in our schedule and we started 0-3 and then beat those cream puffs who were mostly playing with 2nd string QB’s nobody would be talking about this team. Sorry, but that’s the truth.

Now, if PJ goes out and beats either PSU or Wisconsin...again, I’ll be impressed. And if he stays true to his word that MN was one of the schools on his short list of destination programs than I’d say let’s lock him up long term. Why not think he would be like Mark Dantonio, Pat Fitzgerald or Kirk Ferentz and hang around for a decade plus?

I like the guy and appreciate what’s he done but give me at least another big win or 2 before shelling out the long term contract.
 

There are some similarities. Considering that, I guess I can appreciate why so many fans of opposing teams can’t stand Fleck, because Carroll bugs the crap out of me with his jumping around on the sidelines and such.


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That said, Fleck is not going anywhere anytime soon. This thread is both entertaining and sad.
 

Personally I’d like to see him win another big game other than vs. Wisconsin last year. Don’t give me this crap about winning 10 straight vs. a bunch of cream puffs, including their bowl victory last year. He’s beaten Wisconsin...that’s it, if we’re talking about beating a big time program who was ranked and playing well without major injuries.

This is the BS that bugs me. If we win the next 2 games, how can you downplay a 10-game winning streak? If it were so easy, then how come only 3 out of 130 FBS teams currently have a 10-game winning streak? If they get to that 10-game winning streak the 10 wins would be against seven P5 schools. I don't care who you play, you go 7-0 against P5 schools that is very difficult. Stop downplaying this an enjoy the season.
 




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