By Stretch Jenkinson
P.J. Fleck Minnesota FTB coach On the 2023 Golden Gophers Team 7 2023.mp3
THE PJ FLECK FILE
NOTABLE:
– Seventh year as head coach at Minnesota (11th year overall as head coach)
– Has a 44-27 record at Minnesota and 74-49 overall
– 2019 Big Ten Coach of the Year, 2019 Dodd Trophy Finalist, 2019 Bear Bryant Award Finalist and 2019 AFCA National Coach of the Year Finalist
– 2x AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year (2016, ’19), George Munger Award Finalist (2016, ’19), Eddie Robinson Award Finalist (2016, ’19) and MAC Coach of the Year (2014, ’16)
– Seven bowl game appearances as head coach and a 4-0 record in bowl games at Minnesota
– Coached 20 NFL Draft Picks, including 12 at Minnesota
– At Minnesota, has coached five All-Americans, nine Academic All-Americans, 76 All-Big Ten honorees (eight First-Teamers) and 327 Academic All-Big Ten performers
P.J. Fleck was named head football coach at Minnesota on January 6, 2017. Fleck, 42, is the 30th head coach in the program’s history. He has a career record of 74-49 and is 44-27 at Minnesota.
In six years, Fleck has established himself as one of the most successful coaches ever to lead the Minnesota program. Fleck is already fifth in program history in overall wins (44) and sixth in Big Ten wins (26) and games coached (71). Fleck’s .619 win percentage is third best among the 11 Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ‘45-50).
Fleck and Williams are the only two Gopher coaches to record nine or more wins in a season three times, as Minnesota posted 11 wins in 2019 and nine in 2021 and 2022 under Fleck (Williams posted at least nine wins in six straight seasons from 1900-1905).
The 11 wins in 2019 were the most for a Minnesota team since 1904 when that year’s team went 13-0 under Williams. Fleck is 4-0 in bowl games, and his four bowl wins are the most in school history by a coach (Glen Mason was 3-4 in bowl games at Minnesota).
Fleck guided the Gophers to a 6-3 Big Ten record in 2021 and a 7-2 mark in 2019, making him the first Minnesota coach since Murray Warmath (1960, 1961 and 1967; six wins each) to win at least six conference games more than once.
At Minnesota, Fleck has coached five All-Americans (Antoine Winfield Jr., Rashod Bateman, John Michael Schmitz and Mohamed Ibrahim twice), nine Academic All-Americans (Blaise Andries three times, Sam Renner twice, John Michael Schmitz, Jack Gibbens, Payton Jordahl and Gary Moore) and 327 Academic All-Big Ten performers. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2019, paced Minnesota to two top-10 wins (Penn State and Auburn) in the same season since 1956 and led Minnesota to its first New Year’s Day bowl win (2020 Outback Bowl against Auburn) since 1962. He has also had 12 players selected in the NFL Draft while at Minnesota.
The 2022 season saw Minnesota once against post nine wins as the Gophers went 9-4 overall, which included a bowl win against Syracuse and a road win at rival Wisconsin. Minnesota, which went 5-2 at home, 3-2 on the road and 1-0 in neutral site games, was paced by a stout, family-room defense and a bruising offense that featured two All-Americans.
Minnesota ended the season ranked No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense (13.85), No. 5 in third-down conversion defense (.279) and No. 9 in the nation in total defense (295.1 yards per game).
The 13.85 points allowed per game were the fewest that Minnesota has permitted since 1967 when it allowed 10.6 points per game during the 10-game season. Minnesota posted two shutouts during the season (38-0 against New Mexico State and 31-0 against Rutgers), which is had not done since 2006 and the Gophers were the only team in the nation to shutout two FBS teams in 2022 (Alabama, Georgia and Kansas State each had two shutouts, but one each came against an FCS foe)
First-Team All-American center John Michael Schmitz and Second-Team All-American running back Mohamed Ibrahim paced the Gopher offense, which ranked No. 17 in the nation with 207.3 rushing yards per game. With Schmitz anchoring an offensive line that featured four new starters, Ibrahim set single season records in rushing attempts (320), rushing yards (1,665), rushing touchdowns (20), total touchdowns (20), total points (120) and 100-yard rushing games (10).
The 2022 season also saw three Gophers named either a semifinalist, finalist or winner of a national award. Ibrahim was named Comeback Player of the Year and was also a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. Schmitz was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy and was also a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award. Quarterback Tanner Morgan was a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.
In 2021, Fleck also became a Wall Street Journal best-selling author when his Row The Boat book, which was co-authored with Jon Gordon, peaked at No. 2 on the list in June.
On the field in 2021, Fleck led Minnesota to a 9-4 record and a second place finish in the Big Ten West division with a 6-3 mark. The Gophers beat Wisconsin for the first time at home since 2003 to reclaim Paul Bunyan’s Axe and picked up a postseason win against West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Minnesota’s dominant defense and offensive depth were the stories of the season, as the Gophers won their final three games of the year for the first time since 1973.
The Gophers ended the season with the nation’s No. 3 total defense (278.8 yards per game) and the nation’s No. 6 scoring defense (17.3 points per game). Minnesota also ended the year ranked fourth in first downs defense (202), eighth in rushing defense (97.5) and eighth in passing yards allowed (181.2). Minnesota held eight opponents to 14 points or less and recorded its first shutout (30-0 road win at Colorado) since 2006 (62-0 against Temple) and its first road shutout of a Power 5 opponent since 1977 (21-0 at Illinois).
On offense, the Gophers boasted the most experienced offensive line in the nation and were a force rushing the ball, despite losing All-American Ibrahim in the first game of the season and playing much of the season without five scholarship running backs. Still, the Gophers were the only team in the nation to have five different running backs all record at least one 100-yard rushing game. In total, Minnesota rushed for 2,575 yards and 27 touchdowns and passed for 2,106 yards and 12 scores.
In 2020, Fleck guided the Gophers to a 3-4 record as Minnesota played an all-Big Ten schedule in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Gophers posted wins road wins at Nebraska and Illinois and beat Purdue at home. They suffered overtime setbacks at Maryland and at Wisconsin. The season was highlighted by Big Ten Running Back of the Year Ibrahim, who set school records in season rushing yards per game (153.7) and touchdowns in consecutive games (8). He tied school records in most rushing touchdowns in a game (4), most rushing touchdowns in a first half (4), most rushing touchdowns in one half (4) and consecutive 200-yard rushing games (2).
Ibrahim, who was named Third-Team All-America, rushed 201 times for 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns (most ever for a junior at Minnesota) in the abbreviated and unusual season. He led Big Ten in the following categories: rushing attempts (201), rushing yards (1,076), rushing yards per game (153.7), rushing touchdowns (15), scoring (90), points per game (12.9) and all-purpose yards per game (168.4).
In 2019, Fleck led Minnesota to historic heights as the Gophers won 11 games for the first time since 1904. Minnesota also won seven Big Ten games for the first time in school history, beat two top-10 teams, won a Jan. 1 bowl game and ended the season ranked No. 10.
Fleck was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by his fellow conference head coaches and was named AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year. He was also named a finalist for the George Munger Award, Dodd Trophy, Eddie Robinson Award, Bear Bryant Award and AFCA National Coach of the Year.
Minnesota won four Big Ten games by at least 20 points for the first time since 1934 and beat No. 5 Penn State at home and No. 9 Auburn in the Outback Bowl. That was the first time that Minnesota beat two top 10 teams in the same season since 1956. It was also the first time that Minnesota won a Jan. 1 bowl game since 1962.
The Penn State win was Minnesota’s first win against a top-five team since it beat No. 2 Penn State on the road in 1999. It was Minnesota’s first home win against a top-five team since it beat No. 1 Michigan 16-0 in 1977. The Outback Bowl victory against Auburn was Minnesota’s best ranked nonconference win in school history.
The Gophers ascended to No. 7 in the AP Poll, which was the team’s highest ranking since it was No. 5 on Nov. 19, 1962. Minnesota was also ranked No. 8 in the College Football Playoffs, which is its highest CFP ranking in school history. The Gophers ended the year ranked No. 10, which was their best ranking to end a season since 1962.
Minnesota averaged 34.1 points per game, which was the third most in school history, while the defense allowed only 306.6 yards per game.
On offense, Minnesota was led by quarterback Tanner Morgan (All-Big Ten Second Team), running back Rodney Smith (All-Big Ten Second Team) and receivers Tyler Johnson (All-Big Ten First Team) and Rashod Bateman (All-Big Ten First Team). Johnson and Bateman became the first teammates ever to both be named All-Big Ten First Team wide receivers.
Morgan set a slew of single-season school records, including passing yards, passing touchdowns and consecutive games with a touchdown. Smith rushed for more than 1,000 yards and became Minnesota’s career leader in all-purpose yards. Johnson set single-season school records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and left Dinkytown as the school’s career record holder in receiving yards and touchdowns. Bateman was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year and was one of 12 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award as he set program records for a sophomore in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Minnesota’s defense was anchored by Antoine Winfield Jr. (All-Big Ten First Team) and Carter Coughlin (All-Big Ten Second Team). Winfield was named the program’s seventh Unanimous All-American and was one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is presented to the best defensive player in the nation. He led Minnesota in tackles and tied a school modern-era record with seven interceptions. Coughlin ended his career as one of the best to ever wear the Maroon and Gold, and he ranks third all-time in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss.
In 2018, Fleck led Minnesota to a 7-6 record and regular-season wins against Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Fresno State, Miami (Ohio) and New Mexico State. The Gophers beat Georgia Tech 34-10 in the Quick Lane Bowl and the 24-point margin of victory was the largest bowl win in school history.
Minnesota also made history when it won the final game of the regular season (Wisconsin) and its bowl game (Georgia Tech), as that was the first time ever that the Gophers won the final game of the season and a bowl game.
Under Fleck, a young Minnesota team beat rival Wisconsin for the first time since 2003 and for the first time on the road since 1994 to claim Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Gophers also downed Purdue’s potent offense, as they held the Boilers to a season low in points (10) and yards (233). Minnesota also beat Fresno State, which finished the season ranked No. 18, to give the Bulldogs one of their two defeats om the season. The win against Fresno State also marked the first time that Minnesota beat a team ranked in the final AP poll since 1999.
The Gophers had 112 players on the roster and 58 (51.7%) were freshmen, which was the most in the nation in 2018. The Gophers had 78 underclassmen (69.6%), which ranked tenth in college football.
Fleck played two freshmen quarterbacks (Zack Annexstad, Tanner Morgan) and both threw for more than 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. Minnesota’s two leading rushers (Mohamed Ibrahim, Bryce Williams) were both freshmen and three of Minnesota top-four receivers (Rashod Bateman, Chris Autman-Bell, Demetrius Douglas) were freshmen. On defense, freshman Terell Smith led Minnesota with eight pass breakups.
Minnesota set a program record as eight Gophers were named Big Ten Player of the Week (record was tied in 2019), and Tyler Johnson became the first Minnesota receiver ever to record 78 catches, 1,169 yards (single season school record) and 12 (single season school record) touchdowns in a season.
In 2017, Fleck led a young and inexperienced Gopher squad, as 49 of Minnesota’s 110 players (44.5%) were freshmen or redshirt freshmen and 76 (69%) were underclassmen. Fleck guided Minnesota to a 5-7 record and those five wins were the most by a first-year Gopher head coach new to the program since the legendary Murray Warmath won seven games in 1954.
Fleck won his Gopher debut against Buffalo, which made him the school’s first head coach to win his debut since John Gutekunst in 1986 (before Fleck, Minnesota’s six most recent head coaches all lost their first game). Minnesota then posted a dominating 48-14 win at Oregon State, which made Fleck the first Gopher coach to win a true road opener since 1954 when Warmath and the Gophers won 46-7 at Pittsburgh.
Minnesota’s 34-point win at Oregon State was the Gophers’ 11th largest margin of victory in a road game since 1920 and largest since 2006. The 48 points were the most the Gophers scored on the road since they beat Northwestern 49-21 in 1980.
Minnesota posted three 30-point wins in 2017, as it beat Oregon State by 34, Nebraska by 33 and Middle Tennessee by 31. The last time Minnesota won three games by 30 points in the same season was 2005 when it started the year with three straight with three straight 30-point wins
The Gophers beat Nebraska 54-21 in Fleck’s first season. The 54 points were the most that the Gophers scored in a Big Ten game since they beat Indiana 63-26 in 2006. The 54 points were the 14th most scored by Minnesota since 1946 and the fifth most against a Big Ten opponent in the same timeframe.
Off the field, Fleck and his team can often be found supporting the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and host an annual diaper drive during training camp and an annual turkey drive during Thanksgiving to give back to the community. Minnesota has also hosted a canned food drive and school supplies drive under Fleck. In the classroom, Minnesota has posted program record GPAs under Fleck.
Fleck came to Minnesota after spending four years as the head coach at Western Michigan, where he was 30-22 overall and 21-11 in the Mid-American Conference. While leading the Broncos, Fleck authored one of the most memorable turnarounds in college football history. The Broncos were 1-11 in his first year in 2013, but ended the 2016 season with a No. 12 ranking, a 13-1 record, a conference championship and a berth in the Cotton Bowl.
The Broncos were 12-0 in the 2016 regular season and posted wins against Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Illinois. Fleck then led his team to a 29-23 win against Ohio in the Mid-American Conference championship game before ending the season with a narrow bowl game defeat to Wisconsin.
Fleck was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and in 2016 he the Broncos to their first MAC Championship since 1988.
Earning FBS Region 3 Coach of the Year from the American Football Coaches Association, Fleck was also named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award and the George Munger Award after Western Michigan became the first team in MAC history to win each of its eight league games by 14 or more points.
Fleck turned Western Michigan into a pipeline for the NFL as well, as seven of his players were taken in NFL Drafts.
Fleck coached receiver Corey Davis and offensive lineman Taylor Moton while at Western Michigan. Davis, who was the first Consensus All-American in Western Michigan history, caught 91 passes for 1,427 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2016. He ended his career with 5,212 yards in four seasons, which made him the Football Bowl Subdivision all-time career receiving record holder. Davis, who was selected fifth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, joined Randy Moss as the only Mid-American Conference receiver to be drafted in the first round. Moton signed one of the NFL’s most lucrative contracts (four-year, $72 million) for an offensive lineman in July 2021.
Off the field, Western Michigan had a program-record seven student-athletes named to the 2016 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete team and the Bronco team posted a 3.14 program GPA in Fleck’s last semester at the school.
Prior to his time at Western Michigan, Fleck served as the wide receivers coach for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 and coached the receivers at Rutgers from 2010-11. He coached receivers and was the recruiting coordinator at Northern Illinois in 2009 and tutored the receivers for the Huskies from 2007-08. Fleck’s coaching career began at Ohio State as a graduate assistant in 2006.
Fleck played receiver at Northern Illinois from 1999-2003 and helped lead the Huskies to a No. 10 ranking, a 10-2 record and wins against Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State in his final season. He ranks in the top five in Northern Illinois history in career receptions (179) and receiving yards (2,162). Fleck holds the school record for punt returns (87) and ranks second in punt return yards (716). He earned First Team All-Mid-American Conference in 2003 and was named Academic All-MAC and Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Fleck played the 2004-05 seasons with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. He signed with the 49ers as a free agent in 2004 and spent most of his time on the practice squad before seeing action against New England late in the season. He spent the 2005 season on the injured reserve roster and in 2006 he stopped playing professionally and started his coaching career.
Fleck and his wife, Heather, have four children, Gavin, Carter, Paisley (P.J.) and Harper.
Coaching History
2017- Minnesota, Head Coach
2013-16 Western Michigan, Head Coach
2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wide Receivers Coach
2010-11 Rutgers, Wide Receivers Coach
2009 Northern Illinois, Recruiting Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach
2007-08 Northern Illinois, Wide Receivers Coach
2006 Ohio State, Graduate Assistant
Coaching Honors
2019 – Big Ten Coach of the Year, AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year, George Munger Award Finalist, Dodd Trophy Finalist, Eddie Robinson Award Finalist, Bear Bryant Award Finalist, AFCA National Coach of the Year Finalist
2016 – Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, FBS Region 3 Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Award finalist, George Munger Award finalist
2014 – Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year
Bowls Coached
2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Minnesota)
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Minnesota)
2020 Outback Bowl (Minnesota)
2018 Quick Lane Bowl (Minnesota)
2017 Cotton Bowl (Western Michigan)
2015 Bahamas Bowl (Western Michigan)
2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Western Michigan)
2011 Pinstripe Bowl (Rutgers)
2010 International Bowl (Northern Illinois)
2008 Independence Bowl (Northern Illinois)
2007 BCS National Championship Game (Ohio State)
NFL Draft Picks Who Played For Fleck
Minnesota (head coach)
2022 – Boye Mafe, LB, Round 2, Pick 40, Seattle Seahawks
2022 – Daniel Faalele, OL, Round 4, Pick 110, Baltimore Ravens
2022 – Esezi Otomewo, DL, Round 5, Pick 165, Minnesota Vikings
2022 – Ko Kieft, TE, Round 6, Pick 218, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 – Rashod Bateman, WR, Round 1, Pick 27, Baltimore Ravens
2021 – Benjamin St-Juste, DB, Round 3, Pick 74, Washington Football Team
2020 – Antoine Winfield Jr., DB, Round 2, Pick 45, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2020 – Tyler Johnson, WR, Round 5, Pick 161, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2020 – Kamal Martin, LB, Round 5, Pick 175, Green Bay Packers
2020 – Carter Coughlin, LB, Round 7, Pick 218, New York Giants
2020 – Chris Williamson, DB, Round 7, Pick 247, New York Giants
2019 – Blake Cashman, LB, Round 5, Pick 157, New York Jets
Western Michigan (head coach)
2018 – Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Round 3, Pick 92, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 – Darius Phillips, DB, Round 5, Pick 170, Cincinnati Bengals
2017 – Corey Davis, WR, Round 1, Pick 5, Tennessee Titans
2017 – Taylor Moton, OT, Round 2, Pick 64, Carolina Panthers
2017 – Keion Adams, LB, Round 7, Pick 248, Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 – Willie Beavers, OT, Round 4, Pick 121, Minnesota Vikings
2016 – Daniel Braverman, WR, Round 7, Pick 230, Chicago Bears
Rutgers (receivers coach)
2012 – Mohamed Sanu, WR, Round 3, Pick 83, Cincinnati Bengals
Playing Experience: Northern Illinois (wide receiver), 1999-2003; San Francisco 49ers (wide receiver), 2004-05
Birthday: November 29, 1980
Hometown: Sugar Grove, Ill.
High School: Kaneland High School, 1999
Alma Mater: Northern Illinois, 2004 (elementary education)
Wife: Heather
Daughters: Paisley (P.J.) and Harper
Sons: Gavin and Carter
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