In the rollercoaster world of college football, coaching tenures can be a journey of highs and lows, with each leader leaving an indelible mark on the program they helm. Minnesota Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, who took the reins of the football team in 2017, has garnered praise and criticism during his time in Dinkytown. As we delve into his tenure with the Gophers, we explore the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects that have defined Fleck’s six seasons at the University of Minnesota.
The Good
Winning Ways
In sports, winning is the #1 definition of success. Through six seasons, Fleck has a record of 44-27 and a winning percentage of 62%. Historically, he ranks fourth all-time in win percentage among Gopher head coaches who have coached for at least five seasons. The coaches in front of him, Henry Williams, Clarence Spears, and legend Bernie Bierman, all coached over 70 years ago. The last time the Gophers had an aggregate six-season winning percentage of at least 62% was in 1965. In other words, we are in the midst of the best six-year stretch of Gopher football in 58 years. Fleck’s win percentage puts him in elite Gopher coaching company.
During the past three full seasons, Fleck has won at least nine games, good for a winning percentage of 74%. The Minnesota Gophers have the fourth-best record in the Big 10 since 2019 and have more wins than Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan State during that time. While Minnesota is not in the same tier as Michigan, the Gophers have only lost three more games than the Wolverines have in the past three full seasons. The Gophers are also 4 for 4 in bowl games in the past six seasons.
Program Relevance
The Minnesota Gophers were one of the most dominant football programs in the early part of the 20th century and won seven national championships between 1904 and 1960. The program regressed from the 1970s through the late 1990s and was frequently at the bottom of the Big Ten. Since Glenn Mason took over the program in 1997, the Gophers have (mostly) made progress toward being a more competitive, consistent, and relevant team in the Big Ten. Building on the success of predecessors Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys, Fleck has had his teams in a position to compete for the Big Ten West title in the past couple of years.
Additionally, Fleck’s teams have been ranked in the Top 25 AP Poll at various times during his tenure, including an AP high ranking of #7 during the 2019 season. Since 2019, the Gophers have hosted ESPN’s College Game Day twice, a strong barometer of being a nationally relevant team.
Beating the Badgers
The Gophers’ rivalry with the Badgers is the most-played rivalry in D1 FBS football, with 132 meetings between the teams. The series is currently tied 62-62-8, but it was a one-sided affair before Fleck arrived at the Gophers. The Badgers had beaten the Gophers 14 straight times between 2004 and 2017, Fleck’s first season with the team. On November 24, 2018, Fleck’s team beat the Badgers 37-10 to take home Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Proving the win against Wisconsin wasn’t a fluke; Fleck’s Gophers have beaten the Badgers in the past two times they played. Although a 3-3 record against Wisconsin isn’t anything to write home about, the competitive games against the Gopher’s biggest rival have been a noted accomplishment of Fleck’s tenure.
New Culture
The idea of culture building among athletic programs is subjective, but it is difficult to ignore Fleck’s impact on the football program. Fleck, who defines culture as “connecting people,” is meticulous with his approach to culture and the verbiage he uses to discuss it. His expectations about the language of Gopher football are so defined that it requires players to memorize definitions of over 200 culture-related terms. These unique and colorful football sayings are plastered on signs throughout the Gopher football facilities and on promotional materials. Fleck’s foundational, program-defining mantra, Row the Boat, is synonymous with the football program, perhaps more so than even Goldy Gopher.
The Bad
Losing to Iowa
While the Gophers have been marginally successful against the Badgers, they have lost eight in a row against the Hawkeyes. Minnesota leads the storied rivalry series 67–47–2 but is 4-18 in the past 22 games. When Fleck arrived in Minnesota, many thought he would be successful against Iowa, but he has significantly underperformed. The Gopher game against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on October 21 is perhaps one of the biggest of Fleck’s time with the Gophers. Another loss and Fleck’s critics will certainly become increasingly vocal about his future with the team.
Not Winning the Big Ten West
Fleck’s 62% win rate is good but not good enough to win the Big Ten West. The Gophers have come close, but a handful of late-season losses put the title out of reach. Unlike the Big Ten East, which has perennial powers Ohio State and Michigan, the Big Ten West has weaker teams. Fleck has gotten the team in a position to win the division but has failed to make it to the title game. The 2023 season is the last with the West/East format and will shift to a single conference in 2024. The Big Ten will get more competitive with the addition of USC and UCLA, so Fleck has one last chance to win the Big Ten West.
Conservative Play Calling
Technically, Fleck’s conservative coaching style could positively contribute to on-field success and probably does. Still, his rise-averse approach to clock management, offensive play calling, and special teams have ranged from head-scratching to downright maddening. Over the last six seasons, Fleck has consistently – and unapologetically – placed too much focus on the running game. With Athan Kalikmanis at quarterback, Fleck can be more aggressive and open up the playbook.
The Ugly
The Gophers’ loss to Bowling Green in 2021 was among the worst losses in Minnesota football history!
Photo courtesy: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
