Philip John Fleck Jr. (born November 29, 1980) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach and former wide receiver. He has served as the head coach for the
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represents the University of Minnesota in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Founded in 1882, Minnesota has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since its ince ...
team since 2017.
Born in
Sugar Grove, Illinois
Sugar Grove is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 8,997, and in 2018 the estimated population was 9,803.
Geography
Sugar Grove is located in southern Kane County at (41.772529, -88.442374). ...
, Fleck played college football as a wide receiver at
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...
. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in 2004, spending a majority of his short NFL career on the practice squad. Since then, he has pursued a coaching career.
He has formerly been the wide receivers coach for Northern Illinois (2007–2009),
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
(2010–2011), and the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
(2012). Fleck was also previously the head coach of the
Western Michigan Broncos football team from 2013 until 2016. In
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, two years following his hiring by Minnesota, Fleck led the Golden Gophers to one of their best seasons in half a century, earning their most wins since 1904.
Playing career
Prep
Fleck started his playing career at
Kaneland High School
Kaneland High School, or KHS, is a public four-year high school located in Maple Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, United States. It is part of Kaneland Community Unit School District 302.
History
Kaneland first opened in 1958.
In '' ...
located in
Maple Park, Illinois
Maple Park is a village in DeKalb and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,310 at the 2010 census, up from 765 in 2000. Maple Park was formerly known as Lodi.
History
Maple Park was originally called "Lodi", after Lo ...
, where he helped the Knights win back to back, undefeated state championships in 1997 and 1998. He set a state record with 95 catches for 1,548 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. For his career, Fleck caught 199 passes for 3,121 yards and 34 scores with at least one catch in 40 straight games. Fleck also
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
in varsity
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
.
College
Upon graduation, Fleck attended
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...
where he played wide receiver under head coach
Joe Novak
Joe Novak (born April 19, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Northern Illinois University from 1996 to 2007, compiling a record of 63–76.
Novak played college football as a defensive en ...
. As a senior, he led the Huskies with 77 catches for 1,028 yards and six touchdowns, a reception total that still ranks second on the school's single-season list. Fleck still owns the school record for career punt returns (87), is second in punt return yards (716), ranks third in career catches (179) and is fourth in receiving yards (2,162). He was a second team Academic All-American as a senior and was twice voted team captain by his Huskie teammates.
Pro
Fleck was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
following the
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
. 49ers head coach
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football league. He was also the head coach at the University of Idaho ( ...
labeled Fleck a "frickin' warrior" during the first days of rookie
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...
.
Fleck spent a majority of the 2004 season on the 49ers
practice squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
before being promoted to the 53 man roster and appearing in the 49ers final game of the season. Playing
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
, he registered a tackle and returned one punt for ten yards. Fleck spent the
2005 season on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
after suffering a significant shoulder injury during the preseason. On June 12, 2006, Fleck was released by the 49ers. The day he was released, 49ers head coach
Mike Nolan
Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, ...
offered Fleck a spot on his coaching staff as assistant wide receivers coach,
stating "If that's something he wants to do, I think he'd be very good at it."
Fleck attempted to continue his playing career after his release from the 49ers, and had a tryout with his hometown
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
on June 20. However, he failed his
physical
Physical may refer to:
*Physical examination
In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...
due to his previous injuries and was unable to sign. Fleck stated that after the failed physical, he knew it was time to begin a career in coaching.
Assistant coaching career
Fleck began his coaching career in 2006 as an offensive
graduate assistant
A graduate assistant serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The assistant typically helps professors with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants or with academic research respons ...
at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
at the invitation of head coach
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel (born December 5, 1952) is an American college football coach and university administrator who is currently the president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Before becoming an administrator, Tressel was the ...
.
He worked directly with the
Buckeyes tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
s and assisted with the
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
. Northern Illinois running back coach
Thomas Hammock
Thomas Hammock (born July 7, 1981) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Northern Illinois University (NIU), a position he has held since January 2019. Prior to being named the head coach of his alma mater, he served as ...
and defensive ends coach Mike Sabock, a lifelong friend and collegiate teammate of Tressel, helped Fleck land the Ohio State job. Fleck spent one year with the Buckeyes, who were ranked No. 1 in the country most of the season. The team earned the 2006 Big Ten Championship and appeared in the
2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007, and featured the top-ranked Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes against the 2nd-r ...
, where they lost to Florida and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation.
In 2007, Fleck was hired by Northern Illinois head coach
Joe Novak
Joe Novak (born April 19, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Northern Illinois University from 1996 to 2007, compiling a record of 63–76.
Novak played college football as a defensive en ...
as wide receivers coach, replacing Carnelius Cruz. Novak had stated several years prior that he hoped to one day hire Fleck as a coach. Following Novak's retirement in 2008, Fleck was one of two NIU assistants to be retained by incoming head coach
Jerry Kill
Gerald R. Kill (born August 24, 1961) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at New Mexico State University. He played college football at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas from 1979 to 1982. Kill served as the head ...
, and also added the title of
recruiting coordinator
Recruitment is the process of filling job vacancies with people.
Recruitment or recruiting may also refer to:
*Recruitment (biology), the process of developing the next generation of organisms
*College recruiting, the process in college athletics ...
.
In 2010, Fleck was hired by
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
as the wide receivers coach under head coach
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano served as the head coach for the Tampa ...
.
On February 2, 2012, he was hired as the offensive coordinator at
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...
. Coach
Dave Doeren
David William Doeren (born December 3, 1971) is an American football coach who is currently the head football coach at North Carolina State University, a position he has held since the 2013 season. Doeren previously served as the head football ...
said the following about Fleck's hiring, "We spoke at length about why this is the right place for him. It was very evident to me that he bleeds NIU, and he would have tremendous pride and passion working not just for me, but for the university to help continue what we started last year, and really what he started here as a player. His recruiting abilities and passing game expertise, working alongside Coach Carey as our run game coordinator, will be a great combination for our offense." Just one day later, on February 3, 2012, Fleck abruptly resigned the Northern Illinois position to accept a position as wide receivers coach with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
of the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
. The move reunited him with Schiano, who had recently left Rutgers for the Buccaneers head coaching job.
During his time with the Buccaneers, Fleck was known to wear
cleats
Cleat may refer to:
* Cleat (nautical), a fitting on ships, boats, and docks to which ropes are tied
* Cleat, Orkney, a place in Scotland
* Cleat (shoe), a type or part of a shoe
* ''Cleats'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Bill Hinds
* Grouser, ...
during practice, often running routes and simulating defenses with the receivers.
Head coaching career
Western Michigan
![PJ fleck wmu 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/PJ_fleck_wmu_2016.jpg)
On December 17, 2012,
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...
announced the hiring of Fleck as the new head coach, making him the youngest head coach and the first head coach in the
Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS) of college football to have been born in the 1980s. Fleck signed a five-year contract worth $392,000 per season that includes an assistant coaches salary pool of $825,000.
The previous head coach,
Bill Cubit
William John Cubit (; born October 14, 1953) is an American football coach and former player. Cubit was the head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, first on an interim basis in the 2015 season and then promoted t ...
, earned $375,000 per year with an assistants salary pool of $723,000.
With the increased budget, Fleck hired a dedicated
recruiting coordinator
Recruitment is the process of filling job vacancies with people.
Recruitment or recruiting may also refer to:
*Recruitment (biology), the process of developing the next generation of organisms
*College recruiting, the process in college athletics ...
– a first for the WMU football program.
Other candidates expressing interest in the job included
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
defensive coordinator (and later head coach)
Scott Shafer
Scott Shafer (born January 6, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the defensive coordinator for the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. He previously served as the head coach at Syracuse University unti ...
, and
Kent State
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...
offensive coordinator Brian Rock, both former WMU assistants. WMU had also been in contact with
Indiana State
Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...
head coach
Trent Miles
Trent may refer to:
Places Italy
* Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent United Kingdom
* Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom Germany
* Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen United States
* Trent, California ...
,
North Dakota State
North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as th ...
head coach
Craig Bohl
Craig Philip Bohl (born July 27, 1958) is an American college football coach and former player, currently the head football coach at the University of Wyoming. He was previously the head coach at North Dakota State University in Fargo from 2003 ...
, and
Illinois State
Illinois State University (ISU) is a Public university, public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is reco ...
head coach
Brock Spack
Brock D. Spack (born January 5, 1962) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Illinois State University, position he has held since December 2008. Previously, he was the defensive coordinator at Purdue University under J ...
, all of whom declined interest or withdrew from consideration
One of Fleck's first actions as head coach was to rescind scholarship offers to incoming players who had verbally committed to Western Michigan. The withdraws occurred just weeks before the national signing day, and left players unable to arrange other Division I scholarships as slots were already filled at other schools.
"I know if it was me, I would be ticked," Fleck said of the players who had scholarship offers pulled. "I also know if it was me, I would have showed up in the office of the head football coach, telling him I was dying to still be here."
Fleck made sports headlines after his hire with his
charisma
Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects.
Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...
and attempts to energize to the WMU program, including dancing (
The Harlem Shake
The Harlem Shake is a jerky arm and shoulder movement just in time to the music. The dance was created by Harlem resident Al B. (Albert Boyce) in 1981; the dance was initially called "The Albee" or "The Al. B.". As indicated by the name, it is as ...
), posting
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
videos, adding an in-stadium
DJ for games, and establishing a program-wide mantra of "rowing the boat". Fleck participated in a
polar bear plunge
A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States, polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization. In Canada, po ...
held at Goldsworth Pond on the Western Michigan campus. The event raised funds for the Michigan
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...
, and led Holly Anderson of ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' to proclaim Fleck as "the best new hire" for 2013, if only for generating interest in the program.
2013 season
Fleck's first season as Broncos head coach resulted in a final record of 1–11 (1–7
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...
(MAC)). It was the program's worst season since 2004, when the Broncos went 1–10 (0–7 MAC). Injuries, youth and inexperience, discipline, and execution led to poor play. Low-lights included a home loss to
Nicholls State, a blowout loss to
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, and a homecoming loss to
Buffalo. The team improved their play late in the season, with a road win against
UMass
The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medical ...
, and close home losses to in-state rivals
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...
and
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corre ...
.
Despite the on-field difficulties in 2013, Fleck and his staff succeeded off the field by signing a highly ranked
recruiting class. Observers noted that it was possibly the best recruiting class in WMU history, and the best in the MAC since 2000.
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
had the WMU class ranked highest among "
mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American NCAA Division I college sports, particularly men's basketball, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the "Power Five conferences" (the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC), which are alternativ ...
" programs for 2014, with
247Sports.com
247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on athletic recruitment in college football and basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount.
The website hosts a large network of team-specific subsites, with each subsite be ...
ranking the class 36th-best nationally for 2015.
2014 season
By 2015, Fleck was one of seven FBS head coaches with NFL playing experience:
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...
,
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former American football, football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often ...
,
Jeff Brohm
Jeffrey Scott Brohm (born April 24, 1971) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current head football coach of the Louisville Cardinals. Brohm played college football at the University of Louisville for coach Howard S ...
,
Joey Jones
Joseph Patrick Jones (born 4 March 1955) is a Welsh former international football full-back who most notably played for Liverpool, with whom he won two European Cups.
Club career
Wrexham
Jones was born in Llandudno, and joined Wrexham in 19 ...
,
Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Timothy Kingsbury (born August 9, 1979) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously a collegiate football coach from 2008 to ...
, and
Kyle Whittingham
Kyle David Whittingham (born November 21, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the University of Utah, a position he has held since 2005, and is the all-time leader in wins at Utah. Prior to bec ...
.
On November 20, 2014, Fleck was among 20 semi-finalists for the
Maxwell Coach of the Year award.
After finishing the 2014 regular season with an 8–4 record, Fleck was named the 2014 MAC Coach of the Year. The seven game improvement in wins from the previous season was the best in WMU history.
WMU rewarded Fleck by extending his contract through the 2020 season. In addition to his base salary of $392,500, Fleck earned an additional $61,000 in bonuses by hitting contract incentives ($25,000 for a bowl game appearance, $15,000 for MAC Coach of the Year, $12,000 for eight wins, and $9,000 for player all-conference honors).
Fleck's new contract paid him $800,000 per year, plus incentives, making Fleck the MAC's highest-paid coach, nearly 45 percent higher than second place
Frank Solich
Frank Thomas Solich (born September 8, 1944) is a former American football coach and former player. He is the former head coach at Ohio University, a position he held from 2005 until 2021. From 1998 to 2003, Solich served as the head coach at th ...
($554,500).
WMU lost 38–24 in the
2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
The 2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 20, 2014 at Albertsons Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It was one of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 201 ...
against the
Air Force Falcons
The Air Force Falcons are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the United States Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The athletics department has 17 men's and 10 women's NCAA-sanctioned teams. The current athl ...
of the
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations o ...
.
2015 season
Fleck and WMU had the highest-rated recruiting class in the MAC for the third consecutive year.
To open the season, WMU lost to No. 5 Michigan State 37–24 at home in
Waldo Stadium
Waldo Stadium is a stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is primarily used for football, and has been the home of Western Michigan University Broncos football in rudimentary form since 1914, and as a complete stadium since 1939. It currently has ...
. The matchup marked the first time that WMU had hosted a
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
opponent since 2007 (
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
). The following week, they lost to
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hin ...
43–17. In week 3 they beat
Murray State
Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, ...
at home 52–20. In week 4 they lost at No. 1
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
by a score of 38–12.
In week 4, Western retained the
Victory Cannon
The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a ...
by defeating rival
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corre ...
by a score of 41–39. In week 8, Western retained the
Michigan MAC Trophy
The Michigan MAC Trophy is given to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) university from Michigan – Central Michigan University (CMU), Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and Western Michigan University (WMU) – which has the best head-to-head rec ...
by defeating
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...
by a score of 58–28.
On November 27, 2015, the Broncos beat No. 24-ranked
Toledo 35–30 on the road at the
Glass Bowl
The Glass Bowl is a stadium in Toledo, Ohio. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the American football team of the University of Toledo Rockets. It is located on the school's Bancroft campus, just south of the ba ...
for the program's first ever win over a ranked opponent. Western was previously 0–32 against top-25 teams.
WMU finished the 2015 regular season with a record of 7–5 (6–2 MAC). 7 of the 12 opponents ultimately appeared in a bowl game. The 7–5 record earned WMU a bowl berth for the second straight year – the first time in program history that the team made bowl appearances in consecutive seasons. On December 24, 2015, the Broncos defeated the
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are the men's and women's athletic teams at Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. MT athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I (Bowl Subdivision in football) in Conference USA. MT com ...
in the
Bahamas Bowl
The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium. First held in 2014, the Bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference ...
by a score of 45–31. The bowl win was the first in program history – WMU was previously 0–6 in postseason bowl games.
2016 season
Fleck and WMU had the highest-rated recruiting class in the MAC for the fourth consecutive year.
To open the season WMU beat
Northwestern 22–21 in a road game at
Ryan Field Ryan Field may refer to:
* Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, also known as Ryan Field, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
* Ryan Field (airport), also known as Ryan Airfield, in Tucson, Arizona, United States
* Ryan Field (sportscaster) (born ...
. The following week they beat North Carolina Central 70–21 in Kalamazoo. In week three WMU beat
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
34–10 on the road at
Memorial Stadium. This was the first time in program history to beat 2 Big Ten teams in the same season.
In week 4 WMU avenged a loss to Georgia Southern from last season, winning 49–31. In week five, Western retained the
Victory Cannon
The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a ...
by defeating rival
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corre ...
by a score of 49–10. This marked Western Michigan's third consecutive win in the series and 5 of the last 6. Following this game WMU was ranked 25 in the coaches poll - the first time WMU appeared in the top 25 of a major poll. In the sixth week, WMU improved to 6–0 with a win against his alma mater
Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010.
Economics
Northern Illinois is dominated by th ...
. Following the win, WMU was ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25 poll, the first time in Western's history that they've received a place in the top 25 of both major polls.
WMU was able to complete their undefeated regular season at 12–0 with a win at home against Toledo, 55–35 on Friday, November 25. It was the first undefeated regular season for WMU since 1941, when the team went 8–0. Fleck was named MAC Coach of the Year following the season.
On December 2, 2016, WMU defeated
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
in the 20th
MAC Football Championship Game
The MAC Football Championship Game is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to determine the conference champion.
History
The game has been played since 1997, when the conferenc ...
at
Ford Field
Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state champ ...
in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. It was the first conference championship for WMU since 1988, as well as the first 10-win season in WMU's 111-year football history. WMU completed the 2016 regular season ranked No. 12 in the AP poll, #14 in the coaches poll, and #15 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
As the highest-ranked team in the "Group of Five," Fleck's Broncos were invited to the
2017 Cotton Bowl Classic, easily the most prestigious bowl in Western Michigan's football history. They lost to
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
by a final score of 24–16.
On December 6, 2016, Fleck was announced as one of five finalists for the
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
The Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award is given annually to a college football coach by the Football Writers Association of America. The award honors Eddie Robinson, former coach at Grambling State University
Grambling State Universit ...
award alongside Colorado's
Mike MacIntyre
George Michael MacIntyre (born March 14, 1965) is an American football coach. He is the head coach at FIU Panthers football, FIU. MacIntyre served as the head football coach at San Jose State University from 2010 to 2013 and the University of C ...
, Washington's
Chris Petersen
Christopher Scott Petersen (born October 13, 1964) is a former American football coach who was most recently the head coach at the University of Washington. Previously the head coach for eight seasons at Boise State University, Petersen guided ...
, Alabama's
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
and Penn State's
James Franklin.
Minnesota
2017 season
Following Tracy Claeys' firing, he accepted the head
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coaching job at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
on January 6, 2017. After initially signing a five-year $18 million contract in January 2017 when he was first hired, Fleck agreed to a one-year extension on November 21, 2017, that would extend his contract through the 2022 season. The deal would be an annual salary starting at $3.5 million/year and increase by $50,000 each year and will last until January 31, 2023. His team won its first game against Buffalo (17–7), then Oregon State (48–14), and Middle Tennessee State (34–3) to start the season 3–0 but sputtered down the stretch and lost 31–0 to No. 5 Wisconsin making Minnesota 5–7 and ineligible for the postseason.
2018 season
In Fleck's second season as head coach, the Golden Gophers again started with three non-conference wins against
New Mexico State
New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...
(48-10), #21-ranked
Fresno State
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
(21-14), and
Miami (OH) (26-3). Big Ten play challenged the team once again, however, as they lost four games straight before a victory over
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
(38-31). After the following week's blowout loss at
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
(55-31), the latest of several poor defensive performances in conference play, Fleck replaced coordinator Robb Smith with defensive line coach
Joe Rossi. The defense improved dramatically, and the team won two of its last three regular season games against strong opponents, defeating
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
(41-10), losing to No. 22
Northwestern (24-14) and winning against
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
(37-15). The Gophers' victory over the Badgers returned
Paul Bunyan's Axe
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
to Minneapolis for the first time since 2003, and earned the program its second trip to the
Quick Lane Bowl
The Quick Lane Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that began play in the 2014 season. Backed by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, the game features a bowl-eligible team from the Big Ten Confere ...
in Detroit. In Minnesota's first appearance in a bowl game under Fleck, the Gophers defeated the
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Rambl ...
34–10 to finish the season 7–6.
2019 season
In his third season, Fleck led the Golden Gophers to one of their best seasons in over half a century. They raced out to a 9–0 start, their best start since 1904. By beating #4-ranked
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
, the Golden Gophers beat a top-five opponent at home for the first time since
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
. In November, Fleck signed a seven-year $33.25 million contract. Although the Golden Gophers saw setbacks with losses against the
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 22 sports, 8 for men and 14 for women; a 15th women's sport will be added in 2023. The teams partici ...
and
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...
, Fleck won the coaches vote
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award the following individual honors at the end of each American football, football season. In addition, the ''Chicago Tribune'' awards the Chicago Tribune Silver Football to the most valuable football p ...
, sharing the award with the media voting for
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
's
Ryan Day. The Gophers went on to finish the regular season 10–2, their first season with double-digit wins since 1904. By comparison, Minnesota's two winningest coaches, Hall of Famers
Bernie Bierman
Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He coached from 1919 to 1950 except for a span during World War II when he served in the U.S. armed forces. Bierman was th ...
and
Murray Warmath
Murray Warmath (December 26, 1912 – March 16, 2011) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971, compili ...
, never won more than eight games in a season. They also tied for the Big Ten West title, though behind rival Wisconsin, the first time they had won a share of a division title since the Big Ten began divisional play.
They defeated Auburn in the
2020 Outback Bowl for their 11th win, their most since 1904. The Gophers ended the year ranked 10th in the nation in both the AP and Coaches College Football polls, their highest year-end ranking since 1962.
2020 season
In Fleck's fourth season at Minnesota, the Golden Gophers concluded an abbreviated season with a 3–4 record.
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the Big Ten Conference first made the decision in July to eliminate non-conference games for all fall athletics, limiting member teams to conference-only schedules. The Big Ten then released new conference-only fall football schedules on August 5, before announcing six days later that the fall 2020 football season had been "postponed" due to "ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic." The conference ended up reversing course on September 16, announcing a nine-game football season with a start date of October 24 and citing the availability of daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screenings, and an enhanced data-driven approach to making decisions about practice and/or competition. Minnesota wide receiver
Rashod Bateman, who had initially opted out of the 2020 season in August due to "uncertainty around health and safety," petitioned the NCAA for a waiver to restore his eligibility and allow him to return to the team for the fall season. The NCAA approved his waiver on September 30.
The Golden Gophers opened the season with a 49–24 loss to then #18-ranked Michigan, and dropped to 0-2 the following week after a 45–44 overtime loss to Maryland. Minnesota notched their first win of the season in a 41-14 road victory over Illinois before hosting Iowa in a 35–7 loss to the Hawkeyes. In a Week 5 matchup against Purdue, the Gophers were forced to compete with a total of 22 players unavailable due to a combination of positive COVID-19 tests, contract racing, opt-outs, and injuries. Minnesota prevailed 34–31 over the Boilermakers but saw their next two games against Wisconsin and Northwestern cancelled due to an abundance of positive COVID-19 cases within the program. Bateman elected to opt out of the rest of the season, declaring for the NFL Draft. The Gophers were able to return to action against Nebraska and beat the Huskers, 24–17, despite 33 of their players being unavailable. To end the season, the Big Ten arranged for Minnesota and Wisconsin to play, marking the 130th meeting between the border rivals and allowing the longest-running series in FBS history to continue uninterrupted. The Badgers prevailed in overtime, 20–17, to retain Paul Bunyan's Axe. The Gophers finished 4th in the Big Ten West with a 3–4 record.
2021 season
In his fifth season, Fleck led the Golden Gophers to the program's fourth nine-win season since 1905, finishing 9-4 overall with a 6-3 record in Big Ten play. It is the seventh time in program history the Gophers won six or more conference games in a season.
Minnesota opened the season with a 45-31 loss to #4-ranked Ohio State.
Mohamed Ibrahim, the reigning Big Ten Running Back of the Year, was sidelined for the rest of the year after suffering a torn
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...
in the season opener. After back-to-back wins over Miami (Ohio) and
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, the Gophers dropped a 14-10 loss at home to Bowling Green, who entered the game as 30.5-point underdogs. The loss also snapped Minnesota's streak of 21 straight non-conference wins. The Gophers bounced back to win four straight Big Ten games before suffering losses to Illinois and #20-ranked Iowa. Minnesota beat Indiana on the road the following week before hosting #14-ranked Wisconsin in the regular season finale. The Gophers upset the Badgers, 23-13, to re-claim Paul Bunyan's Axe and deny Wisconsin a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game, opening the door for Iowa to claim the Big Ten West division title outright.
Minnesota defeated West Virginia, 18-6, in the
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989.
Played as the Copper Bowl from inception through 1996, it was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 through 2001, then ...
for their ninth win of the season.
2022 season
In Fleck's sixth season at Minnesota, the Golden Gophers finished the season with a 9-4 record, marking the program's third nine-win season in four years.
Minnesota opened the season 3-0 with wins over New Mexico State, Western Illinois, and Colorado, before traveling to East Lansing to face Michigan State. After defeating the Spartans, 34-7, the Gophers were ranked #21 in the AP Top 25 before suffering their first setback of the season in a 20-10 loss at home to Purdue. The loss to the Boilermakers was the start of a three-game skid for Minnesota, followed by road losses to #24 Illinois and #16 Penn State. The Gophers bounced back with a 31-0 win over Rutgers but the following week found themselves trailing Nebraska, 10-0, at halftime. Redshirt freshman Athan Kaliakmanis took over at quarterback in the second half and rallied the Gophers to a 20-13 comeback win over the Cornhuskers. Kalikamanis started the final three games of the regular season, a stretch that included wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin and a 13-10 loss to Iowa. Minnesota's win over the Badgers marked their first back-to-back wins over their border rival since 1993-94.
The Gophers defeated Syracuse, 28-20, in the
Pinstripe Bowl
The Pinstripe Bowl is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game that is held at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York City. First played in 2010, the game is organized ...
for their ninth win of the season.
Personal life
Fleck is a 2004 graduate of
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...
with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
elementary education
Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or firs ...
. He has five children: stepson Gavin Jackson, sons Carter Joseph (C. J.) and Colt, and daughters Paisley Jane (P.J.) and Harper. Colt died shortly after birth due to a heart condition. Paisley was born on December 17, 2012, the same day Fleck was announced as the new coach at Western Michigan University. He married Heather Jackson on February 11, 2016.
Fleck is an avid
runner
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...
, and completed his first
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
in April of 2009.
In 2014, Fleck was inducted into the Hall of Fame of
Kaneland High School
Kaneland High School, or KHS, is a public four-year high school located in Maple Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, United States. It is part of Kaneland Community Unit School District 302.
History
Kaneland first opened in 1958.
In '' ...
, his alma mater, in
Maple Park, Illinois
Maple Park is a village in DeKalb and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,310 at the 2010 census, up from 765 in 2000. Maple Park was formerly known as Lodi.
History
Maple Park was originally called "Lodi", after Lo ...
.
Fleck credits
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel (born December 5, 1952) is an American college football coach and university administrator who is currently the president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Before becoming an administrator, Tressel was the ...
,
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano served as the head coach for the Tampa ...
, and
Jerry Kill
Gerald R. Kill (born August 24, 1961) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at New Mexico State University. He played college football at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas from 1979 to 1982. Kill served as the head ...
(among others) with helping advance his coaching career.
Unlike many coaches of his generation, Fleck wears a dress shirt, slacks and a tie in school colors on the sidelines. He maintains an intense, vocal demeanor during games, but is also known to celebrate a win with his players by
crowdsurfing through the locker room.
"Row the Boat"
Fleck devised the "Row the Boat" mantra as part of his grieving process after Colt's death, and extended it to his coaching style. After he left Western Michigan for Minnesota, Fleck and WMU were in a brief dispute over the intellectual property rights to the phrase, but they soon came to a settlement without resorting to the courtroom. Fleck received full rights to the phrase, and can use it freely at Minnesota (and presumably possible future coaching stops). As part of the settlement, Fleck is providing $10,000 annually to endow a football scholarship at WMU, and WMU will have rights to use the phrase for any memorabilia connected to Fleck's tenure with the Broncos. Whenever his teams take the field, one of his players carries an
oar
An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Rowers grasp the oar at the other end.
The difference between oars and paddles is that oars are used exclusively for rowing. In rowing the oar is connecte ...
.
Fleck and UNRL apparel company collaborated to release a "Row the Boat" clothing line, with 14% of proceeds benefitting University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital and
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.
RMHC has a global network of c ...
.
Head coaching record
Notes
References
External links
Minnesota profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleck, P. J.
1980 births
Living people
American football wide receivers
Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
Northern Illinois Huskies football coaches
Northern Illinois Huskies football players
Ohio State Buckeyes football coaches
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football coaches
San Francisco 49ers players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaches
Western Michigan Broncos football coaches
People from Maple Park, Illinois
People from Sugar Grove, Illinois
Sportspeople from Kane County, Illinois
Coaches of American football from Illinois
Players of American football from Illinois