Gophers Secure P.J. Fleck for the Long Run

The Minnesota Gophers football team has seen one of the best recruiting cycles in recent memory. Not only has head coach P.J. Fleck kept in-state talent home, but he has done a great job bring talent to Dinkytown.

Minnesota has an important season ahead of them in that the schedule sets up favorably. They could be a dark horse not only in the Big Ten, but may play their way into national relevance as well.

P.J. Fleck has been a solidifying force for the program since taking over, and now he’s destined to last a bit longer.

P.J. Fleck gets an extension with Minnesota Gophers

Although P.J. Fleck wasn’t heading towards contract uncertainty, athletic director Mark Coyle tacked on another year of security for his head football coach. The new extension keeps Fleck with the Minnesota Gophers at least through the 2030 season.

“Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck will get a one-year contract extension with increased retention bonuses, pending approval at the next Board of Regents meeting July 11…Under the new deal, Fleck’s salary would remain $6 million, but he would receive a $1 million retention bonus after Year 1 and $1.6 million after Year 6. All told, Fleck’s new deal would pay him an additional $2.3 million in retention bonuses. The university said Fleck’s deal, including the retention bonuses, would rank tied for 11th in total salary out of 18 Big Ten football head coaches.”

Joe Christensen – Star Tribune

Fleck took over the Minnesota program in 2017 after spending four years as the head coach of Western Michigan. In eight years with the Gophers he owns a 97-58 (.598) record. He has taken the Gophers to six bowl games and has wins in all of them.

The Minnesota Gophers football program has struggled to remain relevant in previous decades, but Fleck has been a stabilizing force for the university. It’s something that athletic director Mark Coyle also noted when talking about the impending extension.

“P.J. has consistently recruited and coached teams that Minnesotans can be proud of on and off the field. The program has produced record GPAs and 10 Academic All-Americans under Fleck, and his teams have won a consistent level not seen in more than 75 years. He has added significant value to the University, its student athletes and all of Minnesota. It is critical that we keep him.”

Mark Coyle – Star Tribune

This current run has consistently resulted in multiple NFL draft picks. Fleck has proven an ability to develop top-tier talent and good men. That was on display during the recent Minnesota Gophers pro day.

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The university is certainly bought into the “Row the Boat” mantra, and is looking forward to having their leader around for the long haul.