All Things P.J. Fleck Rumor Mill Thread - Listed as Candidate for Other Jobs

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TruthSeeker said:
Heupel got really fat.
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Yes he did.

https://omaha.com/sports/college/hu...cle_b7b92292-d9da-11e7-abaf-e39a509cf215.html
5a26ce004e598.image.jpg
 

Word said:
Starting over while making $7 million a year for several years is something I could do. It's basically winning the lottery. You wouldn't ever have to work again even if you were an absolute failure.
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You’re right. So could I.
And I don’t know what it’s like be loaded. He’s currently pretty effing loaded, right? Like, he could retire now probably and just day trade and be set?
Regardless, yeah, that never seems to stop anyone from wanting a lot more.
 




MaroonShaft said:
I just wonder how things like stability factor in. Maybe not much when millions are on the line
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I think a CFB coaching career inherently filters out folks who need 'stability' location wise. It's a rare thing and if you REALLY want that, probably get a different job...

Also if you're at say a 'second tier school' (i'll just make that term up) and you've got the option to go make a ton more money at the 'top tier'.

If you imagine failing:

1. Well you just go back to where you were.
2. You just made a ton of money.
3. Everything in these jobs is a risk, everyone but a rare few are getting fired eventually anyway ... why not get fired for a ton of money?
 

Heupel can write his early retirement as head coach comfortably if his agent secured a lot of guaranteed money up front. He is rich by most people's standard.

What drives coaches - ambition, passion, or money?

PJ Fleck is not immune to these driving forces. I think he has a healthy dose of ambition and passion.

What drives him more - making his own legacy at the U, winning a national title, or both. Ultimately, this will determine whether he wants to stay for the long haul or leave. The stakes and stresses are high in the Notre Dames, USCs, or any SEC schools. So is the payoff or failure in these upper echelon programs.

We will always be wondering if he is going to leave. More so when he becomes more successful. Let's hope that he stays for the long haul. He can win here. He is building a legacy for Minnesota, and he is making an impact with his RTB culture. His quest for the holy grail of football is too powerful to ignore. Welcome to the modern coaching era.
 
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hungan1 said:
Heupel can write his early retirement as head coach comfortably. Hopefully, he wrote in his contract a lot of guaranteed money up front for taking this suicide coaching mission.

Not that he is probably already rich by most people's standard. But, it's what drives coaches whether ambition, passion, or money that determines how long they want to be in the game.
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Huepel might be okay.
If you watch UCF play they play well.

he just didn’t win as much as frost. But frost can win with frost recruits at Nebraska...so why should Huepel win with Frost recruits at UCF
 



hungan1 said:
Heupel can write his early retirement as head coach comfortably. Hopefully, he wrote in his contract a lot of guaranteed money up front for taking this suicide coaching mission.

Not that he is probably already rich by most people's standard. But, it's what drives coaches whether ambition, passion, or money that determines how long they want to be in the game.
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Looks like he doubled his annual pay and will now be at $4M/year for six years, with a seventh year added if they get hit by the NCAA. If the early write ups are correct, it's fully guaranteed through 12-15-23, then the buyout goes down to 75% of the remaining balance through 12-25-25 and then it's 50% of the remaining balance after that. I can't say I am surprised that he took it since he's assured at least $20M (if my math is right) unless he gets fired for cause. If he does a good job, he'll get extended at significantly more money and if he doesn't he's got that buyout to fall back on. He's in his early 40s with a good reputation on the offensive side of the ball. If he gets canned at UT, he'll find other jobs.
 

MaroonShaft said:
I just wonder how things like stability factor in. Maybe not much when millions are on the line
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As the money continues to get better in College coaching I actually think this might improve stability some and keep guys in places longer. They won't have to go chasing after the elite jobs with tons of pressure in order to make the big bucks because they will already be making a ton of money where they are at.

For most of us, the money would be the driving force because I assume the vast majority of us are not making 7 figures. But take a guy like Fleck for example. Currently he is making 4.6 million. Yes a helmet school could offer more, but money is less of a factor when you are already making great money and have a really stable situation.

Don't get me wrong, money will always be a factor but my point is that when you are already making a lot, money might no longer be the key driving force behind the career decisions you make.
 

MNVCGUY said:
As the money continues to get better in College coaching I actually think this might improve stability some and keep guys in places longer. They won't have to go chasing after the elite jobs with tons of pressure in order to make the big bucks because they will already be making a ton of money where they are at.

For most of us, the money would be the driving force because I assume the vast majority of us are not making 7 figures. But take a guy like Fleck for example. Currently he is making 4.6 million. Yes a helmet school could offer more, but money is less of a factor when you are already making great money and have a really stable situation.

Don't get me wrong, money will always be a factor but my point is that when you are already making a lot, money might no longer be the key driving force behind the career decisions you make.
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How much money is enough?

Minnesota fits PJ Fleck like a good fitting pair of gloves.

The secret marinate is the RTB culture. People bought in. I am not surprised that a Covid-decimated Gopher football team missing 33 players was able to march into Memorial Stadium and beat the Cornhuskers.
 

MNVCGUY said:
As the money continues to get better in College coaching I actually think this might improve stability some and keep guys in places longer. They won't have to go chasing after the elite jobs with tons of pressure in order to make the big bucks because they will already be making a ton of money where they are at.

For most of us, the money would be the driving force because I assume the vast majority of us are not making 7 figures. But take a guy like Fleck for example. Currently he is making 4.6 million. Yes a helmet school could offer more, but money is less of a factor when you are already making great money and have a really stable situation.

Don't get me wrong, money will always be a factor but my point is that when you are already making a lot, money might no longer be the key driving force behind the career decisions you make.
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You are right about the money, but you're leaving out how driven these types are to win. Maybe not realistic now, but quite sure P.J. wouldn't mind the spotlight that shines on Saban or Dabo because they're in the conversation for a national title every year. Will P.J. be satisfied to establish a program he's comfortable with like Ferentz or Fitzgerald or does he actually think he can get to the top of the mountain here? He might have an overabundance of self-confidence but I don't think he's delusional enough to think he's going to win a national championship despite what he has said. Among the disadvantages he's facing is the cultural one. Football simply doesn't have the same status in Minnesota than it does in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, etc. He's got an effective message, but even P.J. isn't enough of a salesman to make football all consuming for enough Minnesotans to make a difference.
 




Mulligan said:
You are right about the money, but you're leaving out how driven these types are to win. Maybe not realistic now, but quite sure P.J. wouldn't mind the spotlight that shines on Saban or Dabo because they're in the conversation for a national title every year. Will P.J. be satisfied to establish a program he's comfortable with like Ferentz or Fitzgerald or does he actually think he can get to the top of the mountain here? He might have an overabundance of self-confidence but I don't think he's delusional enough to think he's going to win a national championship despite what he has said. Among the disadvantages he's facing is the cultural one. Football simply doesn't have the same status in Minnesota than it does in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, etc. He's got an effective message, but even P.J. isn't enough of a salesman to make football all consuming for enough Minnesotans to make a difference.
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Always tough to know where someone's ambitions are. But Fleck has talked at length about guys like Fry and Alvarez and his desire to build something similar here. Fleck also seems like someone who truly loves the whole process and isn't obsessed just with winning.

Could be totally wrong and he will go hunting for bigger and better things at some point but he just comes across to me as someone who sees the whole picture and gets that there is more too it then just making a ton of money and going for National Championships every year.

I also fully believe he thinks he can win a championship here, disadvantages be damned.
 

Mulligan said:
You are right about the money, but you're leaving out how driven these types are to win. Maybe not realistic now, but quite sure P.J. wouldn't mind the spotlight that shines on Saban or Dabo because they're in the conversation for a national title every year. Will P.J. be satisfied to establish a program he's comfortable with like Ferentz or Fitzgerald or does he actually think he can get to the top of the mountain here? He might have an overabundance of self-confidence but I don't think he's delusional enough to think he's going to win a national championship despite what he has said. Among the disadvantages he's facing is the cultural one. Football simply doesn't have the same status in Minnesota than it does in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, etc. He's got an effective message, but even P.J. isn't enough of a salesman to make football all consuming for enough Minnesotans to make a difference.
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You make some really interesting points. I'd like to add a couple of observations:

— Very few schools are "in the conversation for a national title every year". In fact, I think you may have named the two that fit the category: Alabama and Clemson. Maybe you can include Ohio State. So if being "in the conversation for a national title every year" is something a coach wants in his next job, he really doesn't have many options that fit the bill; and the few schools that do fit simply don't change coaches often.

— Regarding the "cultural disadvantage" at Minnesota: I'm not sure I completely agree. Yes, football is king in places like Texas, Alabama, and Georgia, all the way down to the high school level. That's undeniably true. On the other hand, I saw some strong signs in 2019 that a winning team, ranked in the top 10, can generate plenty of attention and enthusiasm right here in the Frozen North. Fleck has managed to produce a nationally-ranked team twice in his short career: once at Minnesota and once at Western Michigan. I think the future looks bright for Fleck, right here in Gopher country.
 

Some guy said:
Huepel might be okay.
If you watch UCF play they play well.

he just didn’t win as much as frost. But frost can win with frost recruits at Nebraska...so why should Huepel win with Frost recruits at UCF
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As we know, Frost went 13-0 in 2017, won the Conf champ game over Memphis, and beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl (NY6, but not playoff).

Since Heupel took over:
- 2018 they went 12-1, won the conf champ game over Memphis again, lone loss in the Fiesta bowl to LSU (by a score of 32-40 -- again NY6, but not playoff) ... remarkable similar to previous year
- 2019 they went 10-3. Lost at Pitt by 1 point, at Cincy by 3 points, and at Tulsa by 3 points. No conf champ game. Bowl game vs Marshall in Tampa they won 48-25
- 2020 they went 6-4. Lost vs Tulsa by 8 pts, at Memphis by 1 pt, vs Cincy by 3 pts. Bowl game vs BYU in Boca Raton, they lost 22-49.


So we know that Tulsa and Cincy have become very good programs the last couple years (at least) in the American, and Memphis has usually been pretty good (like UCF). BYU was really good last year.

The only "odd" loss there is at Pitt, by 1. Maybe that was a bad matchup for them, as I think Pitt is built more like a Wisconsin style of team? (not sure on that)



Framed like that, the "collapse" at UCF under Heupel isn't quite as bad, perhaps? Lot of competition, hard to win football games every time, as we know.
 

FredCoxRocks said:
If I recall, he was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy way back when and nearly beat out that middle-aged man from Cretin-Derham for the top honor.
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Speaking of which, guess who is the QB coach at Tennessee???

Or perhaps, was ...
 

Some guy said:
Huepel might be okay.
If you watch UCF play they play well.

he just didn’t win as much as frost. But frost can win with frost recruits at Nebraska...so why should Huepel win with Frost recruits at UCF
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Hilarious. I hadn’t thought of that angle—or UCF ... in several years. Lol. I love this show.
 

MplsGopher said:
As we know, Frost went 13-0 in 2017, won the Conf champ game over Memphis, and beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl (NY6, but not playoff).

Since Heupel took over:
- 2018 they went 12-1, won the conf champ game over Memphis again, lone loss in the Fiesta bowl to LSU (by a score of 32-40 -- again NY6, but not playoff) ... remarkable similar to previous year
- 2019 they went 10-3. Lost at Pitt by 1 point, at Cincy by 3 points, and at Tulsa by 3 points. No conf champ game. Bowl game vs Marshall in Tampa they won 48-25
- 2020 they went 6-4. Lost vs Tulsa by 8 pts, at Memphis by 1 pt, vs Cincy by 3 pts. Bowl game vs BYU in Boca Raton, they lost 22-49.


So we know that Tulsa and Cincy have become very good programs the last couple years (at least) in the American, and Memphis has usually been pretty good (like UCF). BYU was really good last year.

The only "odd" loss there is at Pitt, by 1. Maybe that was a bad matchup for them, as I think Pitt is built more like a Wisconsin style of team? (not sure on that)



Framed like that, the "collapse" at UCF under Heupel isn't quite as bad, perhaps? Lot of competition, hard to win football games every time, as we know.
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¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If it’s only a ‘perhaps’, I’m going to frame it the way Some guy did from here on. It’s funnier to me.
 

Remember how Glen Mason got roasted for saying he would "pick up the phone" if another school called about a job?

People used that to claim that Mason "wasn't really committed to the Gophers."

In this case, we don't really know if Fleck picked up the phone, or if it all came from his agent, but the reaction was very different than when Mason was allegedly linked to other job openings.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Remember how Glen Mason got roasted for saying he would "pick up the phone" if another school called about a job?

People used that to claim that Mason "wasn't really committed to the Gophers."

In this case, we don't really know if Fleck picked up the phone, or if it all came from his agent, but the reaction was very different than when Mason was allegedly linked to other job openings.
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Didn’t Mason literally accept a job at Georgia and then back out?

openly campaigned for Ohio state job?


it’s a little different than some Twitter guy saying he is a good candidate
 

MaxyJR1 said:
It would just be nice if Fleck could say he is happy here and doesn't need any adjustment to his contract.
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If I tweet out that he is interested in the Kansas OC job does he have to respond?

What comments on Twitter does he have to respond to?


only the ones you want a comment on?



he shouldn’t comment on anything unless he feels it is in his benefit to comment
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Remember how Glen Mason got roasted for saying he would "pick up the phone" if another school called about a job?

People used that to claim that Mason "wasn't really committed to the Gophers."

In this case, we don't really know if Fleck picked up the phone, or if it all came from his agent, but the reaction was very different than when Mason was allegedly linked to other job openings.
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You're right, but this really is the first time it is has been pretty clear that Fleck (or his agent) seemed to show some interest. I suspect the first time Mason picked up the phone, I think we had a similar reaction to what we had this week: "Oh, god, no." It was the second or third time that we began to tire of it. And, Some Guy is right: Mason did openly campaign for the OSU job. That puts it in a different category. We'll see what happens if Fleck keeps picking up the phone.
 

Some guy said:
If I tweet out that he is interested in the Kansas OC job does he have to respond?

What comments on Twitter does he have to respond to?


only the ones you want a comment on?



he shouldn’t comment on anything unless he feels it is in his benefit to comment
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If Mike Max tweeted it, he'd have to respond! Mike Max demands answers!
 

Some guy said:
If I tweet out that he is interested in the Kansas OC job does he have to respond?

What comments on Twitter does he have to respond to?


only the ones you want a comment on?



he shouldn’t comment on anything unless he feels it is in his benefit to comment
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In all seriousness, I'd like to see him comment when it seems like his (actual or not) flirting with job offers are making recruits think twice or make the public doubt his commitment to Gopher football.
I'm guessing PJ is communicating to the recruits, but there is potential harm done with fans. Look at how it eventually turned on Mason. That said, PJ has a LONG ways to go before he gets to the Mason level of entertaining other job offers.

But to answer your question - I don't expect him to reply to some random dude on Twitter. But if it's legitimate news sources that are saying he's interested, it might be worth him commenting.
 

In P5 HC game, money is a measuring stick and a bargaining chip. I agree Fleck needs to have at least 8 regular season wins in 2021 to stay in the conversation for prominent P5 openings in the next round. The further he gets from 2019 and the 13 win WMU season without continuing winning at/above that 8 win or better level, the less his name will come up.
 

Word said:
In all seriousness, I'd like to see him comment when it seems like his (actual or not) flirting with job offers are making recruits think twice or make the public doubt his commitment to Gopher football.
I'm guessing PJ is communicating to the recruits, but there is potential harm done with fans. Look at how it eventually turned on Mason. That said, PJ has a LONG ways to go before he gets to the Mason level of entertaining other job offers.

But to answer your question - I don't expect him to reply to some random dude on Twitter. But if it's legitimate news sources that are saying he's interested, it might be worth him commenting.
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Is there any evidence of this happening?
 

Gophers1992 said:
Is there any evidence of this happening?
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See the last two sentences of my post.
I did see legit news sources say he was vetted, but hard to say if that was because PJ was showing mutual interest.
I guess if some other team was telling the press that I was being vetted for the job and I knew there was no way I was taking the job, I might just say something about it.

I do think coaches like to let these rumors fly so that it helps them negotiate their next pay raise.
 

Word said:
See the last two sentences of my post.
I did see legit news sources say he was vetted, but hard to say if that was because PJ was showing mutual interest.
I guess if some other team was telling the press that I was being vetted for the job and I knew there was no way I was taking the job, I might just say something about it.

I do think coaches like to let these rumors fly so that it helps them negotiate their next pay raise.
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The only “legit” news sources I saw actually said the exact opposite. I saw a bunch of bloggers tweeting his name in speculation and I saw plugged in people like Chip Scoggins saying the opposite and that he has no interest
 

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