I saw what Fleck did at Western Michigan. It was systematic and could be duplicated and repeated, it was ingenious and zen-like. We've all seen coaches fail in a move from the MAC to the P5 but I was convinced this was the right guy and I said in no uncertain terms that I was all in with Fleck.
And then the W-L for the first year and the second half of last year. I'm saying Fleck knows what he's doing and it seemed like everyone thinks I'm nuts. And yet here we are.
There was all this talk and even some print pieces about Fleck sacrificing wins to instill his culture. And that was in fact the truth. Fleck says it's digging the foundation. I think it's more like arson, but with a higher purpose. Yes, he probably could have coached football enough to win more of those early games. He knows football--but this isn't really about football. With Fleck, the buy-in is everything. He doesn't want to teach an a-hole athlete to be a better athlete and bigger a-hole. It isn't that he doesn't want to coach football; he wants to coach winners.
Fleck is one of the rare people that understands how a team is really supposed to work. The world is full of helmet schools that have 4 and 5 star athletes all over the place that can't be coached to work together as a team. Fleck knows that a 3 star that can take coaching, that can be developed, that has the right heart and mind and is willing to sacrifice for something greater--those are the building blocks. Of course, 4 and 5 stars with the right attitude are welcome too. And--eventually--they'll want to come here.
You know in the movie Rudy where Ara Parseghian tells Rudy: "I wish I could put your heart in my athletes bodies." When Fleck talks about recruiting people for his system, he's simply saying he wants athletes with Rudy hearts.
The focus on process? It's not about wins so much as it is building winners. Fleck wants to recruit and develop and surround himself with winners. Why? Because winners win. That's just what they do. It's almost impossible to turn a person with an attitude problem into a winner; it's almost as equally impossible to not win if all you have around is winners.
Things feel different now because they are different now. The culture is in place, the oars are in the water, and the vibe is different. It was that way when Oregon turned the corner, too.
There will still be excitement and heartbreak, wins and loses. But here's the thing about winners: They dream bigger, they reach higher, and even if they fall short, you can't help but love the attitude that shines through when they get back up and say, "We can do this."
There's a new spirit in the air. There's a buzz all over the country about Minnesota. Enjoy. Row the Boat. Ski-u-mah. Go Gophers!
