Fleck on Sports Huddle 3-19-17

[short ornery norwegian]

I think a lot of this just goes with the territory when there is a coaching change. coaches evaluate talent differently, and have different requirements for different schemes. It's hard to say how many of the returning players really are good fits for Fleck's system. All I know is Fleck has said several times in different interviews that the team will get a "lot" younger in the next two years.
Who knows - maybe they can get younger and still win - but when I hear a coach talk about the team is going to get younger, that to me is code for "don't expect too much."

And swingman, I think you're giving Coyle too much credit. Fleck is the star of the program, and the focal point for Gopher FB. I don't think he is just going to be a ventriloquist's dummy for Coyle and repeat a script.

 

[swingman]

Coyle can't make Fleck be positive or be a guy who sets the bar high, I agree.

I thought the gophersports video releases put out by the ath dept can be targeted to try and be a little bit more optimistic, more upbeat. I haven't heard Fleck say it in any interview with the media, but the film they caught at practice showed him impressed with Still and I think Hmielewski.

I hope they let Paup talk positively about the dline and maybe have him say how excited he is to work with all the veterans and help them continue his streak of getting dline guys drafted. Fleck probably isn't the guy who can figure out how to connect the previos success at db culture to the current team, but maybe Def coordinator Smith (who has Great success in getting guys to the NFL and coached in the NFL) can be the one to make a connection about liking what he sees in Ayinde and McGhee and Winfield and Shenault and Craighton and Kiondre and saying the new culture can connect them even more with the NFL.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

I think a lot of this just goes with the territory when there is a coaching change. coaches evaluate talent differently, and have different requirements for different schemes. It's hard to say how many of the returning players really are good fits for Fleck's system. All I know is Fleck has said several times in different interviews that the team will get a "lot" younger in the next two years.
Who knows - maybe they can get younger and still win - but when I hear a coach talk about the team is going to get younger, that to me is code for "don't expect too much."

And swingman, I think you're giving Coyle too much credit. Fleck is the star of the program, and the focal point for Gopher FB. I don't think he is just going to be a ventriloquist's dummy for Coyle and repeat a script.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It just reminds me of when Kill came here and told everyone how bad the talent was. I don't know if he's trying to sandbag or what, but it feels like he's saying there are going to be some lean years coming up...

I do hope that he at least considers going the JC route if the classes are as unbalanced as he's saying. I'd hate to see this team sputter for three years just to get his freshmen to the point of being able to play...

 

[GoldenGopherTilTheEnd]

Coyle has to be pissed as hell.

Coyle in the very heart of trying to sell renewals and new season tickets for 2017 this week, this month.

Coyle can't make Fleck be positive or be a guy who sets the bar high, I agree.

Coyle can ask him to take a more neutral tone until 14 April and then start to manage expecations... And PJF would be wise to take that advice. The impact of managing expectations from 21 March instead of waiting until 14 April is minimal, but those extra 500 or so season tickets matter.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

3:49 PJ talks about starting QB.... that is to say he says he has no idea who the QB is at this point (of course).

 

[swingman]

3:49 PJ talks about starting QB.... that is to say he says he has no idea who the QB is at this point (of course).

Nebraska lost it's two QBs with any experience, Riley says it may be final week of August before starter named. lost Westerkamp, gerry, the good back, the te, couple of lbs, d line guys.

Iowa lost Beathard who took about all their snaps last two years. New offensive coaches. Counting on true sophomore from Menominie. lost a ton of talent all over the field

Illinois lost their starter Lunt, bunch of back-ups ineligible or injured this Spring. some huge talent losses.

Michigan State lost starter. no obvious heir apparent.

Oregon State has three way battle. Lost coaches. lost best rcvr.

Maryland has three way battle.

Wisconsin lost Houston (Hornibrook has experience). loses a ton of other talent, an NFL off lineman, top two backs. o line guys on roster banged up. Musso, shelton, Biegel, Watt all gone.

Purdue returns Blough; new offense, coaches

Michigan returns QB, but loses 18 other contributing guys; 16 of them NFL talent. coaching changes on offense.

Northwestern returns Thorson. loses the all big wr.

MTSU QB out this Spring with surgery. He has monster numbers though, coach's kid. returns big WR.

Buffalo hired Zebrowski to improve their QB.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

Nebraska lost it's two QBs with any experience, Riley says it may be final week of August before starter named. lost Westerkamp, gerry, the good back, the te, couple of lbs, d line guys.

Iowa lost Beathard who took about all their snaps last two years. New offensive coaches. Counting on true sophomore from Menominie. lost a ton of talent all over the field

Illinois lost their starter Lunt, bunch of back-ups ineligible or injured this Spring. some huge talent losses.

Michigan State lost starter. no obvious heir apparent.

Oregon State has three way battle. Lost coaches. lost best rcvr.

Maryland has three way battle.

Wisconsin lost Houston (Hornibrook has experience). loses a ton of other talent, an NFL off lineman, top two backs. o line guys on roster banged up. Musso, shelton, Biegel, Watt all gone.

Purdue returns Blough; new offense, coaches

Michigan returns QB, but loses 18 other contributing guys; 16 of them NFL talent. coaching changes on offense.

Northwestern returns Thorson. loses the all big wr.

MTSU QB out this Spring with surgery. He has monster numbers though, coach's kid. returns big WR.

Buffalo hired Zebrowski to improve their QB.

I posted this elsewhere but here's a conversation he had with Joe C at the Strib about it: http://www.startribune.com/p-j-flec...tanner-morgan-in-gophers-qb-battle/416840854/

Only disagreement is that with Williams now being shown as a WR on the official roster I'm not surprised he wasn't mentioned in the conversation. Green is a little surprising.

The other interesting thing to some other posters' point is I saw PJ Fleck on Kare 11 last night (I'm sure he was on all the channels) and he was a lot more positive so maybe Coyle did have a talk with him. It really seemed like he was going out of his way to say that they have a lot of talent on the team.