Pat Caputo: P.J. Fleck to Michigan could make sense

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BleedGopher

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per Caputo:

A question for those wavering on Jim Harbaugh as Michigan’s football coach: Who would be better?

Most answers don’t make sense. For all the disappointment about losses to Ohio State and a noticeable lack of championship hardware, Harbaugh has poured a solid foundation. The Wolverines have been good and potentially could move to another level if they extend Harbaugh’s contract, which is in the sixth of seven years.

Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck is the possible exception. He turned Western Michigan into a major bowl participant. He developed Minnesota into an 11-game winner capable of defeating Auburn in a bowl game.

Of course, if Michigan goes into Minneapolis Saturday night and beats the Gophers, it will be a moot point, at least for awhile.

But if Minnesota wins this game, don’t be surprised if a drum suggesting P.J. Fleck to Michigan begins to beat.

That may not be fair to Jim Harbaugh, but it is the reality of his chosen profession and current position.


Go Gophers!!
 

I don't see it happening. PJ stays here and wins the Big Ten, becomes the AD etc.... When Michigan fires Harbaugh they should go after someone like Urban Meyer.

Nebraska should have hired someone like Meyer but they went for Uncle Rico and look where that decision has taken them; they are on a bus to irrelevance.
 


If you can recruit here (which I believe PJ thinks he can and has so far proven so) I don't see why he would leave one of the easiest divisions in Power 5 football. He should be able to compete year in year out for a spot in the B1G championship game. Which is obviously tougher in the East with Penn State and OSU every year. Not saying he cant or wont do it at Michigan but I think he can achieve his goals here (B1G Championship and Playoff berth)
 

"Minnesota extended Fleck’s contract last season to prevent his departure to Florida State."

Seriously? That should say "Any Program" instead of FSU.
 


nitramnaed said:
"Minnesota extended Fleck’s contract last season to prevent his departure to Florida State."

Seriously? That should say "Any Program" instead of FSU.
Click to expand...
They extend every year so...
 

It doesn't make any sense, actually. How often does any coach go straight from one head coach job to another in the same conference - in ANY conference, let alone the Big Ten? And sure, Michigan has the money, the fanbase, the prestige; but in terms of the actual on-field product, it's quite easy to argue that Minnesota has already surpassed Michigan. Why would Fleck leave behind his own hand-crafted roster for one he didn't recruit and is, at very best, a lateral move in terms of roster quality?
 

dpodoll68 said:
It doesn't make any sense, actually. How often does any coach go straight from one head coach job to another in the same conference - in ANY conference, let alone the Big Ten? And sure, Michigan has the money, the fanbase, the prestige; but in terms of the actual on-field product, it's quite easy to argue that Minnesota has already surpassed Michigan. Why would Fleck leave behind his own hand-crafted roster for one he didn't recruit and is, at very best, a lateral move in terms of roster quality?
Click to expand...
Because the new transfer rule that will allow a one time no sit out transfer when your coach leaves. That and the weather is so much better in Ann Arbor. :unsure:
 

dpodoll68 said:
How often does any coach go straight from one head coach job to another in the same conference - in ANY conference, let alone the Big Ten?
Click to expand...
Not often but not unheard of. Dan Mullen (SEC) and Steve “Happy Hour”Sarkisian (PAC 12) come to mind.
 



Yes, MN has had recent success. but Michigan is still a helmet school (albeit an ugly helmet).

Most all-time wins in D1 college FB history. 11 National titles. 42 Conference Championships.

bottom line - it all comes down to what Fleck wants. if he wants to be at MN, he'll be here. And, for whatever reason, if he doesn't want to be at MN long-term, well.......
 

dpodoll68 said:
It doesn't make any sense, actually. How often does any coach go straight from one head coach job to another in the same conference - in ANY conference, let alone the Big Ten? And sure, Michigan has the money, the fanbase, the prestige; but in terms of the actual on-field product, it's quite easy to argue that Minnesota has already surpassed Michigan. Why would Fleck leave behind his own hand-crafted roster for one he didn't recruit and is, at very best, a lateral move in terms of roster quality?
Click to expand...
P5 in conference is super rare, P5 to P5 conference is rare. Jimbo Fischer is the most recent I can think of moving from one P5 to another P5 conference.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Yes, MN has had recent success. but Michigan is still a helmet school (albeit an ugly helmet).

Most all-time wins in D1 college FB history. 11 National titles. 42 Conference Championships.

bottom line - it all comes down to what Fleck wants. if he wants to be at MN, he'll be here. And, for whatever reason, if he doesn't want to be at MN long-term, well.......
Click to expand...
UM has the best helmet in the nation. Nothing like it.
 




Yeah, there's advantages to being at Michigan.

Minnesota lets PJ Fleck make his thing, in his image. It offers him the chance to be the King of the Toos and Row the Boat and a lot of things that are his personality. And we love him for it, because we're not comparing him to anything consistently great that we've seen in our lifetimes, now that Sid has passed.

Maybe he's the kind of guy who wants to coach at Notre Dame or play for the Lakers or own the Yankees. He's a Man U supporter. But these prestige programs won't let him build Fleck U, and even if he wins he won't be held up like he would be here.

Some guys wanna run AT&T, others want to found Tesla. I think PJ's the latter.
 

Caputo is begging to have a protest on his lawn.
 

Take over for
3-9
5-7
7-6
11-2
8-5
7-6
5-7

Go
10-3
10-3
8-5
10-3
9-4

and everyone wants you fired


Take over for
6-7
8-5
8-5
6-7
9-4

go
5-7
7-6
11-2

and you’re the National media’s darling



that’s the number one reason not to go to Michigan from Minnesota
 


PJ wants to create his own legacy that can't happen at Michigan!
 



I am tired of national media assuming that any coach from Minnesota would gladly high-tail it outta here and on to something they perceive as bigger and better, because "ha!...Minnesota". I hope this al changes and PJ sticks around for a looooong time.
 

So tired of this nonsense - the sky is gonna fall sooner or later - good grief when is that mindset going to leave some of you???

PJ is an underdog and nothing will make him happier than building a underdog into a helmet school.
I can't imagine all the BS that goes with dealing with lunatic alumni at a historic helmet school.

When it doubt call in a another native to calm the fearmongering -

1603392381681.png
 

Fun to read but in the end Caputo is smoking something. Not convinced Fleck is going move anywhere anytime soon. This is his town for the most part and is doing very well here financially regardless of his U contract. It can only go higher for him here.
 

dpodoll68 said:
It doesn't make any sense, actually. How often does any coach go straight from one head coach job to another in the same conference - in ANY conference, let alone the Big Ten? And sure, Michigan has the money, the fanbase, the prestige; but in terms of the actual on-field product, it's quite easy to argue that Minnesota has already surpassed Michigan. Why would Fleck leave behind his own hand-crafted roster for one he didn't recruit and is, at very best, a lateral move in terms of roster quality?
Click to expand...

Well, in many if not most cases, the roster the coach is leaving for is better than the new one the coach inherits. The 2016 WMU team was better than the 2017 gopher team and even ranked higher than the 2016 nine win gopher team. Jerry Kill's NIU team beat the gophers in Brewsters last year and took the job the following year. Memphis was much better than FSU last year but Norvell took the job anyways and Strong's Louisville teams were better than the Texas team he inherited. Same with Herman's Houston comapred to Texas when he took the job.

Coaches do this because they believe that the ceiling is higher at the next stop even if the current roster isn't as good as the previous roster. Most would argue Michigan has a much better chance to win a national championship than Minnesota.

I agree it is super rare for a coach to move intra-conference but Mullen left Mississippi State for Florida.
 

The death knell for blue blood B1G coaches has been to lose to Minnesota. It did in Pelini and Hoke, and it almost did in James Franklin in '16.
 

On the Yahoo College Sports Podcast Pete Thamel brought up the same PJ to Michigan talk. All depending on the outcome of the game Saturday. Wasn’t anything serious by Thamel. It was more of an afterthought for pure speculation.
 

I'm not naive to think that Minnesota is Fleck's dream job (maybe it is?) and that there are bigger jobs.

But there are some places that I don't think he would leave for in terms of having to deal with people wanting things done "their" way. Texas is one. I also think Michigan is one.

Most programs wouldn't care about Fleck's ways as long as they won, but those two places seem like they want to win on their terms. Deep down, Fleck's not a "Michigan Man" and that would bother some.

Jim Harbaugh built Stanford into a national contender and took a team to the Super Bowl & multiple NFC championship games. The guy can coach! I think Michigan fans need to look at themselves and the sooner they realize that they aren't Ohio State, the more at peace with themselves they will be.
 

I won’t worry about Fleck going to Michigan until a Red’s Savoy opens up in Ann Arbor. If those commercials can’t keep him around, nothing will.
 

Pat Caputo? Pat Caputo? Gees that does ring a bell. Wonder where I heard it before? Oh yeah.;)

Ian Casselberry 4/29/2020
Longtime Detroit sports columnist Pat Caputo laid off after 37 years at Oakland Press
 

It’s not fair Michigan has more empty seats so they can pay more
 

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