Paul Chryst vs. PJ Fleck: Evaluating the extreme differences in personality

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This from a Bucky Backer:

Paul Chryst vs. PJ Fleck: Evaluating the extreme differences in personality​

Erik Buchinger
https://www.facebook.com/dialog/sha...ating-the-extreme-differences-in-personality/

One of the fascinating aspects of college football is the differences between programs across the country. With 130 FBS teams, coaching philosophies and strategies can vary greatly. Army is having a successful season with a 7-3 record by running the football on 87% of snaps, while Mississippi State is a top-25 team throwing the ball on 72.8% of its offensive plays.
Just like schematic ideas can differ to the extreme, some of the coaches’ personalities could not be more opposite from each other, and we’ll see that on Saturday afternoon when Wisconsin travels to take on Minnesota in a game that will determine who will represent the B1G West in the conference title game.
PJ Fleck is in his fifth season as the head coach at Minnesota and is a one-man marketing firm for all things positivity, with as many acronyms and catchphrases as you’ll see in a sport filled with acronyms and catchphrases. Meanwhile, Paul Chryst’s press conferences do not get any more entertaining than when he mentions his program “appreciates the opportunity to get better” for the third time in a 10-minute question-and-answer session.
Chryst even acknowledged his repetitive opening statements following Wisconsin’s win over Nebraska last weekend.

Both personas are working for both Fleck and Chryst, as they have their programs in position to potentially advance to Indianapolis heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
For the Badgers, they would clinch a spot in the B1G Championship Game with a victory. If they lose, they would need Nebraska to beat Iowa on Friday and Indiana to beat Purdue on Saturday to advance. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s only scenario is to beat Wisconsin in addition to Nebraska beating Iowa and Purdue beating Indiana.

PJ Fleck: A jolt of energy​

Fleck is one of the most energetic head coaches you’ll see on the sideline on a college football Saturday. He will sprint toward the other end of the field following the end of a quarter and receives a ton of TV attention during games. As long as he is in Minnesota, Fleck will always be the face of the program.
As much as he will annoy people by how he carries himself, all that matters is what the players think, and they seem to buy everything he sells. It’s hard to deny Fleck has been a success at Minnesota. Through 56 games, Fleck has a 33-23 overall record, and his .589 winning percentage is the highest of any Gophers football coach since the 1950 season ended.


Fleck’s name is often mentioned during coaching carousel season, and it would be interesting to see what the reaction would be if he was put on a bigger stage with larger expectations. Would players and fan bases who expect national championships respond well to his rah rah mantra in the event things start to go poorly? The obvious and probably unfair example would be Butch Jones, who was elevated to Tennessee, and his persona didn’t work after a few losses. Some of his greatest hits include having a turnover trash can on the sideline that made Twitter jokes fairly easy along with infamous sayings like “champions of life” and “5-star hearts.” That doesn’t play when winning expectations are higher.
Minnesota will be in a bowl game for the 3rd time in 5 years under Fleck (the Gophers opted out of a bowl game in 2020), and the breakout season came in 2019 when they finished 11-2. Qualifying for a bowl game and occasionally contending for a B1G West is what should be happening when the Gophers are at their best, and that’s where Fleck has them right now.

Paul Chryst: Dad of Wisconsin​

While Fleck can be seen wearing a necktie on the sideline, Paul Chryst seems to put roughly zero thought into his game day fashion. He looks like every Wisconsin dad who got out of bed, threw on a gray sweatshirt and baseball cap and is ready for a great fall Saturday.
Part of this can be due to the fact Wisconsin has more star players on a national level than Minnesota does most seasons, so it is always a player who is looked at as the face of the Badgers program and not the head coach. Chryst does everything he can to keep the spotlight off of himself and on to the players when the team is performing well.
For as boring as Chryst can be to the fans and media, his even-keeled nature can certainly be a strength for locker room culture and is beneficial for sustained success over a long period. Teams take on the personality of the head coach. Wisconsin started out 1-3 after the first month of the season, and everything could’ve gone off the rails in a hurry, which has happened plenty of times this year. Hello, Florida. Instead, players continued to buy in, stayed focused and put themselves in position to potentially compete for a conference title by winning 7 games in a row.
Wisconsin has a perfect setup as Chryst doesn’t want to be anywhere else, and the university doesn’t want anybody else. Badgers fans should be thanking Gary Andersen every day for leaving for Oregon State after the 2014 season, because the timing worked out perfectly. In his 7th year at Wisconsin, Chryst has a 64-22 record, and his .744 winning percentage is the highest in program history since the end of the 1926 season.
Chryst and Fleck have coached against one another 6 times, including the 2016 Cotton Bowl when Wisconsin beat the Fleck-led Western Michigan Broncos for their only loss of the season. Chryst came out on top in 5 of their matchups, and this will be the second time in the last 3 seasons both are in contention for the top spot in the B1G West heading into the final weekend. Wisconsin won that game 38-17 in a snowy Minneapolis in 2019.

Bucky's Yucky
 



I don't think PJ has done anything more than Chryst has done to indicate he wants to leave. It's just a perception that comes from these personality differences, and Fleck not being a U alum.
 

I don't think PJ has done anything more than Chryst has done to indicate he wants to leave. It's just a perception that comes from these personality differences, and Fleck not being a U alum.
And maybe big city media vs college town media?
 


I knew Chryst's father George. He was the long-time HC at UW-Platteville. Ran a double-wing offense and had a lot of success with it. But just a really nice guy. got to know him when I was working at a radio station in Platteville. that was when the Chicago Bears still held their training camp at Platteville.

George was not a wild and crazy guy, but he was a little more outgoing than his son. Sadly, he died at the age of 54.

and - when George Chryst was a HS coach in Wisconsin, he had an assistant coach on his staff named......Joel Maturi.
 

I knew Chryst's father George. He was the long-time HC at UW-Platteville. Ran a double-wing offense and had a lot of success with it. But just a really nice guy. got to know him when I was working at a radio station in Platteville. that was when the Chicago Bears still held their training camp at Platteville.

George was not a wild and crazy guy, but he was a little more outgoing than his son. Sadly, he died at the age of 54.

and - when George Chryst was a HS coach in Wisconsin, he had an assistant coach on his staff named......Joel Maturi.
Chryst is hard to hate. He's like vanilla ice cream. No one loves it but no one hates it.
 

Chryst is hard to hate. He's like vanilla ice cream. No one loves it but no one hates it.
Exactly. Looks like the sober guy at a family function. Might crack that odd dry joke that nobody gets for 2 minutes until they think about it. Then its funny as hell.
 

Brohm and Ferentz are the only coaches that bother me right now and I don’t even know why.

Remember that Fleck has the same amount of B1G titles as Chryst.
 





I don’t want to admit this out loud, but I have listened to the PJ Fleck show before Common Man on KFAN and during the show he really turns down the schtick for the most part.

And…. drumroll… he seems like a a guy that any kid would want to play for and very personable. I don’t know why any Gophers fan wouldn’t like the guy. Is he full of crap sometimes, absolutely. But in that setting he is very good.
 

I don’t want to admit this out loud, but I have listened to the PJ Fleck show before Common Man on KFAN and during the show he really turns down the schtick for the most part.

And…. drumroll… he seems like a a guy that any kid would want to play for and very personable. I don’t know why any Gophers fan wouldn’t like the guy. Is he full of crap sometimes, absolutely. But in that setting he is very good.
He pays attention to the media more than any coach I remember. He knows exactly what is said about Morgan. He commented on Scoggins questioning kicking on 4th and short.

“We threw the ball to CrAB and it worked for a TD at end of half, the next play was going to be a run and FG to get 3, just like last week. Can only take the shot if it presents itself.”

He really tries to explain his thought process, but people portray it as excuses and not trusting players. I hope he can evolve in that area.
 



Fleck leads the team out of the tunnel and Chryst walks out after the team has run out.
One person needs to be the center of attention and the other person does not.
Nobody needs to ask which style you prefer.
 

Fleck leads the team out of the tunnel and Chryst walks out after the team has run out.
One person needs to be the center of attention and the other person does not.
100%. Never cared much for the "cult of personality" that is PJ Fleck. Give me the Chyrst/Lloyd Carr types, every day and twice on Sunday*.

* if we would win the same amount, regardless.

But if we win more with PJ's style, I don't care. Worth it
 

100%. Never cared much for the "cult of personality" that is PJ Fleck. Give me the Chyrst/Lloyd Carr types, every day and twice on Sunday*.

* if we would win the same amount, regardless.

But if we win more with PJ's style, I don't care. Worth it
There are going to be a lot more coaches like Fleck coming through the ranks so people should probably get used to it. He is young and in good enough shape to actually run out of the tunnel with the team so he leads them out.....but why am I not surprised that there are people in our fanbase that would choose to be bothered by something as dumb as that?
 

There are going to be a lot more coaches like Fleck coming through the ranks so people should probably get used to it. He is young and in good enough shape to actually run out of the tunnel with the team so he leads them out.....but why am I not surprised that there are people in our fanbase that would choose to be bothered by something as dumb as that?
Bothered? Nope.

Annoying that a coach has such a big ego so as to come in and alter the actual uniform with his personal brand, install a bunch of jargon that is all part of his personal branding. Make the team all speak a special language. Etc.

Like I said, don't care and worth it if it turns us into Clemson. But if we're never going to be more than what Iowa/Wisc are ... give me their coaching styles.
 

I think--and could easily be wrong--that when Maturi hired Kill, Chryst was the other finalist (which was largely derided here and on other Gopher-centric boards). As has been stated above, Maturi had a connection with the Chryst family and maybe Maturi was just trying to create some buzz around Chryst for his future opportunities. At any rate, it's hard to dislike Chryst. Good coach.
 

Bothered? Nope.

Annoying that a coach has such a big ego so as to come in and alter the actual uniform with his personal brand, install a bunch of jargon that is all part of his personal branding. Make the team all speak a special language. Etc.

Like I said, don't care and worth it if it turns us into Clemson. But if we're never going to be more than what Iowa/Wisc are ... give me their coaching styles.
Yes, Row the Boat is Fleck's brand but can you honestly say that that slogan "Row the Boat" hasn't become deeply tied to Gopher Football? When Row the Boat is mentioned it isn't just about PJ Fleck it is about the Gopher football program which he tirelessly is out there promoting in a way that no coach before him has here.

Every coach has slogans and jargon. Fleck takes it to another level but he isn't the only one doing this stuff. And the fans of the old school way of doing things better brace themselves because that way is dying out. There are going to be a lot more coaches like Fleck coming up through the ranks in the years ahead because that style is going to play much better with kids today.
 

Yes, Row the Boat is Fleck's brand but can you honestly say that that slogan "Row the Boat" hasn't become deeply tied to Gopher Football? When Row the Boat is mentioned it isn't just about PJ Fleck it is about the Gopher football program which he tirelessly is out there promoting in a way that no coach before him has here.
Of course it has, because he installed it.

I don't get your point. Fleck could just as easily promote "Ski U Mah, Go Gophers" as hard as he did his own personal brand.

Every coach has slogans and jargon.
What are Chyrst's?

Are they on Wisc's uniforms and helmets? Is their merch decked out in it?
 

100%. Never cared much for the "cult of personality" that is PJ Fleck. Give me the Chyrst/Lloyd Carr types, every day and twice on Sunday*.

* if we would win the same amount, regardless.

But if we win more with PJ's style, I don't care. Worth it
Everyone has their own tastes...so the way you put this is totally cool with me. The problem is people who come on here bashing Fleck for his personality (or vehemently defending it). How about we all recognize there's no "right" way to lead and coaches can be successful with many different approaches. Dabo Sweeney and Nick Saban have both won natty's in recent years. One is in the Fleck mold and one is in the Bud Grant mold. Both are considered great.
 

Everyone has their own tastes...so the way you put this is totally cool with me. The problem is people who come on here bashing Fleck for his personality (or vehemently defending it). How about we all recognize there's no "right" way to lead and coaches can be successful with many different approaches. Dabo Sweeney and Nick Saban have both won natty's in recent years. One is in the Fleck mold and one is in the Bud Grant mold. Both are considered great.
Did Dabo install his own personal brand/motto's on the uniforms, and deck their merch out with it?

I'm fine with "culture" stuff. Actually, that is great. No problem with it.

I find the going above and beyond that on the public-facing level, which Fleck does, to be annoying.
 

Of course it has, because he installed it.

I don't get your point. Fleck could just as easily promote "Ski U Mah, Go Gophers" as hard as he did his own personal brand.


What are Chyrst's?

Are they on Wisc's uniforms and helmets? Is their merch decked out in it?
I'm going to do everyone a favor and let this argument go with MG's statement.

But I will say that Row the Boat has become synonymous with Gopher Football and there is a great story with a lot of meaning behind the mantra. You may hate it but players and fans have embraced it (for the most part) and when it is said it isn't about Fleck it is about the team.
 

Row the Boat does have a great story. Get it.

Didn't need to be on the uniforms, or on the merch. Fleck could have just as easily promoted it as a side thing, sold T-shirts with it on the side.

Not made it the front and center public-face of the program. Disagree with that 100%, no matter how well intentioned or well-meaning it was.
 

Fleck will leave, one day. Perhaps many years from now, or perhaps earlier.

And, as. soon. as he does: *poof*. There goes Row the Boat, up into thin air. Just like it did at Western Michigan. They had oars on their helmets, too.

And that's just fine with me.

Ski-U-Mah and Go Gophers, will be here forever
 

Yes, Row the Boat is Fleck's brand but can you honestly say that that slogan "Row the Boat" hasn't become deeply tied to Gopher Football? When Row the Boat is mentioned it isn't just about PJ Fleck it is about the Gopher football program which he tirelessly is out there promoting in a way that no coach before him has here.

Every coach has slogans and jargon. Fleck takes it to another level but he isn't the only one doing this stuff. And the fans of the old school way of doing things better brace themselves because that way is dying out. There are going to be a lot more coaches like Fleck coming up through the ranks in the years ahead because that style is going to play much better with kids today.
The problem is that if Fleck leaves Minnesota that brand goes with him, just like it did when he left Western Michigan. Which makes it HIS brand, not the program's.
 

Fleck will leave, one day. Perhaps many years from now, or perhaps earlier.

And, as. soon. as he does: *poof*. There goes Row the Boat, up into thin air. Just like it did at Western Michigan. They had oars on their helmets, too.

And that's just fine with me.

Ski-U-Mah and Go Gophers, will be here forever
Ha. Didn't read to the end, but we're obviously on the same page.
 

I think it's more complicated than that. Found this on a blog post of a local Patent Attorney:

Row the Boat and Ski-U-Mah – Trademarks, Copyrights, Tee-shirts, and Licensing​

by Christensen, Fonder, Dardi | Oct 26, 2020 | Intellectual Property

I think it's more complicated than that. Found this on a blog post of a local Patent Attorney:
The “Row the Boat” mantra of Coach P.J. Fleck and the ancient Ski-U-Mah of the University of Minnesota football team are ubiquitous. However, these phrases have a complex legal history with regards to ownership. After all, everyone says them, so how can they be owned?

The “Row The Boat” issue and intellectual property​

Coach P.J. Fleck is credited as the creator of the slogan “Row The Boat.” However, his employer at the time, Western Michigan’s board of trustees was the entity that secured a trademark for this slogan in 2013. To bring the slogan with him to the University of Minnesota, Coach Fleck agreed to donate $10,000 annually for five years to Western Michigan’s scholarship funds. He also agreed to his previous commitment to donate $50,000 towards renovations of Western Michigan’s football center.

When the slogan was first created, the university had to own the trademark and licensing rights, or else it could not be soled as a university logo due to NCAA rules. However, Coach Fleck never agreed to giving the University these rights and was never paid for the use of the slogan. Coach Fleck has expressed a desire to purchase the slogan and take it with him to the University of Minnesota.

What about the Ski-U-Mah slogan?​

Coach Fleck would like to use the “Row the Boat” slogan along with the University of Minnesota’s “Ski-U-Mah” slogan. However, this is dependent on Western Michigan allowing him to take the slogan with him to U of M. When researching the meaning of U of M’s “Ski-U-Mah” slogan, Coach Fleck was pleased to find that Ski-U-Mah’s origins were founded in canoe racing. He has used both phrases in his Twitter bio and the “Row the Boat” mantra has been picked up by U of M fans.

Who really owns these phrases?​

As this shows, just because a slogan is widely used by football fans, slogans can be trademarked and licensed, meaning the rights to use the slogan officially belong to the trademark and license holder. Future posts on this blog will address licensing, trademarking and how the “Row the Boat” intellectual property issues were resolved.


Previous posts on this blog discussed the intellectual property issue regarding Coach P.J. Fleck’s ability to bring the “Row the Boat” slogan to the University of Minnesota. The resolution to the licensing issue was ultimately made through negotiations.

Who came up with the “Row The Boat” slogan and how does it fit in with existing U of M slogans?​

The “Row The Boat” slogan was coined by Coach Fleck following the death of his infant son. When Coach Fleck came to U of M, the University intended to blend “Row The Boat” with the University’s own “Ski-U-Mah” slogan, as a means of “embracing the past to create the future.”

Who now owns the “Row The Boat” trademark and how was this negotiated?​

The “Row The Boat” trademark is now owned by Harlan Sports, which is the company that Coach Fleck’s agent founded. Western Michigan entered into a trademark assignment agreement after Coach Fleck was hired by the University of Minnesota. Western Michigan agreed to give up ownership of the slogan, which gave Coach Fleck the ability to bring his trademarked phrase to the University of Minnesota for its use. The slogan is now used on U of M uniforms, products and even for outside sales of Caribou Coffee products.

How is Coach Fleck permitted to use the “Row the Boat” trademark?​

Per the terms of their agreement, Fleck is now permitted to register “rowtheboat” on internet domains for personal use, and to use the slogan outside of the university, as long as the university receives prior notification and the university’s own trademarks are not used.

Coach Fleck is also permitted to use the Ski-U-Mah slogan and university colors on the “Row the Boat” designs as long as doing so is related to his duties as a coach. While Coach Fleck is not permitted to sublicense the use of the design to third parties, the University of Minnesota did give him royalty rights.

“Row the Boat” highlights the complexities of sports slogans and intellectual property​

It is important to note that, due to intellectual property rights, just because a logo or slogan is on the Internet does not mean it is free for the public to use for purposes such as selling products on third-party websites such as Etsy. Per Etsy policy, it can remove or disable access to such products on its website. However, requests for removal can only come from intellectual property owners or their authorized agents, not competitors. Making bad faith statements or material misrepresentations about infringement can be considered perjury and can lead to serious legal penalties. So, when looking for merchandise bearing the slogan of your favorite university or professional sports team, keep in mind that due to intellectual property rights, it is important to only buy from licensed sellers rather than trying to buy products from unlicensed sellers online.
 

The problem is that if Fleck leaves Minnesota that brand goes with him, just like it did when he left Western Michigan. Which makes it HIS brand, not the program's.
Sure...and the next coach will have a new slogan and the uniforms will be adjusted and everyone will move on with their lives. Doesn't change the fact that for right now, Row the Boat is associated with Gopher football, current players, former players, media, fans....when they use it, it isn't about Fleck it is about the program.

Concept of branding is not a new one and it is only going to grow. Kill put Brick to Brick on everything. Fleck is just better at it and has a brand with a deep meaning that fits well with the program.

The brand is on the uniform because it symbolizes what the program is about. The players have embraced it, administration is on board, most fans seem good with it, others choose to get annoyed by it. Can't make everyone happy.
 

There are going to be a lot more coaches like Fleck coming through the ranks so people should probably get used to it. He is young and in good enough shape to actually run out of the tunnel with the team so he leads them out.....but why am I not surprised that there are people in our fanbase that would choose to be bothered by something as dumb as that?
Is this a serious post? Fleck and Franklin are media craving guys.

Fleck running out because he's in "good enough shape"? LOL
 




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