PJ was hired 8 years ago today. What grade would you give the Fleck era?

What grade would you give the Fleck era?

  • A

    Votes: 51 23.9%

  • B

    Votes: 150 70.4%

  • C

    Votes: 12 5.6%

  • D

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • F

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    213
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A-. He’s easily the best Gopher coach in a very long time and has brought about plenty of great moments, multiple good seasons and 1 great season in 8 years (and 7 full seasons). Undefeated in bowl games, has the upper hand on Wisconsin, and at the very least was able to win the pig last year. On top of all of that, he’s still growing as a coach and has brought an unprecedented energy to the program. Fleck is building something here, and I’m optimistic about the future with him at the helm.
 

ergopher said:
A-. He’s easily the best Gopher coach in a very long time and has brought about plenty of great moments, multiple good seasons and 1 great season in 8 years (and 7 full seasons). Undefeated in bowl games, has the upper hand on Wisconsin, and at the very least was able to win the pig last year. On top of all of that, he’s still growing as a coach and has brought an unprecedented energy to the program. Fleck is building something here, and I’m optimistic about the future with him at the helm.
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This is exactly how I feel - he’s trending positively!
 






fmlizard said:
B+ or A-

Best era of Gopher football since Murray Warmath. Some big high points along the way. Positive face of the program and leader who we can be proud of. Has brought stability to the program to the point where Minnesota is one of the most stable rosters and coaching staffs in P4 football. Gopher football sends more guys to the NFL now, and he's adapted well to the changes from NIL and the Portal.

I wish he would have engaged boosters and casual fans more. He's tried, but it seems like he did a better job of it at WMU when he was building up his name. Fleck's a showman and a salesman, but less of one than when he was hired, and he's mostly failed to move the needle on ticket sales, high school recruiting, and fundraising.
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Solid B for me. Aside from wins, my biggest surprises/disappointments have been on recruiting and attendance. Attendance is usually bumped by winning, of course.

Between the opening of the new stadium and Kill digging out from the Brewster years, attendance was strong 10 years ago. Then they initiated scholarship seating over two years. Then Fleck took over and had a bad first year. Unfortunately, after a great year, people weren't allowed at games due to COVID.

Attendance the past two seasons has been really good, partly due to attractive schedules, and the student section is great. I'm really interested to see if they can build on that. The next step is to increase season ticket sales to help keep it filled for November games against teams not named Wisconsin or Iowa and September games against lower-level teams. Season tickets are the key.

2009 - 50,805
2010 - 49,513
2011 - 47,714
2012 - 46,637
2013 - 47,797
2014 - 47,865 scholarship seating begins after this
2015 - 52,355
2016 - 43,814 Fleck starts after this
2017 - 44,358
2018 - 37,915
2019 - 46,190
2020 - 651
2021 - 46,140
2022 - 45,018
2023 - 48,452
2024 - 47,467
 

Hates Monikers said:
Solid B for me. Aside from wins, my biggest surprises/disappointments have been on recruiting and attendance. Attendance is usually bumped by winning, of course.

Between the opening of the new stadium and Kill digging out from the Brewster years, attendance was strong 10 years ago. Then they initiated scholarship seating over two years. Then Fleck took over and had a bad first year. Unfortunately, after a great year, people weren't allowed at games due to COVID.

Attendance the past two seasons has been really good, partly due to attractive schedules, and the student section is great. I'm really interested to see if they can build on that. The next step is to increase season ticket sales to help keep it filled for November games against teams not named Wisconsin or Iowa and September games against lower-level teams. Season tickets are the key.

2009 - 50,805
2010 - 49,513
2011 - 47,714
2012 - 46,637
2013 - 47,797
2014 - 47,865 scholarship seating begins after this
2015 - 52,355
2016 - 43,814 Fleck starts after this
2017 - 44,358
2018 - 37,915
2019 - 46,190
2020 - 651
2021 - 46,140
2022 - 45,018
2023 - 48,452
2024 - 47,467
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The student section is a big deal and a good indicator of how tuned into student life the program and particularly the head coach is. They've been great and get the place rocking no matter how many blue hairs decide not to show up
 

MaxyJR1 said:
58-39 after 8 seasons. (Almost 60% wins)
55 and 35 (61%) if you exclude COVID Season
34-36 in Conference play and 31-32 without COVID Season.
5-7 is worst season
Four 8+ win seasons.

Highest Win % since Bernie Bierman
Moved into 5th most seasons at MN (Williams 22, Warmath 18, Bierman 16, Mason 10, Fleck 8)
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This.

I guarantee you that if we win the last game of the year against wisconsin to give us 11 wins in the regular season and a spot in the Big10 Championship game, that one win would mean everyone here gives coach an A- at worst.

We simply have not won the "big one" that makes the season "legendary".

Because of that and a few horrible losses, some will give him a B- or B.
 



Texan Gopher said:
This.

I guarantee you that if we win the last game of the year against wisconsin to give us 11 wins in the regular season and a spot in the Big10 Championship game, that one win would mean everyone here gives coach an A- at worst.

We simply have not won the "big one" that makes the season "legendary".

Because of that and a few horrible losses, some will give him a B- or B.
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If we won either the Iowa or Wisconsin games in 2019 we win the West, go to the championship game and represent the conference in the Rose Bowl (Ohio State was #1 and was headed to the CFP either way). The inability to win just one of those games will haunt forever.
 

1 ranked season in 8 years. B-, despite the glorious season in 2019.
 

Solid B. Had a couple of chances for West Title and didn’t.
 

I feel like the extent to which he has elevated us to a new level is overstated. We had 8-4 regular seasons 3 of 4 years before he arrived, and that is basically the level we are still at (and now we have been below that level for back to back seasons). I still think he has been an upgrade for the following reasons:

1) 2019 was head and shoulders above any season during my Fandom (while the effect of one great seasons diluted with time if not replicated, having a good high-water mark is worth a lot)

2) not only got the Wisconsin monkey off our back, but has beaten them multiple times (while this has been somewhat offset by frustrating inefficacy against Iowa, the losing streak to Wisconsin was my biggest gripe about the previous regime, and Fleck was the answer)

3) wins the bowl games (always fun to end on a high note)

Went with a solid B. I sometimes rail against him during the season out of frustration because I feel like he could be even better, and too many of our struggles come from self-inflicted wounds in terms of gameplan, playcalling, and clock management. But at the end of the day, results are what matters, and his results have been a clear (even if not drastic) improvement from where we were at the four years before he arrived.
 




Generally agree with all the sentiments being offered.

All facets of the program are operating within the normal range of what makes "stability" for a D1 school. If we had a title or 2 of some kind over these past 8 seasons (other than academic progress) that would push me from B to A.

The reality is the only reason Coach Fleck's seat may be warm is because he's sitting in it.

Progress.
 

If we grade on a tough scale, a national scale and looking strictly at P5 record probably a C+ or B- depending on the yearly results. Before you start throwing your shoes, he has helped maintain the perception of MN as a decent to good team with limited resources and support that isn’t a typically easy out. But, every year the evidence of doubt surfaces with preseason win/loss predictions, rankings etc

For a long-suffering local fan, it’s probably going to be an A or B depending on expectation levels. He’s a funny guy with some quirks that has a charismatic group of players and he’s elevated the overall talent level. With ongoing negotiations and operations there is a real chance to break through into the CFP in the next handful of years if things break the right way. Stay tuned.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
I feel like the extent to which he has elevated us to a new level is overstated. We had 8-4 regular seasons 3 of 4 years before he arrived, and that is basically the level we are still at (and now we have been below that level for back to back seasons). I still think he has been an upgrade for the following reasons:

1) 2019 was head and shoulders above any season during my Fandom (while the effect of one great seasons diluted with time if not replicated, having a good high-water mark is worth a lot)

2) not only got the Wisconsin monkey off our back, but has beaten them multiple times (while this has been somewhat offset by frustrating inefficacy against Iowa, the losing streak to Wisconsin was my biggest gripe about the previous regime, and Fleck was the answer)

3) wins the bowl games (always fun to end on a high note)

Went with a solid B. I sometimes rail against him during the season out of frustration because I feel like he could be even better, and too many of our struggles come from self-inflicted wounds in terms of gameplan, playcalling, and clock management. But at the end of the day, results are what matters, and his results have been a clear (even if not drastic) improvement from where we were at the four years before he arrived.
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While yes, we did have some 8 win seasons prior to Fleck, I think the big difference is in Fleck’s 8 win years we left some wins on the table, where previously it was more of a ceiling. Plus for the two Kill years 7 of the wins were against cream puff non conference teams.
 

btowngopher said:
While yes, we did have some 8 win seasons prior to Fleck, I think the big difference is in Fleck’s 8 win years we left some wins on the table, where previously it was more of a ceiling. Plus for the two Kill years 7 of the wins were against cream puff non conference teams.
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I the out cream puff non conference point is well taken, though we also had a non-con loss against a top 10 TCU team.

I think where our analyses probably differ is that I don't see "leaving wins on the table" as a plus factor. Assuming equal schedules (and obviously no two schedules are identical), of coach A has a less impressive roster and finds a way to execute, win every competitive game, and hit their "ceiling", and coach B gets to the same number of wins with a more talented roster that managed to squander away potential wins, i see that as an equal outcome. The two coaches' respective strengths and weaknesses got them to the same result. (Not saying Kill/Claeys and Fleck had equal results, as I noted in my previous post, the big differentiators for me are the 2019 season, which was substantially better than any season under the previous regime, and getting to win number 9 in the bowl games).
 


Texan Gopher said:
This.

I guarantee you that if we win the last game of the year against wisconsin to give us 11 wins in the regular season and a spot in the Big10 Championship game, that one win would mean everyone here gives coach an A- at worst.

We simply have not won the "big one" that makes the season "legendary".

Because of that and a few horrible losses, some will give him a B- or B.
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I would definitely trade the last three axe wins and the Iowa win the or that Wisconsin win.
 


bleedsmaroonandgold said:
I the out cream puff non conference point is well taken, though we also had a non-con loss against a top 10 TCU team.

I think where our analyses probably differ is that I don't see "leaving wins on the table" as a plus factor. Assuming equal schedules (and obviously no two schedules are identical), of coach A has a less impressive roster and finds a way to execute, win every competitive game, and hit their "ceiling", and coach B gets to the same number of wins with a more talented roster that managed to squander away potential wins, i see that as an equal outcome. The two coaches' respective strengths and weaknesses got them to the same result. (Not saying Kill/Claeys and Fleck had equal results, as I noted in my previous post, the big differentiators for me are the 2019 season, which was substantially better than any season under the previous regime, and getting to win number 9 in the bowl games).
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I’m not saying leaving wins on the table is a good thing, but if you do that enough eventually you’ll have some seasons where you don’t leave them on the table. I think the ceiling was definitely raised, of course we haven’t hit as often as we’d like but it’s been there for the taking.
 

My first reaction was a B because he didn’t win the west and left too many winnable games on the table. Then as I thought about it, I’m a long suffering local fan (Chicago) class of 83 and changed it to an A.

As many have pointed out he’s done more at the U than any other coach since I became a Gopher. He’s raised our floor a TON, he’s also raised our ceiling although he hasn’t reached our potential yet.

I believe he’s done as well or better than we could reasonably expect at Minnesota and there’s still hope he wins all the winnable games and raises the ceiling even higher.

Runs a clean respectable program a fan can be proud of too.

Go Gophers!
 

PMWinSTP said:
Has Fleck been worth the $40M+ he has been paid?
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I mean you could argue that no power 4 coach is worth what they get paid right now but in terms of coaches and the kind of money they currently make, yes Fleck has absolutely been worth what he has been paid.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I mean you could argue that no power 4 coach is worth what they get paid right now but in terms of coaches and the kind of money they currently make, yes Fleck has absolutely been worth what he has been paid.
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Coyle is a moron, so we’ve probably paid PJ 4-5 million total more than we would’ve had to, or maybe should have. Does that really move the needle on anything other than just Coyle being an idiot and being played like a drum by PJ’s agent – – not really.
 

Solid A, at times he has shown to be too conservative with his play calling on offense to my liking at running the ball 40 times a game was not entertaining football for the past several years.

That being said given where we were 10 years ago, I don't see how anybody can give an alternative grade. At the Mayo Bowl this year they flashed on the screen all of the pro players we have and tbh we have so many I kind of forgot the sheer number of quality players, a lot of them starters. I remember the days when we would maybe have 1 or 2 in the league at a given point.\

We have essentially landed at expecting 8 wins every year. If we can take a leap over the next couple of years to get to a 10 win season again I would say he's proven a lifetime contract tbh
 

1.) Leadership Development: A - The U of M Football program seems to develop healthy young men that impact the community and others around them. They are all class!! If there is a reason the whole state should get behind Fleck this should be it. He has created a culture that differentiates us from other programs and that is hard to do in this day and age.

2.) Player Development: A - I have so much fun watching the NFL now. Seeing so many Gophers playing and being key contributors is amazing. I love that we are on par or above schools like WI and IA. We have created something that people should be proud to be a part of.

3.) Wins/Losses: B - 2019 was great and overall we had done better than anyone expected. Still because of points #1 and #2 it has left me a little disappointed that we have not won more.

4.) Coaching: B- to C+ I think PJ is a great leader who has had some bad hires (which he did not stick with long). I also think he sometimes makes poor coaching choices in close games that impact momentum.

5.) Overall: B+
 

A solid and well-deserved B, which is a good grade.

Not a C, because the Gophers have generally been better than average during his tenure and because he consistently qualifies for and wins bowl games.

Not an A, because he had his greatest success with a senior class that was recruited by the previous regime, because he's only had one exceptionally good season in eight years, and because he likes to pretend he built the program from the ground up when he really didn't.
 

kix4kix said:
Solid A, at times he has shown to be too conservative with his play calling on offense to my liking at running the ball 40 times a game was not entertaining football for the past several years.
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I love winning with the run, and I think that running the ball 40 times with success is very entertaining.

The only part of that I don't like is making one guy carry the ball 40 times, which Fleck has done.
 


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