Reusse: P.J. Fleck is a much better coach than Tim Brewster, but when it comes to gibberish ...

[jonnyganas]

However, 2024 is a big season IMO. Meeting the national expectation (under 6 wins) would be a huge disappointment to me.

There is a huge opportunity to show an ability to adjust and adapt, right?

I think a lot depends on how the team wins/loses and how they respond to things like injuries or how the coaches respond to mistakes on the field. Fleck has been quick to take the pass game away at the first signs of mistake...will a more experienced Brosmer get a longer leash than the skittish AK?

I listened to the latest Pair and a Spare podcast and there was speculation that they knew AK wasn't going to be the answer at QB midway through last season, which is why we quickly saw the passing game take a backseat. Fleck is now admitting that they fell way short in that area and that this year, they needed an experienced QB1 from the portal. So far from what we know about Brosmer, he checks the boxes and seems he has done nothing but throw himself into the program doing, saying, leading the team. The only thing left to know is can he do it on gameday?

 

[Dano564]

PJ likes to put his own spin on things for sure and he definitely has a gift for the gab as well. For what the Gophers are paying him you should expect more in return. Despite his bowl record the only significant bowl victory in my opinion was against Auburn in the Outback bowl. They've controlled their own destiny for a Big 10 championship appearance the last couple seasons and fumbled that away, pun intended. You do have to ask yourself does PJ have it in him to take this team to another level.

What does his pay have to do with anything?

Is he even a top 30 paid coach?

 

[PMWinSTP]

Only if you alternate it with nostalgic drivel about small town baseball.

I get the baseball dig, but if you grew up in one of those towns like I did, the summer townball games are special and povided some great memories.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

What does his pay have to do with anything?

Is he even a top 30 paid coach?

The Top 25 Highest-Paid College Football Coaches in 2024

Who is the highest-paid college football coach? Georgia's Kirby Smart leads the way, earning $13 million per year. Here's the full list.

frontofficesports.com

Here is a recently updated list of the top 25 paid coaches. Fickell, Captain Kirk and Bielema are to 25. PJ’s salary doesn’t make the cut. I am sure PJ is in the top 40; probably cracks top 35. Not sure about top 30.

 

[GophersInIowa]

this all gets back to Fleck saying that 2023 wasn't a disappointing season because the Gopher won a bowl game.

“The narrative around our place right now is, ‘What are you gonna do after the disappointing year?’” Fleck said. “We just won a bowl game. There are people here just trying to get to a bowl game [for the first time] in decades, and we won our fifth in a row.

OK, let's look at the record.
*5-7 overall regular season -- 3-6 in the B1G (tied for last place in B1G West Division)
*Invited to a Bowl game on academics - not on the team's performance
*The Athletic listed the Quick Lane Bowl as last place in their ranking of bowl game importance.
*Gophers win Bowl game, finish 6-7 for season - an overall losing record.

and the coach says it's not a disappointing year because they won a low-level bowl game?
that is putting lipstick on the pig. and that is what Reusse is responding to.

To think this means he was satisfied with just wining a bowl game is ridiculous though. He's always going to look at the positives more than the negatives and it's ridiculous to continue to think that'll change.

I took this as yeah it was disappointing but being disappointed in a year we won a bowl game for the 5th time in a row is a good sign of where the program has grown to. I don't think he is saying the season wasn't disappointing.

 

[BronkosGhost]

In this day and age (NIL, transfer portal, pay for play) there are about 4 teams in the Big Ten that can make it to the mountain top. We are not one of them (neither are Iowa or Wisky). The question to ask is if Fleck is the right coach for our situation and I think he is.

Actually with NIL, Transfer portal, pay for play combined with the wealth of Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities along with some wealthy alum the Gophers have a better shot today than they did prior to all the changes mentioned. Matter of fact I would argue that since the Gophers are amack dab in the middle of a major Metropolitan area they should have an advantage over other schoola that arent in one.
It's going to take more than Fleck's slogans, catch phrases and average recruiting to build a team.

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

Actually with NIL, Transfer portal, pay for play combined with the wealth of Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities along with some wealthy alum the Gophers have a better shot today than they did prior to all the changes mentioned. Matter of fact I would argue that since the Gophers are amack dab in the middle of a major Metropolitan area they should have an advantage over other schoola that arent in one.
It's going to take more than Fleck's slogans, catch phrases and average recruiting to build a team.

Another ride on this merry-go-round I see

 

[Word]

Actually with NIL, Transfer portal, pay for play combined with the wealth of Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities along with some wealthy alum the Gophers have a better shot today than they did prior to all the changes mentioned. Matter of fact I would argue that since the Gophers are amack dab in the middle of a major Metropolitan area they should have an advantage over other schoola that arent in one.
It's going to take more than Fleck's slogans, catch phrases and average recruiting to build a team.

You're not serious, are you?

 

[mngg11]

There is a huge opportunity to show an ability to adjust and adapt, right?

I think a lot depends on how the team wins/loses and how they respond to things like injuries or how the coaches respond to mistakes on the field. Fleck has been quick to take the pass game away at the first signs of mistake...will a more experienced Brosmer get a longer leash than the skittish AK?

I listened to the latest Pair and a Spare podcast and there was speculation that they knew AK wasn't going to be the answer at QB midway through last season, which is why we quickly saw the passing game take a backseat. Fleck is now admitting that they fell way short in that area and that this year, they needed an experienced QB1 from the portal. So far from what we know about Brosmer, he checks the boxes and seems he has done nothing but throw himself into the program doing, saying, leading the team. The only thing left to know is can he do it on gameday?

If Brosmer plays anything like he's projected himself in other ways so far, we're in for a pleasant season. I'm optimistic!

 

[GophersInIowa]

Actually with NIL, Transfer portal, pay for play combined with the wealth of Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities along with some wealthy alum the Gophers have a better shot today than they did prior to all the changes mentioned. Matter of fact I would argue that since the Gophers are amack dab in the middle of a major Metropolitan area they should have an advantage over other schoola that arent in one.
It's going to take more than Fleck's slogans, catch phrases and average recruiting to build a team.

There's zero benefit of a Fortune 500 company to contribute to NIL. You have to get lucky to have someone very high up in one that is a huge fan.

 

[GopherEnEspaña]

Any sane, sober, rational human being that is living in reality knows how good we have it with PJ during this current NIL/transfer landscape we're in. Anytime I hear someone talk about PJ being anywhere near the hot/luke warm seat, or even entertain that he's not the guy, I know immediately not to take that person's opinion seriously and it shows they have no idea how bad it is out there right now with NIL/portal. PJ has built a unique identity and culture and has given us, from top to bottom, the most skilled/athletic/talented teams we've had in a long, long time.

 

[PMWinSTP]

The Top 25 Highest-Paid College Football Coaches in 2024

Who is the highest-paid college football coach? Georgia's Kirby Smart leads the way, earning $13 million per year. Here's the full list.

frontofficesports.com

Here is a recently updated list of the top 25 paid coaches. Fickell, Captain Kirk and Bielema are to 25. PJ’s salary doesn’t make the cut. I am sure PJ is in the top 40; probably cracks top 35. Not sure about top 30.

Comes in right at #25 on USA Today from last fall. Fleck also is receiving an additional retention bonus of $700K starting this year, so his total comp will be $6.7M for 2024. That puts him at #22 based on the list in the article you posted.

 

[46Gophers]

this all gets back to Fleck saying that 2023 wasn't a disappointing season because the Gopher won a bowl game.

“The narrative around our place right now is, ‘What are you gonna do after the disappointing year?’” Fleck said. “We just won a bowl game. There are people here just trying to get to a bowl game [for the first time] in decades, and we won our fifth in a row.

OK, let's look at the record.
*5-7 overall regular season -- 3-6 in the B1G (tied for last place in B1G West Division)
*Invited to a Bowl game on academics - not on the team's performance
*The Athletic listed the Quick Lane Bowl as last place in their ranking of bowl game importance.
*Gophers win Bowl game, finish 6-7 for season - an overall losing record.

and the coach says it's not a disappointing year because they won a low-level bowl game?
that is putting lipstick on the pig. and that is what Reusse is responding to.

The only lipstick on a pig here is the Strib allowing Pat to continue to pretend to be a competent sports writer.

 

[Word]

There's zero benefit of a Fortune 500 company to contribute to NIL. You have to get lucky to have someone very high up in one that is a huge fan.

Very few big companies in the state are privately owned and the ones that are don't have a huge Gopher fan running them. As you said publicly traded companies have zero incentive to give huge sums of cash to a college football team.

 

[laazrakit]

I like PJ Fleck... I don't always agree with some of his schtick, but I believe he actually lives that stuff. He believes, and that affects the type of players he brings in. I can live with that, too. PJ is never going to chase *****'s, disregarding their personal values, traits, behaviors, and moral principles. He brings in players who seem to internalize what he preaches... and I'm good with that. I don't ever want to open the newspaper (like anyone actually reads a newspaper these days ) and read about a player robbing someone with a gun, dealing drugs... or find out that a bunch of 'em were caught running a train on some young woman. PJ Fleck brings in great kids and produces fine young men. I never got that vibe from Tim Brewster... I think coaches like Coach Brew would bring in anyone with enough stars after their names.

As long as PJ's players hand the football directly to the officials, instead of just flingin' the thing in their general direction... I'm pretty fine with him as the head coach of the Minnesota Gophers.

PJ is entering the danger zone, though... the same danger that took down Brewster.

Tim Brewster couldn't ever hire the right coordinators, on defense, but esp. on offense. PJ has done a better job, esp. on defense (with replacing Robb Smith with Joe Rossi.) PJ has whiffed a bit with the offense, though. The Mike Sandford, Jr. hire was dreadful... and bringing back Kirk Ciarrocca was a bad move, too. So far, Greg Harbaugh, Jr. hasn't set the world on fire... and it remains to be seen whether or not Corey Hetherman was the right coach to bring in... It could be, sometime in the future, when PJ Fleck lives or dies (so to speak) with those choices... but I do think he makes better choices than Brewster ever did.

 

[disco]

Actually with NIL, Transfer portal, pay for play combined with the wealth of Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities along with some wealthy alum the Gophers have a better shot today than they did prior to all the changes mentioned. Matter of fact I would argue that since the Gophers are amack dab in the middle of a major Metropolitan area they should have an advantage over other schoola that arent in one.
It's going to take more than Fleck's slogans, catch phrases and average recruiting to build a team.

Do you really believe this?

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

this all gets back to Fleck saying that 2023 wasn't a disappointing season because the Gopher won a bowl game.

“The narrative around our place right now is, ‘What are you gonna do after the disappointing year?’” Fleck said. “We just won a bowl game. There are people here just trying to get to a bowl game [for the first time] in decades, and we won our fifth in a row.

OK, let's look at the record.
*5-7 overall regular season -- 3-6 in the B1G (tied for last place in B1G West Division)
*Invited to a Bowl game on academics - not on the team's performance
*The Athletic listed the Quick Lane Bowl as last place in their ranking of bowl game importance.
*Gophers win Bowl game, finish 6-7 for season - an overall losing record.

and the coach says it's not a disappointing year because they won a low-level bowl game?
that is putting lipstick on the pig. and that is what Reusse is responding to.

There's no team that hasn't been to a bowl in "decades". Especially Power 5 or Power 3.66666666 or whatever the hell it's now called.

 

[BronkosGhost]

Do you really believe this?

Sure why not? Anyone with a checkbook and the extra money can contribute to the NIL fund. Why wouldn't Coyle, Fleck and every other Gopher coach take advantage of it. This is the new reality of college sports and if their strategy doesn't include taping into those resources then the university needs to find someone else to run the AD.

 

[BronkosGhost]

Do you really believe this?

I'm sorry some of us have a greater understanding of the college football landscape than others. Sure prestigious programs will always have a leg up in recruiting that's why a well funded NIL program is key to countering that. I don't know about the rest of you but I've been watching Gopher football for 40 plus years with the hope that one day they will win something other than a mid tier bowl game and maybe play in Big 10 championship game, it's called hope and I believe in that as well.

 

[BronkosGhost]

Very few big companies in the state are privately owned and the ones that are don't have a huge Gopher fan running them. As you said publicly traded companies have zero incentive to give huge sums of cash to a college football team.

You ever heard of advertising?

 

[gopherbadgerman]

I like PJ. He’s had one great year and a couple of pretty good ones. He’s also had three losing seasons. I think this is a big year for him. If he can find a way to win at least seven games, the public perception of him might change drastically in my opinion. If he has a four or five win season people are gonna start looking around saying how good is this guy really.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

What does his pay have to do with anything?

Is he even a top 30 paid coach?

I think he’s borderline top 25

 

[disco]

You ever heard of advertising?

I'm sorry some of us have a greater understanding of the college football landscape than others. Sure prestigious programs will always have a leg up in recruiting that's why a well funded NIL program is key to countering that. I don't know about the rest of you but I've been watching Gopher football for 40 plus years with the hope that one day they will win something other than a mid tier bowl game and maybe play in Big 10 championship game, it's called hope and I believe in that as well.

I highly doubt you have a greater understanding of the CF landscape than most posters here if you really think there is any value in a major corporation paying college football players in a market like this. It is wealthy individuals that fund pay for play. Corporations are beholden to shareholders who will certainly not see any ROI on those kinds of payments.

The CEO's of most major companies here have no ties to the U either. It's why I've said for the last year that St. Thomas will be better funded for basketball than the Gophers will be in the next five years. They have wealthy alumni that are building them an arena etc. They're going to be able to pay better too.

The posters here all have hope to some extent, but are also realists as well.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

There's zero benefit of a Fortune 500 company to contribute to NIL. You have to get lucky to have someone very high up in one that is a huge fan.

Or, you have to be someone who merits real NIL and is valued as a spokesperson or image for their brand, like Caitlin Clark, but there are few collegiate athletes who fit that model.

 

[disco]

Or, you have to be someone who merits real NIL and is valued as a spokesperson or image for their brand, like Caitlin Clark, but there are few collegiate athletes who fit that model.

True. Caitlin was a special case, but it also helped that she was in a small market like Iowa where she could rise to real stardom.

 

[bamor5229]

I highly doubt you have a greater understanding of the CF landscape than most posters here if you really think there is any value in a major corporation paying college football players in a market like this. It is wealthy individuals that fund pay for play. Corporations are beholden to shareholders who will certainly not see any ROI on those kinds of payments.

The CEO's of most major companies here have no ties to the U either. It's why I've said for the last year that St. Thomas will be better funded for basketball than the Gophers will be in the next five years. They have wealthy alumni that are building them an arena etc. They're going to be able to pay better too.

The posters here all have hope to some extent, but are also realists as well.

I am fully convinced that this dude (BG) is a closet badger fan looking to troll for engagement. No other way to accept it.

 

[60's Guy]

In this day and age (NIL, transfer portal, pay for play) there are about 4 teams in the Big Ten that can make it to the mountain top. We are not one of them (neither are Iowa or Wisky). The question to ask is if Fleck is the right coach for our situation and I think he is.

I agree with you. But, that doesn't mean PJ doesn't make it easy for several people to take warranted pot shots.

 

[Word]

I am fully convinced that this dude (BG) is a closet badger fan looking to troll for engagement. No other way to accept it.

Yep...has to be a troll account.

 

[disco]

Yep...has to be a troll account.

That would make sense.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Reusse remained neutral in the battle of the Siddites and Darkstarrfanboys..