BleedGopher
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per Randy:
After two years apart, Kirk Ciarrocca and P.J. Fleck met at a small airport recently, the old and new Gophers offensive coordinator and Minnesota's head coach reuniting in hopes of reinvigorating the team's offense.
Did they share a "welcome back'' hug? A hearty handshake, perhaps? A solid slap on the back?
"It really was kind of weird,'' Ciarrocca said. "He got off the plane, and I'm standing there, and he comes walking in, 'Hey, Kirk.' I was like, 'Hey, P.J. What's going on, bud?' … It was like I never left. I've had that feeling a lot since I've gotten back, which makes me smile.''
Said Fleck, "It just felt like, 'Yep, Kirk's here to pick me up. Just get in the car and go.' It just felt very routine.''
On Monday, Ciarrocca met the local media for the first time since being named Gophers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Dec. 6, his second go-round in the job after holding those titles from 2017 through the 2019 regular season. While admitting he was a little nervous, Ciarrocca detailed three major reasons that made it easy to return to the Gophers after spending the 2020 season as Penn State's offensive coordinator and the 2021 campaign as a senior offensive analyst for West Virginia.
"One was P.J. He's a great head coach, he's a friend, and I know that it works with him, that we can play off each other, and I'm really comfortable with him,'' Ciarrocca said.
"Two, the staff. These are all guys who I've worked with before. I have tremendous respect, so there were no questions for me about what the work environment was going to be like from the head coach and with the staff.
"And really, the third thing was the kids that are here,'' he added. "I knew I had a relationship with the older kids. I was hoping they would welcome me back and be excited about it. I felt like there was going to be a trust that we would have immediately. … I'm here as more than a football coach.''
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
After two years apart, Kirk Ciarrocca and P.J. Fleck met at a small airport recently, the old and new Gophers offensive coordinator and Minnesota's head coach reuniting in hopes of reinvigorating the team's offense.
Did they share a "welcome back'' hug? A hearty handshake, perhaps? A solid slap on the back?
"It really was kind of weird,'' Ciarrocca said. "He got off the plane, and I'm standing there, and he comes walking in, 'Hey, Kirk.' I was like, 'Hey, P.J. What's going on, bud?' … It was like I never left. I've had that feeling a lot since I've gotten back, which makes me smile.''
Said Fleck, "It just felt like, 'Yep, Kirk's here to pick me up. Just get in the car and go.' It just felt very routine.''
On Monday, Ciarrocca met the local media for the first time since being named Gophers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Dec. 6, his second go-round in the job after holding those titles from 2017 through the 2019 regular season. While admitting he was a little nervous, Ciarrocca detailed three major reasons that made it easy to return to the Gophers after spending the 2020 season as Penn State's offensive coordinator and the 2021 campaign as a senior offensive analyst for West Virginia.
"One was P.J. He's a great head coach, he's a friend, and I know that it works with him, that we can play off each other, and I'm really comfortable with him,'' Ciarrocca said.
"Two, the staff. These are all guys who I've worked with before. I have tremendous respect, so there were no questions for me about what the work environment was going to be like from the head coach and with the staff.
"And really, the third thing was the kids that are here,'' he added. "I knew I had a relationship with the older kids. I was hoping they would welcome me back and be excited about it. I felt like there was going to be a trust that we would have immediately. … I'm here as more than a football coach.''
Back with Gophers, Kirk Ciarrocca feels right at home
The offensive coordinator is excited about his reunion with coach P.J. Fleck and Minnesota.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!