BleedGopher
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Per Randy:
“The reason they are so successful,” Fleck said of the Hawkeyes and Badgers during a 2018 news conference, “is that that’ve had the same system, same coaches, same people that they can recruit to, that they can develop. … If people think you just hire a coach and immediately win, you need to look around the country."
Fast forward seven years, and Fleck has that cultural sustainability he sought. He begins his ninth season as Minnesota’s coach when the Gophers face Buffalo on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium. Suddenly, he ranks third in tenure among active Big Ten coaches, trailing Ferentz (27th year) and Penn State’s James Franklin (12th). Fleck is fifth among all Gophers coaches in time on the job, trailing only Henry L. Williams (22 years), Murray Warmath (18), Bernie Bierman (16) and Glen Mason (10).
Fleck has had his ups — an 11-2 record and No. 10 final poll ranking in 2019 — and downs — a 5-7 debut in 2017 and a 6-7 clunker in 2023. He’s won six consecutive bowl games but three times has fallen a win short of earning a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.
He has raised expectations for the program to the point where a 7-5 or 8-4 record draws shoulder shrugs from a fan base jonesing for more of that 11-2 stuff from six years ago.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
“The reason they are so successful,” Fleck said of the Hawkeyes and Badgers during a 2018 news conference, “is that that’ve had the same system, same coaches, same people that they can recruit to, that they can develop. … If people think you just hire a coach and immediately win, you need to look around the country."
Fast forward seven years, and Fleck has that cultural sustainability he sought. He begins his ninth season as Minnesota’s coach when the Gophers face Buffalo on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium. Suddenly, he ranks third in tenure among active Big Ten coaches, trailing Ferentz (27th year) and Penn State’s James Franklin (12th). Fleck is fifth among all Gophers coaches in time on the job, trailing only Henry L. Williams (22 years), Murray Warmath (18), Bernie Bierman (16) and Glen Mason (10).
Fleck has had his ups — an 11-2 record and No. 10 final poll ranking in 2019 — and downs — a 5-7 debut in 2017 and a 6-7 clunker in 2023. He’s won six consecutive bowl games but three times has fallen a win short of earning a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.
He has raised expectations for the program to the point where a 7-5 or 8-4 record draws shoulder shrugs from a fan base jonesing for more of that 11-2 stuff from six years ago.
Through ups and downs, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck keeps promise on sustainability
Fleck is third among Big Ten coaches in tenure and has raised expectations among U fans as the season begins Thursday.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!