Top 10 Big Ten Coaches in 2025 (9. PJ Fleck, Minnesota)

[BleedGopher]

Per Christopher:

9. PJ Fleck, Minnesota​

While Fleck has lost a bit of his shine, he is still one of the elite coaches in the conference in terms of coaxing the Golden Gophers out of the doldrums in his tenure and making them relevant. After two nine win seasons to start his tenure, Fleck got the Golden Gophers going again in 2024, winning eight games after a disastrous 2023. Now in season 5, with an easy schedule and several key players returning, can Fleck continue to do less with more?

Top 10 Big Ten Coaches in 2025

Where does James Franklin rank in the Big Ten compared to Ryan Day, Dan Lanning, Matt Rhule, Lincoln Riley and others?

nittanylionswire.usatoday.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[mngg11]

Having Moore, Rhule, and Riley above Fleck is hilarious and shows what a dink the author is. 2023 also sucked, but I wouldn't put it in the tier of "disastrous." If we've achieved so much relevance that we can consider a 6 win year disastrous, I think we've made it, fellas.

 

[Word]

Having Moore, Rhule, and Riley above Fleck is hilarious and shows what a dink the author is. 2023 also sucked, but I wouldn't put it in the tier of "disastrous." If we've achieved so much relevance that we can consider a 6 win year disastrous, I think we've made it, fellas.

Moore for sure makes no sense. Riley I guess based off Oklahoma but certainly not Big Ten. Rhule? His college head coaching record is 59-56, pro 11-27. Not sure why he's viewed so highly.

 

[Gophers1992]

I actually like Rhule but there's nothing he has accomplished to put him ahead of PJ.

Riley is a weird one because he has made multiple playoff appearances but also walked into a great spot at OU. Not sure I would argue hard one way or another. Moore is purely there because it's Michigan. There's no way he should be ahead of PJ or Bielema. Frankly Cignetti should be ahead of Moore as well.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

While Fleck has lost a bit of his shine, he is still one of the elite coaches in the conference in terms of coaxing the Golden Gophers out of the doldrums in his tenure and making them relevant. After two nine win seasons to start his tenure, Fleck got the Golden Gophers going again in 2024, winning eight games after a disastrous 2023. Now in season 5, with an easy schedule and several key players returning, can Fleck continue to do less with more?

Season 5?

 

[Gophers1992]

Season 5?

Guess we had more year zeros than I realized.

 

[beavergopher]

Season 5?

You’re forgetting season zero, season double zero, season triple zero and seasoned Quattro zero…

 

[IceBoxGopher]

"After two nine win seasons to start his tenure."

"Now in season 5."

It takes one look at Fleck's Wikipedia page to know this is wrong. How do these writers not double check?

How about instead, something like: After the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Fleck pulled off two nine-win seasons before a stumble in 2023 at 6-7. Last year the Gophers bounced, back, though, with an 8-5 record. Now in his ninth year at the helm, Fleck’s Gophers have an easy schedule and several key players returning, so we’ll see if he can continue doing less with more.

Also, I said to myself 'I bet Nebraska will be ranked ahead.' Sure enough. I think Matt Rhule has done fine work in the past at Temple and Baylor, but I feel like his ranking is boosted simply because it's Nebraska. Same way it's been for the last 10 years for the Huskers in pre-season lists.

 

[BobbyG]

...can Fleck continue to do less with more? I hope not!