Top 5 rivalries between college football head coaches (#4. PJ Fleck and Jerry Kill)

BleedGopher

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Per Michael:

4. P.J. Fleck (Missouri) vs. Jerry Kill (New Mexico State)​

Jerry Kill and P.J. Fleck are examples of two coaches who have stellar coaching careers at the MAC to go on to be successful head coaches for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Kill was successful for the Northern Illinois Huskies and then spent four and a half seasons with Minnesota (2011-2015) before he resigned due to serious health problems. After a season and a half of Tracy Claeys, Minnesota hired Western Michigan Broncos head coach P.J. Fleck.

The Golden Gophers community loves both coaches, but they have had a series of feuds against each other. Kill ripped Fleck for wanting to change the football program’s culture and its image with his famous “rowing the boats” motto.

Kill took this matter by Fleck as a personal attack against the program he created. A year and a half after Kill resigned from the program, the Golden Gophers had 10 players suspended under accusations of sexual assault. Coach Claeys defended his players and their first amendment rights and was fired shortly after.

Fleck’s desire to change the program was not in the direction of coach Kill but to the off-the-field issues. That didn’t stop Kill from being disappointed with the University of Minnesota and the football program. He vowed never to step back into the football stadium again. Fleck focuses on his actions and not the potential distractions from coach Kill.

To make things interesting, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, led by P.J. Fleck, will start their 2022 season by hosting the New Mexico State Aggies, led by first-year head coach Jerry Kill.


Go Gophers!!
 



it's a little odd to call it a rivalry when the two, to the best of my knowledge, have never faced each other as opposing head coaches.

this is more of a personal rivalry - to be fair, mostly on Kill's part.

Now, if the two of them start punching each other instead of shaking hands after the game, then we've got a different story........

That should be a poll on here: odds that Fleck and Kill will actually shake hands after the game. My gut tells me it will be a very short and impersonal handshake.
 

Yes, it will be a short handshake of some sort. Will be interesting. Also be interesting if they share some small talk on the field prior to the game like most coaches do.
 


It will not be amicable, but ol’ Jer and PJ will shake hands.

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Jerry Kill’s biggest rival is humility
And his second biggest rival is passer efficiency rating
PJ Fleck a distant 3rd


PJ fleck’s biggest rival is throwing with a lead
His second biggest rival is the star tribune
Third biggest rival is speaking without catch phrases
Jerry kill unregistered
 

Jerry Kill’s biggest rival is humility
And his second biggest rival is passer efficiency rating
PJ Fleck a distant 3rd


PJ fleck’s biggest rival is throwing with a lead
His second biggest rival is the star tribune
Third biggest rival is speaking without catch phrases
Jerry kill unregistered
I'd say PJ's 3rd biggest rival is not using a timeout on his opening offensive posession.

Jer's 3rd biggest rival is trying to not mention his hometown.

Otherwise, good list!
 





Per Michael:

4. P.J. Fleck (Missouri) vs. Jerry Kill (New Mexico State)​

Jerry Kill and P.J. Fleck are examples of two coaches who have stellar coaching careers at the MAC to go on to be successful head coaches for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Kill was successful for the Northern Illinois Huskies and then spent four and a half seasons with Minnesota (2011-2015) before he resigned due to serious health problems. After a season and a half of Tracy Claeys, Minnesota hired Western Michigan Broncos head coach P.J. Fleck.

The Golden Gophers community loves both coaches, but they have had a series of feuds against each other. Kill ripped Fleck for wanting to change the football program’s culture and its image with his famous “rowing the boats” motto.

Kill took this matter by Fleck as a personal attack against the program he created. A year and a half after Kill resigned from the program, the Golden Gophers had 10 players suspended under accusations of sexual assault. Coach Claeys defended his players and their first amendment rights and was fired shortly after.

Fleck’s desire to change the program was not in the direction of coach Kill but to the off-the-field issues. That didn’t stop Kill from being disappointed with the University of Minnesota and the football program. He vowed never to step back into the football stadium again. Fleck focuses on his actions and not the potential distractions from coach Kill.
,
To make things interesting, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, led by P.J. Fleck, will start their 2022 season by hosting the New Mexico State Aggies, led by first-year head coach Jerry Kill.


Go Gophers!!
In hindsight, the wheels came off under Tracy Claeys. He is an X and O guy. He was not a type of coach like Jerry Kill who handles all of the coaching responsibilities like enforcing discipline.
 
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Fleck was also an Assistant Coach under Kill at NIU. Fleck was one of two NIU assistants to be retained by incoming head coach Jerry Kill after Joe Novak retired. Kill added the title of recruiting coordinator to Fleck's resume.
 




A very stupid article, antihapy is not the same as a rivalry.
Frosty and PJ might be rivals for their teams play each other and there also seems to be some antihapy.
 

Well, since this is more in the sour grapes category of "rivalries" it is worth noting Mase said he would never step into TCF even after built.

Obviously he got over it.

If time heals all wounds, then lets hope 60 minutes of gametime therapy is the appropriate salve for these two.

Probably far more interesting would be if Tracy Claeys were HC for New Mexico State...
 


A very stupid article, antihapy is not the same as a rivalry.
Frosty and PJ might be rivals for their teams play each other and there also seems to be some antihapy.
'Ole Brewster and Bielema certainly come closer to antipathy and rivalry than Kill and PJ...
 



Yeah, not a coaching rivalry. Some drama there, but not a rivalry.

Osborne Vs. Switzer and Schembecchler Vs. Hayes, those were coaching rivalries. Urban Meyer Vs. Nick Saban or Nick Saban Vs. Dabo could be listed as rivalries. You could even argue that Fleck Vs. Brohm is a coaching rivalry.

Kill Vs. Fleck is something that's just going to happen once in the foreseeable future and it's only getting attention because Kill is still bitter.
 

Playing once in a non-conference game is not quite a rivalry. There are three coaches in the West who don't seem to like Fleck and the feeling seems to be mutual.
 

Playing once in a non-conference game is not quite a rivalry. There are three coaches in the West who don't seem to like Fleck and the feeling seems to be mutual.
Wait who are the other 2? Scott Frost and ?
 






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