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I was correct on it being a LB coach with Rutgers ties, just guessed the wrong guy. Crow for me.

I like this hire!
 

Some Day...Maybe said:
Love how he hires all these East Coast guys who are so easy to lure back East once they prove themselves. Brilliant strategy. Cultural Sustainability. Guess that's what happens when you hire a head coach whose coaching ties all seem to be East Coast. Too bad because there are an abundance or really good coaches with Minnesota/Midwest ties that may actually want to stay in MN for a while. Not saying this guy isn't a really good coach, looks like he is. Let's see where he is in 3 years.
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It seems he does more hiring on suggestions from his connections than his actual connections. Fleck has been a HC for 11 years and was only an assistant for 6 years at 3 different spots. Schiano is who he seems to have learned from and trusts that system on defense.
 





Trading the K Irish twins for a well rounded DC is a Win Win. What type of defensive front does he run? odd or even? Looking forward to his work in spring ball & the transfer portal.
 


Rutgers LB coach as his last job is not exciting, but that's more a statement about how crappy coaching salaries are outside the P5, and especially outside the FBS. There are tremendous coaches working in FBS, especially at the Xs and Os.

He's got plenty of experience coaching defense, just as much as Joe Rossi. He's also used to working without superior talent. The outcomes of his tenure will probably come down to recruiting and keeping guys out of the Portal.
 




Wonder what the delay was. Did someone from South Dakota or the NFL turn him down? Perhaps Fleck was just getting his ducks in order.
 

Be nice if he could bring a linebacker or two with him. Didn’t Rutgers have a pretty good D this season?
 





Some Day...Maybe said:
Love how he hires all these East Coast guys who are so easy to lure back East once they prove themselves. Brilliant strategy. Cultural Sustainability. Guess that's what happens when you hire a head coach whose coaching ties all seem to be East Coast. Too bad because there are an abundance or really good coaches with Minnesota/Midwest ties that may actually want to stay in MN for a while. Not saying this guy isn't a really good coach, looks like he is. Let's see where he is in 3 years.
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While this criticism has some validity, most coaches are professional transients. It's not realistic to expect to keep a staff together the way Kill did. I also think PJ has been very transparent internally and externally about wanting a group of coaches that are on the up-and-coming side and who are going to look for the next opportunity. It's admirable that he wants that for his coaches. And to be fair to him, he's had staff that have been given promotions/opportunities elsewhere.

Time will tell on the hire obviously but, from a resume perspective: multiple years calling a successful defense, more than a decade of coaching experience, runs a 4-2-5 base, and is still only 39. Checks a lot of boxes, sorry he's not from the midwest.
 




Some Day...Maybe said:
Love how he hires all these East Coast guys who are so easy to lure back East once they prove themselves. Brilliant strategy. Cultural Sustainability. Guess that's what happens when you hire a head coach whose coaching ties all seem to be East Coast. Too bad because there are an abundance or really good coaches with Minnesota/Midwest ties that may actually want to stay in MN for a while. Not saying this guy isn't a really good coach, looks like he is. Let's see where he is in 3 years.
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I’d bet that the issue you bring up is completely irrelevant to his tenure at MN - so many other possibilities that being concerned about something 5+ years from now….
 


Understanding that Maine and JMU are lower division, his defenses there were very good. Hoping it translates. The X's and O's dont change much. On the surface, I'm pretty positive on the hire.
 

Gonna go out on a limb and posit this wasn't choice 1.

Still, seems to have some positives. Hope he can recruit.
 

USAF said:
Gonna go out on a limb and posit this wasn't choice 1.

Still, seems to have some positives. Hope he can recruit.
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I'm not sure Fleck is a guy that goes into it with a #1 guy. Was he the first offered? We will never know. Was this done last week and Fleck wanted a Thamel tweet on National Championship day? Possibly.
 



CentralGopher said:
OT but Northwestern got their OC from SDSU. Not as much experience as our new DC but has done well since being in that position.
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Interesting. I was basically told by someone that someone with this little coordinating experience would not be hired at the P5 level, when I suggested we look at SDSU's DC for our DC job.
 



FinnGopher said:
Here's an article about Corey Hetherman's defenses when he was the DC at James Madison and Maine. Look for heavy blitz packages

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1. Gophers this season rushed light on big plays and got torched.

2. Bring the house worked better.
 


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