P. J. Fleck

Submitted by mickblue on

Western Michigan has 2 wins against B10 this year.

They've beaten Northwestern and Illinois.

That is as many  B10 wins  as either Purdue, Illinois, or Rutgers will get in 9 games this season.

Coach P. J. Fleck is a rising star at age 35.

I wouldn't be surprised if he is coaching in B10 next year.

The Purdue and Penn State jobs will probably be open to name 2.

Coldwater

September 19th, 2016 at 8:05 AM ^

If he continues to have a great season, he's going to have his pick of job openings. It will be impossible for Western to match the salary offers he gets at power five schools.



But he's a different cat. He has a pretty sweet life in Kalamazoo. He might be content on staying there for a few more years.

Robbie Moore

September 19th, 2016 at 8:33 AM ^

...jump at just any available Power 5 job. He is too good to feel he has to take Purdue, for instance. Someone will bring Penn State back but it will likely be 10 years from now.  A traditional power fallen on hard times would be smart to pick him up. I really think he is the next great coach. Texas anyone?

Mr Miggle

September 19th, 2016 at 9:09 AM ^

I honestly couldn't see either one happening. No agent worth a damn would let him go to Purdue. Texas level jobs are a pipe dream.

I don't know where he's a good fit. After he was hired at WMU he pulled the offers for all WMU commits. That kind of stunt wouldn't fly at many P5 schools.

 

The Mad Hatter

September 19th, 2016 at 9:31 AM ^

I thought (and still think) that was a really shitty thing to do, especially so late in the process.  Those were MAC level recruits, so it's not like they could just pick the next school on their list and go get a scholarship.  I bet a lot of them got screwed out of a free education.

Speaks to Fleck having some character flaws in my opinion.  Maybe he'd be a good fit in the SEC?

FolkstyleCoach

September 19th, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^

Why you no like Fleck? Is it because he never sang in a choir? Next time I have a question about a choir director ill ask you. Stop talking about thing that you are clearly uninformed on. Go warm up those vocal chords....

The Mad Hatter

September 19th, 2016 at 11:31 AM ^

Because I want to know just what grammar and punctuation ever did to you?  Why do you hate them so?  Also, your obsession with my beautiful singing voice is strange and pathetic.

There is also no comparison between what Harbaugh did and what PJ did.  Harbaugh may have cut loose some players that weren't going to ever see the field, and there was the Swenson situation last year, but PJ yanked EVERY scholarship at the last damn minute when he was hired.

People would have lost their minds if that happened at Michigan (rightfully so), even if Harbaugh was the one that did it.

On a more personal note, I do hope that you eventually receive the mental health treatment that you so obviously need.  And I hope that treatment includes a basic English class.

TheTruth41

September 19th, 2016 at 1:39 PM ^

Yes, perhaps a shitty thing to do.

 

On the other, you're not going to handicap your first season by taking guys 'just because' ie can't pick the next school on their list.  If you're coming in trying to make orange juice you're not going to want to accept a lot of apples.  Maybe some apples would enhance your flavor but if you're out for an end goal you don't really want to accept anything counter to that.

 

It's a difficult line to walk.  I'm sure you don't want to hurt the kids in any way but if they knew the situation where there was a new coach and they didn't set up back-up plans then shame on them.  You can't say, "But I got no where else to go, coach so you've gotta take me."  Not going to be much easier after college either.  To the coach, this is life after college...it's his job, his family.  He's not going to want to sacrifice that to honor scholarships by someone else.  You're not helping the kid as an A player in a B system.  You want B players for your B system, or A with A.  You're not helping yourself in winning with players you don't think could help you win and in that job as a MAC head coach, you want to win so you can rise up.  You keep those kids you set yourself back a year if not more depending how many stay.

 

There is no good solution and I wouldn't blame any coach for any way he chose to go.

FolkstyleCoach

September 19th, 2016 at 10:49 AM ^

That happens all the time when a new coach takes over, hell even our coach cleaned house. Pipkins looking pretty good for TT, right? Who cares.

What you dont point out is how many prefered walkons he has awarded scholarships because they have earned it through a meritocracy much like our own. Maybe he pulled those offers so he could make room for the 3 consecutive MAC record setting recruiting classes, best classes ever in the MAC and he has all 3 in a row. HE is just a confident coach who knew he could get better players.

He runs a tight ship and if you dont know what you are talking abou then just stop talking. ROW  THE BOAT!

Mr Miggle

September 19th, 2016 at 11:36 AM ^

Yes, coaches may clean house after they come in and work with the players. Pipkins is a really shitty example to use since our medical staff wouldn't clear him.

When Harbaugh came in he didn't pull the offer from a single one of Hoke's commits. I know, none and all are practically the same thing. Swensen happened a year later and that's been discussed a lot.

Yes, Fleck is a confident coach. Yes, his approach worked for him. That doesn't make it above criticism. It still matters how you treat people. As I said above, it simply wouldn't be tolerated at a lot of places.

 

CalifExile

September 19th, 2016 at 2:45 PM ^

Let's hope we never find out that our medical staff was right and TT's was wrong. You do realize that it is possible our guys' analysis was correct even if Pipkins is performing at a high level, don't you? It's partly about probabilities.

nerv

September 19th, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^

I have some family that are administration at WMU and Fleck is not a popular man among his piers at all. Kind of considered an arrogant and abrasive personality. Which isn't exactly bad as a football coach... it just doesn't seem like it may be the warmest environment over there in KZoo. 

I guess the whole point of that is I definitely think it will be sooner rather later when Fleck leaves. It doesnt seem like the university is pining over him and working their hardest to retain him any longer.

I'm not sure the coaching hot seats out west, but I feel like the Pac would be a great landing spot for him. There really isnt a powerhouse in that conference right now and its undergoing a lot of flux in their top teams. A young talented up and coming coach like PJ could really use that turmoil to make his mark in the P5.

evenyoubrutus

September 19th, 2016 at 8:07 AM ^

Serious question, would many highly sought after coaches even want the Penn State job? Maybe I'm overanalyzing things but it really seems as though most of the college football world is disgusted by the fact that they have chosen to still honor a man who was undeniably protecting a child molester.