FOX 9 KMSP: PJ Fleck to Minnesota - six years $21 million

Submitted by Two Hearted Ale on

KMSP Minneapolis 

Two sources close to the situation say that Fleck has tentatively agreed to a deal tonight that will be in the neighborhood of six years and will pay him $21 million.  Another source says a press conference announcing the decision is expected to be held Friday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium. 

 

MGoBoard

stephenrjking

January 5th, 2017 at 11:30 PM ^

No doubts about the terms of the deal, though a small part of me wonders if he has fully agreed to this or if this is just the deal that they have settled on if he comes.

Good move for everyone if he takes it, I think. 

FWIW it's not like Huge is the only person that has been reporting on this today.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143976

BigCat14

January 5th, 2017 at 11:56 PM ^

Bloody Mary on a Thursday night.  I had knee surgery last week so I am recovering.  However, I am plugged in as i have cousins that border Minnesota in Wisconsin and my wife's uncle (that sadly passed away) had a cabin in the tri-city area.  Where we fished on several lakes and the sentiment was that PJ could not handdle the cold there.  Of course it could all be the bloody Mary and the whiskey mix drink I had.  Or we could wake up in the morning and the Flexmeister will still be 'Rowing the boat' in WM?  

Go Blue!

 

Joined: 09/14/2009

MGoPoints: 1141

blueturtle

January 6th, 2017 at 12:09 AM ^

Even if he turns them down he's hurt himself by the process. Every recruit should understand the coach who recruited them may not be around. But after doing the old "I love WMU, want to remain a Bronco" song and dance it can't help with any recruits that are on the fence. Might as well do a Steve Miller and Take The Money And Run.

Joined: 01/04/2016

MGoPoints: 160

alum96

January 5th, 2017 at 11:39 PM ^

It's a great fit for a young up and coming coach like this - especially for PJ as he is a Midwest guy.  It's in the easy side of the conference, no major expectations (win 9 games there and they will be ecstatic), not a fervant fan base that may get turned off by some of his "happy happy" attitude like even some Oregon alums apparently were afraid of; if he gets them to a 10 win type of season then he is gone in a few yrs and goes to a top tier P5. 

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82539

stephenrjking

January 5th, 2017 at 11:57 PM ^

The situation is ugly and I think the administration handled things poorly even if I do think firing Claeys was probably the right move (forget the tweet, consider the event about which there is no dispute *involving a recruit*  that led to all of this), but the administration is also stepping into an ugly spot very quickly and needed to show energetic action. Letting the ghost of Norwood Teague come drifting back into the picture would not be good at all.

Fleck's personality may be perfect for a team that is in a dark place right now.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143976

triangle_M

January 5th, 2017 at 11:53 PM ^

Happy for Minnesota.  They deserve a good coach. I hope they give him time to adapt his offense to Big 10 talent and schemes.   Like any hot hire, if they are doing it to make a splash and not behind the learning curve of the coach it will just flame out again.

Joined: 03/09/2011

MGoPoints: 5648

1974

January 6th, 2017 at 6:06 AM ^

I've said this before here: Until proven otherwise, PJ Fleck is upper-middle-class Brady Hoke.

To succeed at a P5 conference, you need more than one high-level skill. Fleck has shown that he's very good at ... culture, but he'll need more than that to win at Minnesota.

Joined: 04/17/2011

MGoPoints: 7799

Maynard

January 6th, 2017 at 9:53 AM ^

Keep telling yourself that. He will immediately increase the quality of recruiting there so he will have more talent to go up against Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. He is a go-getter and a good motivator. Half of the battle is having players buy in 100%. Western went 13-1 this year with their only loss by 8 to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. Earlier in the year they beat 2 other Big Ten teams in the division he will be in. Pretty sure it takes more than just being good at culture (whatever that means) to accomplish those things. 

Joined: 02/19/2016

MGoPoints: 9888

Brown Bear

January 6th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^

It takes more than being a good recruiter and good motivator to be successful. Rah rah all you want, clap all you want, recruit all you want. You have to be able to coach. Hopefully he has good assistants considering he's not a schematic guy. Hmmm sounds familiar. You can say he isn't Hoke but Hoke was very similar. Turned around two garbage programs. Recruited great at Michigan but didn't get it done because of his incompetency at coaching and hiring of coaches.

Joined: 01/10/2011

MGoPoints: 38026

Maynard

January 6th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^

Well the good thing about it is we will see what the results are. I never said he didn't have to have other skills. I just wonder what the basis is for saying he's not a schematic guy. Shitty coaches don't have teams like Western in the Cotton Bowl and come close to an undefeated season with wins over P5 programs. So if you're saying he is a fraud and his assistants are the reason for that success, maybe just own that. Results are results and he is getting them and in my opinion you don't have to necessarily have the greatest schematic skills to be a great leader or a successful one. Not all great coaches were/are great X's and O's guys anyway. 

Joined: 02/19/2016

MGoPoints: 9888

OwenGoBlue

January 5th, 2017 at 11:57 PM ^

His coordinator hires will matter the most otherwise he won't see the end of that deal. A guy who doesn't concern himself with strategy on either side of the ball and isn't going to be able to out recruit the B1G the way he did with the MAC is now given a program where the players want to leave and the administration is toxic? Football Tony Robbins better line up some great speeches.

Joined: 04/03/2016

MGoPoints: 31529

Maynard

January 6th, 2017 at 9:59 AM ^

What are you basing your "doesn't concern himself with strategy on either side of the ball" comment on? As far as recruiting goes, he doesn't have to out recruit the entire B1G. If he wins that division a couple times (hell once might do it), he can move on to a better program.

Joined: 02/19/2016

MGoPoints: 9888

NJblue2

January 6th, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^

I'm curious how these younger coaches will do in the league with Fleck, Durkin and Ash. I feel Durkin might have the best teams, but since he's in the East it won't matter and Fleck has a better shot at winning the West, but he probably won't recruit as well as Durkin.

Joined: 08/08/2010

MGoPoints: 30972

Wal-Mart Wolverine

January 6th, 2017 at 12:46 AM ^

Western Michigan is the big loser out of all this drama. They had a damn good run the last two years though.  

Joined: 01/03/2016

MGoPoints: -892