P. J. Fleck
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.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:43 AM ^
September 19th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
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September 19th, 2016 at 11:39 AM ^
At SDSU, he inherited a team that had gone 2-10. He then went 4-8 and 9-4, so that was pretty good progress.
September 19th, 2016 at 1:02 PM ^
Hard to evaluate because he was only there for 2 years. But SDSU did not drop off after Hoke left, and they hired from within by promoting his DC (Rocky Long) to HC. Some might view that as a success, but that was also why there is a question mark there as well.
September 19th, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^
in what world is Jerry Kill's track record poor?
September 19th, 2016 at 1:10 PM ^
I've had this debate on the MGoBoard before. I think he made Minnesota respectable again, but he was a below .500 coach at Minnesota during a relatively down period in the B1G. Never won a bowl game and 4-9 against his biggest rivals (Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska). He did win the Little Brown Jug once, but I don't think his record comes even that close to Glen Mason. It's hard to evaluate because his tenure was ended due to health issues.
And when I meant poor record, I was looking at the group as a whole.
September 19th, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^
Cincinnati was in the Big East when it was still considered a BCS conference. They made the switch to the Big East under Dantonio.
Also, Brady Hoke was never a hot MAC coach except to someone best equipped to work with childrens' toys.
September 19th, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^
After Miami, VT, and BC left, the Big East became a minor league for the the Power 5 during that period (2007-2012). The Power 5 would have jettisoned the Big East if the BCS contract did not exist.
September 21st, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^
Except the Big East was 4-3 in BCS bowl games over that period. And had a 2-1 record against the ACC, a 1-1 record against Oklahoma, and a 1-1 record against Florida.
It is worth noting that the two teams who won those four bowl games are now in the ACC and the Big XII so maybe it says something about those programs rather than the conference as a whole.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:15 AM ^
but Minnesota or Cincy would be viable options for Fleck.
Hell, if the people in Iowa City weren't insane Fleck should have been included in their long-term thinking.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:19 AM ^
September 19th, 2016 at 10:41 AM ^
September 19th, 2016 at 11:10 AM ^
Hopefully Strong gets at least one more year. The rebuilding at Texas was huge.
September 19th, 2016 at 11:46 AM ^
Offense isn't the problem. The defense is a hot mess. If his experience as a defensive coordinator can't fix that mess, he better hope to win a lot of shootouts so he has another offseason to fix things. Beating just Oklahoma won't help him this time around.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:21 AM ^
would be a good hire for Purdue...
September 19th, 2016 at 10:21 AM ^
September 19th, 2016 at 10:24 AM ^
Hotshot spread coaches come around every year. I agree that he is not at Western too much longer.
September 19th, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^
Fleck is smart enought to take a job in the BIG West. He has midwestern roots and will not move too far from them. I was surprised that Illinios did not take a run at him last year. I can see him ending up in Minnesota.
September 19th, 2016 at 11:53 AM ^
I don't see how this is any different than the bevy of coaches who come through CMU (Jones), Ball State (Hoke) Bowling Green (Meyer) Toledo (Saban) or Cincinatti (NOT MAC I know) etc etc every once in a while and move up in the world. Except that Fleck is a bit of a showman and very gimmicky. He beat arugably the 2 bottom teams in the BIG. I'm not that wowed by that.
He's a young guy with a lot of charisma and success. Is he the next Saban/Urban Meyer or Dana Holgerson/Kliff Kingsbury? Not sure yet.
September 19th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
PJ Fleck would make a great addition to the Harbaugh staff.
September 19th, 2016 at 12:36 PM ^
I wonder if PJ's name would be sexy enough for USC. They don't look like they're going anywhere fast, and PJ's enthusiasm could remind them of Pete Carroll. If he can sell WMU to kids around the country, he could be a monster at USC.
September 19th, 2016 at 2:23 PM ^
September 19th, 2016 at 2:59 PM ^
But if he ends up anywhere in the B1G, I'd imagine it would be out west, and if Purdue seems like a come-down, then Ski-U-Mah.
September 19th, 2016 at 3:38 PM ^
Fleck and Co will have their hands full when Georgia Southern comes into town. They were destroyed by the option attack last year.