University of Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is drawing interest for NFL head coaching vacancies, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). At least one club wants to interview the 40-year-old, and there could be more inquiries on the way.
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Fleck has played and coached in the NFL. He first came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers back in 2004, though he didn’t see much in the way of live action. Post-playing, he served as the Bucs’ wide receivers coach in 2012. Today, he leads the Golden Gophers with a 26-19 record over the last four years.
The Lions, Falcons, and Texans are looking for a head coach; the Jets will soon join them on the vacancy list. The Chargers, Jaguars, and Vikings may also be on the lookout soon, leaving as many as six openings across the league. Any team interested in Fleck will have to weigh the buyout costs, because his Minnesota contract runs through 2026 with $4.6MM coming next year.
Who the hell would be interested in this doofus? Has to be the Lions, right?
Fleck is a very good coach.
My son kicked his ass in HS football, all he did was complain on every play, very, very overrated as a top coach!!
Not sure why you think he’s a doofus. He seems like a very smart football mind and as a Michigan fan, having watched him coach against them I was impressed with the way he coached, and how his players reacted in a positive way to his coaching. I think he would bring some excitement into any locker room he joins
Ur probably one of those dudes that look at his row the boat saying as dumb instead of realizing that a lot of very successful coaches do that same thing. HS coaches especially. Because it’s kind of a program unifier. It may not play as well with grown men. But that’s where his football acumen would come in. Because dude can coach his ass off.
Minnesota is a well run program and Fleck is part of that system. Fleck is a good coach that has had some impressive times, but I the AD Mark Coyle should not be overlooked. Mark had Syracuse in the same direction with the programs success.
Fleck has the advantage of being in an excellent program, and Coyle is not going to bring in a doofus for coach.
Lions, Falcons, Texans, Jets, Chargers, Jaguars, Vikings…that looks like seven, Zach, not six. Try proofreading.
How much do you pay a month for this site?
Proofreading and accuracy aren’t one of Zach’s strong areas.
26-19 record is drawing NFL interest? That record is just fine at Minnesota where expectations aren’t too high. Doesn’t seem like he’s elevated that program enough, and when you consider there’d be a contract buyout, I’d pass.
Too much importance is placed on college coaching records. Bud Wilkinson had an incredible 134-29-4 record at Oklahoma (including a record setting 47 straight wins). As a NFL coach he only managed a 9-20 record with the Cardinals.
Yeah in college the ability to build a program and sustain it probably reflects more on the coach than just record. A lot of these guys come into bad situations and their first year(s) might have a lot of losses that skew their overall record anyway.
Fleck is a really good coach.
Good point Crosseyed. Remember when Nick Saban became Miami’s coach? What about Bobby Petrino? Like Chaney mentioned, I believe maintaining a competitive program at a school like Minnesota speaks volumes about pedigree