Comparing PJ Fleck's start at Minnesota with past coaches
After a 3-4 finish to the 2020 season, Head Coach PJ Fleck's record at Minnesota after four seasons sits at 26-19.
TheGopherReport breaks down each Minnesota coach's performance since 1986 after four seasons, comparing them to Fleck's below:
| Coach | Record | Conf. Record | Bowl Record | Highest Rank | Avg. PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PJ Fleck 17'-20' |
26-19 |
15-19 |
2-0 |
7 |
28.1 |
|
Tracy Claeys 15'-16'* |
11-8 |
6-8 |
2-0 |
N/A |
27.1 |
|
Jerry Kill 11'-14' |
25-26 |
13-19 |
0-3 |
22 |
23.7 |
|
Tim Brewster 07'-10'** |
15-30 |
6-21 |
0-2 |
20 |
23.8 |
|
Glen Mason 97'-00' |
22-25 |
12-20 |
0-2 |
12 |
25.6 |
|
Jim Wacker 92'-95' |
12-32 |
7-25 |
0-0 |
N/A |
22.3 |
|
John Gutekunst 86'-89' |
20-23-2 |
12-18-2 |
1-0 |
N/A |
21.7 |
John Gutenkunst (29-37-2 career record at Minnesota from 1985-1991)
Gutenkunst took over for Lou Holtz in the Gophers' 1985 Independence Bowl game and the result was a win. Unfortunately, the rest of Gutenkunst's time with Minnesota wasn't quite as positive. In his first four seasons he recorded two winning seasons, both of which ended with 6-5 records. The only bowl came Gutenkunst would coach in after he led Holtz's squad in 1985 would be the following season in which the Gophers lost the Liberty Bowl to Tennessee ending the season at a modest 6-6. Modest would be a generous word to describe "Coach G's" time in Minneapolis.
Jim Wacker (16-39 career record at Minnesota from 1992-1996)
If the Gophers' previous coach was modest, Wacker was mediocre. In his first four seasons he failed to ever win more than four games in a season. Wacker's teams were known for leading the Big Ten with academic all-conference honors in his time with Minnesota, however this did not translate to the field of play. Wacker is one of only two Minnesota head coaches in the past 34 years to win two or less games in season. The Gophers went 2-9 in his first season at the helm in 1992, a sign of things to come for the veteran ball coach.
Glen Mason (64-57 career record at Minnesota from 1997-2006)
Winning the most games since Murray Warmath from 1954-1971, Mason has the fourth most wins in Minnesota football history. Things didn't start out hot for Mason, who went 3-9 in his first season, but he would turn it around with back to back bowl appearances in his third and fourth seasons. While a majority of Mason's success would come in his later years with the team, his third season in 1999 was one of three eight-plus win seasons he would put together. This season would include an upset win at No. 2 ranked Penn State, a signature win for Mason, who would go on to claim three straight bowls from 2002-2004, a feat that has never been accomplished by any other coach in school history.
Tim Brewster (15-30 career record at Minnesota from 2007-2010)
He would appear in back to back bowls his second and third seasons, but Brewster also had two one-win seasons in years one and four. A roller coaster would be a very accurate way to describe Brewster's time in Minneapolis. The high would come in 2008 when the Gophers started 7-1 and were ranked 20th in the nation. The low would come in 2010 when Brewster would get fired after a 1-6 start, including a loss to FCS opponent South Dakota the second week of the season.
Jerry Kill (29-29 career record at Minnesota from 2011-2015)
Like previous coaches, it took a year to rebuild, but Kill would eventually appear in three straight bowl games from 2012-2014. Despite going 0-3 in those bowl games, Kill put together back to back eight-win seasons in 2013 and 2014. In 2014 the Gophers had impressive wins at number 21 Nebraska and a 37-point drubbing over rival Iowa. Unfortunately, health issues would force Kill to leave Minnesota seven games into his fifth season after a 4-3 start.
Tracy Claeys (11-8 career record at Minnesota from 2015-2016)
Claeys took over after Kill's unexpected departure in 2015 and finished the season 2-4 at the helm. With a 5-7 regular season record, Claeys led the Gophers to a Quick Lane Bowl victory that season. The following season Minnesota would finish 9-4 with a Holiday Bowl win, the first back to back bowl wins for the Gophers since Glen Mason in 2003 and 2004. Claeys would leave under great controversy after a successful 2016 campaign and the first coach with a winning record at Minnesota since Mason.
PJ Fleck (23-15 career record at Minnesota from 2017-Present)
The first coach to win 11 games or more at Minnesota since Henry Williams in 1904, Fleck has built Golden Gopher football back to consistent respectability. The 2018 Gophers under Fleck would go 7-6 with a Quick Lane Bowl victory. In 2019, Minnesota unleashed an offensive onslaught led by quarterback Tanner Morgan. A 9-0 start landed the Gophers at number seven in the polls after an upset over number five Penn State. To finish off the outstanding year, Fleck would capture an Outback Bowl win over number nine Auburn. A complicated and delayed 2020 season slowed down Fleck and Minnesota, but heads are high with plenty of returning starters back on both sides of the ball in 2021.