The University of Minnesota extended head football coach P.J Fleck's contract on Wednesday afternoon, agreeing to a seven-year deal worth $42 million.
Fleck is currently finishing up his sixth season with the Gophers and will have an opportunity for his third nine-win or more season when the Gophers take on Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl later this month. Over his six years with the Gophers, Fleck has collected a 43-27 record including a 26-26 record in conference play. Fleck's 43 wins with the Gophers is the fifth most in program history.
Notably, in 2019 Fleck was the Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Gophers to an 11-2 record and a share of the Big Ten West division title. That season culminated in a 31-24 win over No.12 Auburn in the Outback Bowl. After starting his time with the program in 2017 with a 5-7 record, the Gophers have won seven or more games in each of the last four, full seasons including winning eight or more in each of the last three. In the 2020 COVID shorten season, the Gophers were 3-4.
In a press release from the University of Minnesota Athletic Department, Fleck released the following statement;
"This is all about cultural sustainability," said Fleck in the press statement. "We have talked about that from day one, and this new contract is a commitment to continuing to change our best academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. It is also a commitment to our elite staff and our tremendous fans. During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in more than 115 years. It is a tremendous honor to lead this football program, and our goal is to compete for championships every year. We are so grateful to the Board of Regents, President Joan Gabel, Mark Coyle, and our staff for allowing us to do so. Heather and I and our family love living here and we are excited to continue on this journey with the entire state of Minnesota."
Athletic director Mark Coyle also released the following statement;
"I am excited that P.J., Heather and their family will continue to call Minnesota home," he said in the release. "What P.J. and his staff have done in a short amount of time is remarkable. He has recruited and developed some of the best student-athletes to ever play at Minnesota and his team continues to excel academically, athletically and socially. This year alone, a Gopher was either a semifinalist or a finalist for six different major college football awards, ranging from the best center in the nation to the best running back in the nation to the most impactful community service leader in the nation. P.J. consistently builds a team that Minnesotans can take pride in and one that competes for championships. I am grateful to President Gabel and the Board of Regents for their continued support, and I look forward to Coach Fleck continuing to lead the Gophers for a long time."
Fleck's extension from the university comes hours after Purdue saw their own head coach, Jeff Brohm leave for his alma mater, Louisville. The Big Ten West this offseason also saw coaching changes at Nebraska and Wisconsin as Matt Rhule and Luke Fickell took over each respective program.
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