On Friday morning, the Bobby Dodd Trophy watchlist was released, and Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck is among the 21 coaches named to the watchlist.
The award is annually given out to and celebrates;
"The head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy."
Fleck is one of five Big Ten coaches to be on the watch list joining Ohio State's Ryan Day, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, and Michigan State's Mel Tucker. Ferentz previously won the award in 2014, while Harbaugh was a finalist last season.
The 42-year-old Fleck is set to enter year seven at Minnesota after taking the job in 2017. In each of the Gophers' last three full seasons, the program has won nine or more games each season, including 11 wins in 2019. Overall, Fleck has collected a 44-27 overall record for the Gophers and has won each of the four bowl games that the program has appeared in under him.
He won the Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2019 and was also a two-time MAC Coach of the Year while coaching the Western Michigan Broncos. His 44 wins puts him fifth all-time in Gopher history, only behind Henry Williams (136), Bernie Bierman (93), Murray Warmath (87), and Glen Mason (64).
============================
- Talk about it INSIDE GOPHER NATION.
- SUBSCRIBE TO LOGoldenGophers
- Follow us on Twitter: @MinnesotaRivals, @AlexCarlsonTGR, @SeanW_Rivals, @DylanCC_FB, @JaredHalus, @GopherKaneRob, @LOGoldenGophers
- SUBSCRIBE to The Gopher Report.
