(01-05-2017 12:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Minn AD and prez met with PJ Fleck yesterday. That has been reported, but nothing more is public at this time. Lot of talk about him being the possible next HC of Minnesota in the StarTrib today.

*IF* Minn ends up hiring Fleck, then the best we can realistically hope for is that Fleck is following a very similar trajectory as Urban Meyer and his stop at the U of Minn will be like Meyer's stop at Utah. Both had their first head coaching gig at a MAC school, then moved up to a non-elite P5 program.

um, Utah wasn't a P5 program.

(01-05-2017 12:51 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-05-2017 12:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Minn AD and prez met with PJ Fleck yesterday. That has been reported, but nothing more is public at this time. Lot of talk about him being the possible next HC of Minnesota in the StarTrib today.

*IF* Minn ends up hiring Fleck, then the best we can realistically hope for is that Fleck is following a very similar trajectory as Urban Meyer and his stop at the U of Minn will be like Meyer's stop at Utah. Both had their first head coaching gig at a MAC school, then moved up to a non-elite P5 program.

um, Utah wasn't a P5 program.

And Fleck isn't the next Urban Meyer.

(01-05-2017 12:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Minn AD and prez met with PJ Fleck yesterday. That has been reported, but nothing more is public at this time. Lot of talk about him being the possible next HC of Minnesota in the StarTrib today.

*IF* Minn ends up hiring Fleck, then the best we can realistically hope for is that Fleck is following a very similar trajectory as Urban Meyer and his stop at the U of Minn will be like Meyer's stop at Utah. Both had their first head coaching gig at a MAC school, then moved up to a non-elite P5 program.

For every Urban Meyer you have a Tim Beckman, Darrell Hazell, Turner Gill, etc.

In addition to Fleck, FootballScoop.com is saying they are talking to Navy's coach.

(01-05-2017 12:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Minn AD and prez met with PJ Fleck yesterday. That has been reported, but nothing more is public at this time. Lot of talk about him being the possible next HC of Minnesota in the StarTrib today.

*IF* Minn ends up hiring Fleck, then the best we can realistically hope for is that Fleck is following a very similar trajectory as Urban Meyer and his stop at the U of Minn will be like Meyer's stop at Utah. Both had their first head coaching gig at a MAC school, then moved up to a non-elite P5 program.

Worst case is that a guy who is frankly best known for out-recruiting his conference is a Tim Brewster clone.

(01-05-2017 12:57 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(01-05-2017 12:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Minn AD and prez met with PJ Fleck yesterday. That has been reported, but nothing more is public at this time. Lot of talk about him being the possible next HC of Minnesota in the StarTrib today.

*IF* Minn ends up hiring Fleck, then the best we can realistically hope for is that Fleck is following a very similar trajectory as Urban Meyer and his stop at the U of Minn will be like Meyer's stop at Utah. Both had their first head coaching gig at a MAC school, then moved up to a non-elite P5 program.

For every Urban Meyer you have a Tim Beckman, Darrell Hazell, Turner Gill, etc.

In addition to Fleck, FootballScoop.com is saying they are talking to Navy's coach.

Odd fit if so.

http://thebiglead.com/2017/01/04/8-poten...ching-job/

P.J. Fleck [Western Michigan] Row the boat. Fleck would be a young, exciting hire who would have college football Twitter aflutter. A large, vibrant personality could smooth things over. He’s also a talented recruiter in B1G country. The question for Fleck is whether you wait for a job with more potential upside.

Bryan Harsin [Boise State] Boise State player and longtime assistant. Harsin has 31 wins in three seasons since taking over for Chris Petersen. Minnesota AD Mark Coyle was the man who hired him. He would be young and offense oriented. One caveat: his track record outside Boise has not been as impressive.

Craig Bohl [Wyoming] Bohl won three FCS titles at NDSU. He got Wyoming to eight wins in his third season, pulling off an upset over Boise State. Though, losing four of five to close the season curbs the Lesenthusiasm a bit. Bohl does have experience at a major program (Nebraska assistant from 1995-02). But, he also turns 59 in July.

Troy Calhoun [Air Force] Calhoun has a consistent track record of doing more with less at Air Force and is coming off his second 10-win season in three years. He was a candidate the last time the Minnesota job came open in 2010. He’s 50. If he wants to leave his alma mater for a major conference job, this would be the opportunity.

Bo Pelini [Youngstown State] Pelini has a fractious personality. But, the guy can coach. He won 66 games in 7 years at Nebraska and never finished with a losing conference record. They haven’t reached his plateau since he left. He got Youngstown State to the FCS Playoffs final in year two. He would be motivated to take down Nebraska. He’s still only 49. Pelini can wait, with the Nebraska checks still coming. But, it would be hard to see a better opportunity for him to jump back in than Minnesota.

Les Miles [Unemployed] There seems to have been more media interest in Les Miles coaching again than real interest from programs. Miles turns 64 in November. His inability to adapt to the modern era got him fired. But, he’s a big personality. He can recruit. No one else in this coaching search has five Top 10 finishes and a national title on his résumé.

Greg Schiano [Ohio State – DC] Schiano built a program up from nothing at Rutgers. He’s an excellent recruiter. He’s been an NFL head coach. He had a commendable season as DC at Ohio State. He’s still only 50. Of course, all this was apparent after he left Tampa Bay and didn’t get a college job and this offseason when he didn’t seem to get much consideration.

Chris Klieman [NDSU] Klieman took over for Bohl at NDSU. He won two more FCS titles and lost in the semifinals this year. His Bison team upset Iowa in 2016. He’s 10 years younger than Bohl. But, he only has one year of FBS experience, as Kansas DB coach in 1997.

(01-05-2017 12:51 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Utah wasn't a P5 program

That is true

(01-05-2017 12:57 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  For every Urban Meyer you have a Tim Beckman, Darrell Hazell, Turner Gill, etc.

Absolutely. But I always foresee a path for successful MAC head coaches to be offered Big Ten jobs.

(01-05-2017 12:58 PM)bronconick Wrote:  Worst case is that a guy who is frankly best known for out-recruiting his conference is a Tim Brewster clone.

Indeed. StarTrib sports opinion columnist basically said as much today, that the U of Minn goes back-and-forth between hiring a "coach" and a "salesman" for the head football job. Has pretty much held up as true going quite a while back.

So, we're due for a salesman.

(01-05-2017 01:01 PM)p23570 Wrote:  Craig Bohl [Wyoming] Bohl won three FCS titles at NDSU. He got Wyoming to eight wins in his third season, pulling off an upset over Boise State. Though, losing four of five to close the season curbs the Lesenthusiasm a bit. Bohl does have experience at a major program (Nebraska assistant from 1995-02). But, he also turns 59 in July.

Bohl also beat Minnesota, in Brewster's first year. Also came that close to beating them the year before, in Mason's last year.

But everyone has turned over since then, so probably doesn't matter.

(01-05-2017 01:05 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-05-2017 01:01 PM)p23570 Wrote:  Craig Bohl [Wyoming] Bohl won three FCS titles at NDSU. He got Wyoming to eight wins in his third season, pulling off an upset over Boise State. Though, losing four of five to close the season curbs the Lesenthusiasm a bit. Bohl does have experience at a major program (Nebraska assistant from 1995-02). But, he also turns 59 in July.

Bohl also beat Minnesota, in Brewster's first year. Also came that close to beating them the year before, in Mason's last year.

But everyone has turned over since then, so probably doesn't matter.

I get the impression he will wait for Nebraska to open up. Riley now has no more excuses for not having his guys around and quite frankly he has not done a good job IMO. Nebraska is a much better situation but you never know.

If I was betting I'd say Bo. He knows the conference and is a proven winner. He wants revenge on the Huskers and Minnesota is a good place to do it. Plus he will likely be within thier budget.

Minnesota isn't going to pay enough to get guys like Les Miles.

Pelini and Miles are both interesting, particularly because their former schools are still paying them.

I'd rather give a successful G5 coach a chance, IMO. That's what the Kill/Claeys hire was about, and it was working out until the unfortunate incident this year, which had nothing to do with the coaching.

From what I hear Pelini is very happy at Youngstown State (he is a Youngstown native and his family is considered royalty in that area). He is still getting paid handsomely by Oklahoma. There are probably only a couple jobs that would interest him enough to leave and Minnesota is probably not one of them.

(01-05-2017 01:23 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  From what I hear Pelini is very happy at Youngstown State (he is a Youngstown native and his family is considered royalty in that area). He is still getting paid handsomely by Oklahoma. There are probably only a couple jobs that would interest him enough to leave and Minnesota is probably not one of them.

Why is Oklahoma paying him?

Yeah, I can't see Minnesota being a program that would interest people like Bo Pelini, Les Miles, or Chip Kelly.

It'd be one thing if Minn was coming off the 9-4 season with a ton of starters on both sides coming back, poised to make a big jump.

But now ... Minn is basically starting over. Players are going to transfer, recruits are going to decommit. That's going to take probably a younger coach with a ton of energy who realizes this is a 3/4 year, minimum, rebuilding effort.

(01-05-2017 01:32 PM)p23570 Wrote:  

(01-05-2017 01:23 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  From what I hear Pelini is very happy at Youngstown State (he is a Youngstown native and his family is considered royalty in that area). He is still getting paid handsomely by Oklahoma. There are probably only a couple jobs that would interest him enough to leave and Minnesota is probably not one of them.

Why is Oklahoma paying him?

Meant Nebraska.

(01-05-2017 01:33 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Yeah, I can't see Minnesota being a program that would interest people like Bo Pelini, Les Miles, or Chip Kelly.

It'd be one thing if Minn was coming off the 9-4 season with a ton of starters on both sides coming back, poised to make a big jump.

But now ... Minn is basically starting over. Players are going to transfer, recruits are going to decommit. That's going to take probably a younger coach with a ton of energy who realizes this is a 3/4 year, minimum, rebuilding effort.

Schools always think they are more attractive than they really are. Then reality sets in when the phone doesn't ring off the hook with quality candidates. We've seen so many lately end up with the #3 or worse choices because they get turned down.

PJ Fleck is the new head football coach at the University of Minnesota.

Just reported by a local station in Kalamazoo. Someone will post the link (or make a separate thread) later, I'm sure. If not, I'll throw a link on here later.


Fleck is obviously a salesman first, a coach second. Which is the opposite of my preference. BUT ... he did a heck of a job at W Mich, as the head coach. That's a lot different than Tim Brewster.

The huge question will be to see now just how many players transfer out. If Fleck can get to the hugely talented (that's a *relative* term, mind you) freshman class and keep defections to a minimum --- granted that Winfield's boy is gone --- that would be a huge step in the right direction.


EDIT: guess links are already up http://bleacherreport.com/articles/26853...d-reaction


Another thing I'm curious is if he'll try to lure any players that were to sign at WMU over to Minny.

According to Football Scoop, Navy's Ken Niumatalolo has been contacted and is a "strong favorite" for the Cal position. That would hurt for the American, as they have already lost Fuente, Herman, Rhule, and Taggart this offseason to other P5 jobs, and have seen Cincinnati, Tulsa, Tulane, ECU, UCF, SMU, and UConn all make new coaching hires in recent seasons.

From what I'm hearing, Charlie Strong and Les Miles are out

Also, Nick Saban to the Rams