Western Michigan's Fleck 'can't control rumors' about other jobs

Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck has been preparing the Broncos for the national spotlight, putting them through media training and other high-pressure social and athletic situations.

Fleck's "Row the Boat" mantra and positive approach have made him popular during the unbeaten season for No. 20 WMU (7-0, 3-0 MAC West), and the first national ranking in the school's 109-year history has pulled him into the coaching rumor mill.

After noting how attendance has grown at his weekly on-campus press conference, Fleck was asked about his name being thrown out as a possibility for open jobs - most recently at Purdue.

"It's elite exposure for Western Michigan," Fleck said. "My focus is on today, that's the way I've lived my life. I can't control rumors and speculation and I'll never comment on rumors and speculation. I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in coaching this football team and being the best head coach I can be today."

Broncos quarterback Zach Terrell says talk of Fleck's future is "no distraction to us at all," even if he believes his coach should be a candidate for a more high-profile position.

"You see the commitment from him every single day. If he were to come in and be a different person, maybe be reserved, maybe we'd be worried," Terrell said. "He deserves those jobs, 100 percent. He's one of the best coaches in college football. ... He deserves to be mentioned in those categories. But he brings it every day and that's all we can ask."