P.J. Fleck introduced as Minnesota HC, promises culture change
Minnesota did not sit without a head coach for very long, as the school quickly agreed on a deal to bring Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck to Minneapolis.
The first step in Fleck's transition was made Friday, as he was introduced during his first press conference as the man on the sidelines for the Golden Gophers.
Fleck addressed a number of different topics, including why his meeting with athletic director Mark Coyle convinced him, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Minnesota was the right fit.
"From the minute I met him, I was sold, and the reason I was sold when I met Mark was because we share the same vision," Fleck said. "People ask me all the time, why Minnesota? Because we both share a vision of winning a national championship. We share a vision of winning the Big Ten West. We share the vision of winning Big Tens and having Rose Bowls."
Fleck also spoke about his strong ties to Western Michigan, stressing that his new position was a rare opportunity that could pry him away from a place where he was extremely comfortable.
"For me to be able to leave an elite institution like Western Michigan University, where my wife is from, and we really embedded ourselves in that community, it was going to have to take something very special, and Mark Coyle is a very special athletic director, and I'm proud to say that I work for him," Fleck said.
Fleck preached creating an energetic atmosphere surrounding the football program moving forward, along with a family atmosphere that promotes selflessness and looking out for others.
That attitude comes after Minnesota suffered through season-long distractions pertaining to an ongoing sexual assault investigation, which led to the suspension of ten players and subsequently the firing of former head coach Tracy Claeys.
Fleck was adamant in promising the culture change, stressing the importance of a vision within the program that's greater than the game.
"This has to be more than football," Fleck asserted. "I am more than football. Our kids will be more than football, and I want you to share that vision with me."