Skip to content

Former Minnesota HC Kill rips P.J. Fleck: 'He's about himself'

Jesse Johnson / USA TODAY Sports

Former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill had some strong words for current Golden Gophers bench boss P.J. Fleck.

Kill was asked about his relationship with his former assistant coach on Tuesday and admitted it's grown contentious. While Kill is adamant that he remains a Minnesota fan, he isn't particularly fond of seeing Fleck man the sideline.

"Do I still root for the Gophers? I do. Do I enjoy (Fleck) running up and down the sidelines? No. Do I think he's about the players? No. He's about himself," Kill said on Sirius XM Radio.

Kill coached at Minnesota from 2011 to 2015 before retiring due to health concerns. Fleck joined the Gophers in 2017. Kill said Fleck, who served under him at Northern Illinois, changed once he became head coach at Western Michigan before landing at Minnesota.

"When he went into Minnesota and treated the people the way he treated my guys, telling them he had to go in and completely change the culture and that it was a bad culture and bad people, he made it sound like we didn't know what we were doing," Kill said.

"I took it personal. You just don't treat people who have helped your career and you don't even talk to them once you get the job."

Kill said they last spoke when Fleck got the job at Minnesota, and the two haven't communicated since.

"It wasn't good," he said of the conversation. "That's the last time ... and it will be the last time.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox