BROADCASTS.com

- Sixth year as head coach at Minnesota (10th year overall as head coach)
- Enters 2022 season with a 35-23 record at Minnesota and 65-45 overall
- 2019 Big Ten Coach of the Year, 2019 Dodd Trophy Finalist, 2019 Bear Bryant Award Finalist and 2019 AFCA National Coach of the Year Finalist
- 2x AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year (2016, '19), George Munger Award Finalist (2016, '19), Eddie Robinson Award Finalist (2016, '19) and MAC Coach of the Year (2014, '16)
- Six bowl game appearances as head coach
- Coached 20 NFL Draft Picks, including 12 at Minnesota
- At Minnesota, has coached three All-Americans, eight Academic All-Americans, 58 All-Big Ten honorees (six First-Teamers) and 268 Academic All-Big Ten performers

P.J. Fleck was named head football coach at Minnesota on January 6, 2017. Fleck, 41, is the 30th head coach in the program\u2019s history. He has a career record of 65-45\xa0and is 35-23\xa0at Minnesota.

In five years, Fleck has established himself as one of the most successful coaches ever to lead the Minnesota program. Fleck is already sixth in program history in overall wins (35) and Big Ten wins (21), and eighth in games coached (58). Fleck\u2019s\xa0.603\xa0win percentage is third best among the 11 Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only\xa0Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, \u201845-50).\xa0

Fleck and Williams are the only two Gopher coaches to record nine or more wins in a season twice, as Minnesota posted 11 wins in 2019 and nine in 2021 under Fleck (Williams posted at least nine wins in six straight seasons from 1900-1905).\xa0

The 11 wins in 2019 were the most for a Minnesota team since 1904 when that year's team went 13-0 under Williams.\xa0Fleck is 3-0 in bowl games and those three wins are tied with Glen Mason\xa0(3-4\xa0bowl record during his time coaching the Gophers from 1997-2006) for the most in school history.\xa0

Fleck guided the Gophers to a 6-3 Big Ten record in 2021 and a 7-2 mark in 2019, making him the first Minnesota coach since Murray Warmath\xa0(1960, 1961 and 1967; six wins each) to win at least six conference\xa0games more than once.

At Minnesota, Fleck has\xa0coached three All-Americans (Antoine Winfield Jr., Rashod Bateman and Mohamed Ibrahim), eight Academic All-Americans (Blaise Andries\xa0three times, Sam Renner twice,\xa0Jack Gibbens, Payton Jordahl and Gary Moore) and 268 Academic All-Big Ten performers. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2019, paced Minnesota to two top-10 wins (Penn State and Auburn) in the same season since 1956 and\xa0led Minnesota to its first New Year's Day bowl win (2020 Outback Bowl against Auburn) since 1962. He has also led Minnesota to a 3-0 record in bowl games and has had 12 players selected in the NFL Draft while at Minnesota.\xa0

In 2021, Fleck also became a Wall Street Journal best-selling author when his\xa0Row The Boat\xa0book, which was co-authored with Jon Gordon, peaked at No. 2 on the list in June.\xa0

On the field in 2021, Fleck led Minnesota to a 9-4 record and a second place finish in the Big Ten West division with a 6-3 mark. The Gophers beat Wisconsin for the first time at home since 2003\xa0to reclaim Paul Bunyan's Axe and picked up a postseason win against West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.\xa0

Minnesota's dominant defense and offensive depth were the stories of the season, as the Gophers won their final three games of the year\xa0for the first time since 1973.\xa0

The Gophers ended the season with the nation's No. 3 total defense (278.8 yards per game) and the nation's No. 6 scoring defense (17.3 points per game). Minnesota also ended the year ranked fourth in first downs defense (202), eighth in rushing defense (97.5) and eighth in passing yards allowed (181.2). Minnesota held eight opponents to 14 points or less and recorded its first shutout (30-0 road win at Colorado) since 2006 (62-0 against Temple) and its first\xa0road shutout of a Power 5 opponent since 1977 (21-0 at Illinois).\xa0

On offense, the Gophers boasted the most experienced offensive line in the nation and were a force rushing the ball, despite losing All-American Mohamed Ibrahim in the first game of the season and playing much of the season without five scholarship running backs. Still, the Gophers were the only team in the nation to have five different running backs all record\xa0at least one 100-yard rushing game. In total, Minnesota rushed for 2,575 yards and 27 touchdowns and passed for 2,106 yards and 12 scores.\xa0

In 2020, Fleck guided the Gophers to a 3-4 record as Minnesota played an all-Big Ten schedule in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Gophers posted wins road wins at Nebraska and Illinois and beat Purdue at home. They suffered overtime setbacks at Maryland and at Wisconsin. The season was highlighted by Big Ten Running Back of the Year\xa0Mohamed Ibrahim, who set school records in season rushing yards per game (153.7), consecutive 100-yard rushing games (8) and touchdowns in consecutive games (8). He tied school records in most rushing touchdowns in a game (4), most rushing touchdowns in a first half (4), most rushing touchdowns in one half (4) and consecutive 200-yard rushing games (2).\xa0

Ibrahim, who was named AP\xa0Third-Team All-America,\xa0rushed 201 times (25th most in school single-season history) for 1,076 yards (23rd most in school single season-history) and 15 touchdowns (most ever for a junior at Minnesota and ranks fourth in school-single season history) in the abbreviated and unusual season. He led Big Ten in the following categories: rushing attempts (201), rushing yards (1,076), rushing yards per game (153.7), rushing touchdowns (15), scoring (90), points per game (12.9) and all-purpose yards per game (168.4).

In 2019, Fleck led Minnesota to\xa0historic heights as the Gophers won 11\xa0games for the first time since 1904. Minnesota also won seven Big Ten games for the first time in school history, beat two top-10 teams, won a Jan. 1 bowl game and ended the season ranked No. 10.

Fleck was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by his fellow conference head coaches and was named AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year. He was also named a finalist for the\xa0George Munger Award,\xa0Dodd Trophy,\xa0Eddie Robinson Award, Bear\xa0Bryant Award and\xa0AFCA National Coach of the Year.

Minnesota won four Big Ten games by at least 20 points for the first time since 1934 and\xa0beat No. 5 Penn State at home and No. 9 Auburn in the Outback Bowl. That was the first time that Minnesota beat two top 10 teams in the same season since 1956. It was also the first time that Minnesota won a Jan. 1 bowl game since 1962.\xa0

The Penn State win was Minnesota\u2019s first win against a top-five team since it beat No. 2 Penn State on the road in 1999. It was Minnesota\u2019s first home win against a top-five team since it beat No. 1 Michigan 16-0 in 1977. The Outback Bowl victory against Auburn was Minnesota's best ranked nonconference win in school history.\xa0

The Gophers ascended to No. 7 in the AP Poll, which was the team's\xa0highest ranking since it was No. 5 on Nov. 19, 1962. Minnesota was also ranked No. 8 in the College Football Playoffs, which is its highest CFP ranking in school history. The Gophers ended the year ranked No. 10, which was their best ranking to end a season since 1962.\xa0

Minnesota averaged 34.1 points per game, which was the third most in school history. The Gopher defense allowed only 306.6 yards per game, which was the fewest since 1977.\xa0

On offense, Minnesota was led by quarterback Tanner Morgan (All-Big Ten Second Team), running back Rodney Smith (All-Big Ten Second Team) and receivers Tyler Johnson (All-Big Ten First Team) and Rashod Bateman (All-Big Ten First Team). Johnson and Bateman became the first teammates ever to both be named All-Big Ten First Team wide receivers.\xa0

Morgan set a slew of single-season school records, including\xa0passing yards, passing touchdowns and consecutive games with a touchdown. Smith rushed for more than 1,000 yards and became Minnesota's career leader in all-purpose yards. Johnson set single-season school records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and left Dinkytown as the school's career record holder in receiving yards and touchdowns. Bateman was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year and was one of 12 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff\xa0Award as he set program records for a sophomore in receiving yards and touchdowns.\xa0

Minnesota's defense was\xa0anchored by Antoine Winfield Jr. (All-Big Ten First Team) and Carter Coughlin (All-Big Ten Second Team). Winfield was named the program's seventh Unanimous All-American and was one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is presented to the best defensive player in the nation. He led Minnesota in tackles and tied a school modern-era record with seven interceptions. Coughlin ended his career as one of the best to ever wear the Maroon and Gold, and he ranks third all-time in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss.

In 2018, Fleck led Minnesota to a 7-6 record and regular-season wins against Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Fresno State, Miami (Ohio) and New Mexico State. The Gophers beat Georgia Tech 34-10 in the Quick Lane Bowl and the 24-point margin of victory was the largest bowl win in school history.

Minnesota also made history when it won the final game of the regular season (Wisconsin) and its bowl game (Georgia Tech), as that was the first time ever that the Gophers won the final game of the season and a bowl game.\xa0

Under Fleck, a young Minnesota team beat rival Wisconsin for the first time since 2003 and for the first time on the road since 1994 to claim Paul Bunyan\u2019s Axe. The Gophers also downed Purdue\u2019s potent offense, as they held the Boilers to a season low in points (10) and yards (233). Minnesota also beat Fresno State, which finished the season ranked No. 18, to give the Bulldogs one of their two defeats om the season. The win against Fresno State also marked the first time that Minnesota beat a team ranked in the final AP poll since 1999.\xa0

The Gophers had 112 players on the roster and 58 (51.7%) were freshmen, which was the most in the nation in 2018. The Gophers had 78 underclassmen (69.6%), which ranked\xa0tenth in college football.

Fleck played two freshmen quarterbacks (Zack Annexstad, Tanner Morgan) and both threw for more than 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns.\xa0Minnesota\u2019s two leading rushers (Mohamed Ibrahim, Bryce Williams) were both freshmen and three of Minnesota top-four receivers (Rashod Bateman, Chris Autman-Bell, Demetrius Douglas) were freshmen. On defense, freshman Terell Smith led Minnesota with eight pass breakups.\xa0

Minnesota set a program record as eight Gophers were named Big Ten Player of the Week (record was tied in 2019), and Tyler Johnson became the first Minnesota receiver ever to record 78\xa0catches, 1,169\xa0yards (single season school record) and 12\xa0(single season school record) touchdowns in a season.\xa0

In 2017, Fleck led a young and inexperienced Gopher squad,\xa0as 49 of Minnesota\u2019s 110 players (44.5%) were freshmen or redshirt freshmen and 76 (69%) were underclassmen. Fleck guided Minnesota to a 5-7 record and those five wins were the most by a first-year Gopher head coach new to the program since the legendary Murray Warmath won seven games in 1954.\xa0

Fleck won his Gopher debut against Buffalo, which made him the school\u2019s first head coach to win his debut since John Gutekunst in 1986 (before Fleck, Minnesota\u2019s six most recent head coaches all lost their first game). Minnesota then posted a dominating 48-14 win at Oregon State, which made Fleck the first Gopher coach to win a true road opener since 1954 when Warmath and the Gophers won 46-7 at Pittsburgh.\xa0

Minnesota's 34-point win at Oregon State was the Gophers' 11th largest margin of victory in a road game since 1920 and largest since 2006. The 48 points were the most the Gophers scored on the road since they beat Northwestern 49-21 in 1980.\xa0

Minnesota posted three 30-point wins in 2017, as it beat Oregon State by 34, Nebraska by 33 and Middle Tennessee by 31. The last time Minnesota won three games by 30 points in the same season was 2005 when it started the year with three straight with three straight 30-point wins

The Gophers beat Nebraska 54-21 in Fleck's first season. The 54 points were the most that the Gophers scored in a Big Ten game since they beat Indiana 63-26 in 2006. The 54 points were the 14th most scored by Minnesota since 1946 and the fifth most against a Big Ten opponent in the same timeframe.\xa0

Off the field, Fleck and his team can often be found supporting the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital and annually host a diaper drive during training camp and a turkey drive during Thanksgiving to give back to the community. Minnesota has also hosted a canned food drive and school supplies drive under Fleck. In the classroom, Minnesota has posted program record GPAs under Fleck.

Fleck came to Minnesota after spending four years as the head coach at Western Michigan, where he was 30-22 overall and 21-11 in the Mid-American Conference. While leading the Broncos, Fleck authored one of the most memorable turnarounds in college football history. The Broncos were 1-11 in his first year in 2013, but ended the 2016 season with a No. 12 ranking, a 13-1 record, a conference championship and a berth in the Cotton Bowl.\xa0

The Broncos were 12-0 in the 2016 regular season and posted wins against Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Illinois. Fleck then led his team to a 29-23 win against Ohio in the Mid-American Conference championship game before ending the season with a narrow bowl game defeat to Wisconsin.\xa0

Fleck was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and in 2016 he the Broncos to their first MAC Championship since 1988.\xa0

Earning FBS Region 3 Coach of the Year from the American Football Coaches Association, Fleck was also named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award and the George Munger Award after Western Michigan became the first team in MAC history to win each of its eight league games by 14 or more points.\xa0

Fleck turned Western Michigan into a pipeline for the NFL as well, as seven of his players were taken in NFL Drafts.

Fleck coached receiver Corey Davis and\xa0offensive lineman Taylor Moton while at Western Michigan.\xa0Davis, who was the first Consensus All-American in Western Michigan history, caught 91 passes for 1,427 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2016. He ended his career with 5,212 yards in four seasons, which made him the Football Bowl Subdivision all-time career receiving record holder. Davis, who was selected fifth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, joined Randy Moss as the only Mid-American Conference receiver to be drafted in the first round. Moton signed one of the NFL's most lucrative contracts (four-year, $72 million)\xa0for an offensive lineman in July 2021.\xa0

Off the field, Western Michigan had a program-record seven student-athletes named to the 2016 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete team and the Bronco team posted a 3.14 program GPA in Fleck's last semester at the school.\xa0

Prior to his time at Western Michigan, Fleck served as the wide receivers coach for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 and coached the receivers at Rutgers from 2010-11. He coached receivers and was the recruiting coordinator at Northern Illinois in 2009 and tutored the receivers for the Huskies from 2007-08. Fleck's coaching career began at Ohio State as a graduate assistant in 2006.\xa0

Fleck played receiver at Northern Illinois from 1999-2003 and helped lead the Huskies to a No. 10 ranking, a 10-2 record and wins against Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State in his final season. He ranks in the top five in Northern Illinois history in career receptions (179) and receiving yards (2,162). Fleck holds the school record for punt returns (87) and ranks second in punt return yards (716). He earned First Team All-Mid-American Conference in 2003 and was named Academic All-MAC and Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education.\xa0

Fleck played the 2004-05 seasons with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. He signed with the 49ers as a free agent in 2004 and spent most of his time on the practice squad before seeing action against New England late in the season. He spent the 2005 season on the injured reserve roster and in 2006 he stopped playing professionally and started his coaching career.\xa0

Fleck and his wife, Heather, have four children, Gavin, Carter, Paisley (P.J.) and Harper.