P.J. Fleck stayed with Gophers for 'love' of Minnesota

"We built a life here - not just make a living being a football coach."

PJ Fleck's "love" of Minnesota is what, he says, was the tipping point for him to remain the Gophers head coach when UCLA came calling earlier this year. 

"I just love being in Minnesota," Fleck said at the team's spring practice press conference Wednesday. 

"I don't know if there's much to say after that. I just love being here, I've told you that before," Fleck continued. "We built a life here, not just making a living being a football coach. We're embedded in the community. We love this place. We love the city. We love the university, it's been really good to us. I think cultural sustainability is really important for success, especially in 2024 and the way college football is changing. I think it's really important for the development of programs, the success of programs. Yeah, just love being at Minnesota."

Reports popped up almost immediately this winter linking Fleck with the UCLA job after Chip Kelly left to become the Ohio State offensive coordinator. The Gophers coach squashed those rumors with a tweet saying that he's "honored to be the head football coach at Minnesota."

Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle noted UCLA's "real" interest in Fleck earlier in March. For his commitment to the U, Fleck was awarded an amended contract that features escalating retention bonuses.

Fleck wasn't the only Gopher that decided to stay this winter. In the changing landscape of college football where players are easily able to transfer the Gophers lost just one starter (Athan Kaliakmanis) in the transfer portal.

Fleck said he and his recruiting staff haven't had to change too much of their operation but noted the need to adapt to the altered landscape.

"I'm sure they could all make more money, I don't think that's a secret," Fleck said about retaining a number of key players this winter. "But I am really, really thankful and proud of Dinkytown Athletes, our fans, our administration [for] really investing into our players."

After Kaliakmanis' departure the Gophers were able to quickly land former New Hampshire QB Max Brosmer in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-2 graduate student joins Minnesota after being the FCS's top passer in 2023.

"First of all you start with the intangibles, they're though the roof," Fleck said of his new quarterback. "That's the first thing you see when you meet him. I think any successful quarterback has to have that piece.

"You feel like he's already been here for 30 years. I've never seen a person walk into a situation, maybe, probably more uncomfortable of a situation because you're the new guy, and connect as many people as quickly as he has."

Fleck praised Brosmer for working out with his teammates over spring break instead of heading off to warmer destinations for vacation.

Of his recruitment, Fleck said his staff talked to "a lot of people."

"It wasn't hard, you talked to one person and they said the same thing the other person said," Fleck said about Brosmer. "One thing I'll give his coaches credit for, I think a lot of people get hurt when somebody wants to leave. They were promoting what he wanted for the rest of his life. They were willing to get on the phone with our coaches and talk about how great of a kid he is, is he a connector, what kind of a connector is he and what should we expect. There wasn't one person that said one thing bad about him, or questionable about him."

Fleck said the staff "knew what we were looking for" and that Brosmer "just seemed to be a great fit."

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck looks on before the game against Illinois at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Nov. 4, 2023 :: Matt Krohn / USA TODAY Sports