Not even through his first full season as head coach, and P.J. Fleck has already been rewarded for his work.
Minnesota announced Wednesday morning that it has reached an agreement on a contract extension with Fleck into 2023. The 36-year-old head coach originally signed a five-year contract with the school, making this a two-year extension.
A December meeting of the school’s Board of Regents will rubber stamp the extension and make it official.
“It’s an honor to coach at the University of Minnesota and in the Big Ten,” said Fleck in a statement. “[athletic director] Mark Coyle and I share the same goal of building a championship culture and team at Minnesota. It’s a goal that we are working on daily together and one that we will achieve. I am proud of how hard our young men have worked to improve this season on living a holistic life. They have taken great strides in bettering themselves athletically, academically, socially and spiritually. I look forward to leading them and watching them grow on and off the field as we continue to move this program forward.”
In his first season at Minnesota after coming to the Big Ten program from Western Michigan, Fleck has the Gophers at 5-6. Fleck took over a team that won nine games in 2016, and, if they fail to beat fifth-ranked Wisconsin Saturday, would have their fewest wins in a season since going 3-9 in Jerry Kill‘s first year in 2011.
On the flip side, his five wins are the first for a first-year Gophers coach since Murray Warmath won seven games in 1954. Additionally, he became the first coach to win his Gophers debut since John Gutekunst did the same back in 1986.
“When we hired Coach Fleck, I talked about his authentic energy and passion, and his dedication to building a unique team culture. This year, I have seen our students connect with his energy and embrace that culture,” Coyle said in his statement. “From the commitment and hard work of our current students, to building a nationally-ranked recruiting class that will be among the best in program history, I have seen the foundation of what Coach Fleck is building, and I’m looking forward to supporting him for years to come.”