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P.J. Fleck was named head football coach at Minnesota on January 6, 2017. Fleck, is the 30th head coach in the program’s history. He has a career record of 56-41 and is 26-19 at Minnesota.

While at Minnesota, Fleck has guided Minnesota to it's most wins (11 in 2019) since 1904, has coached three All-Americans (Antoine Winfield Jr., Rashod Bateman and Mohamed Ibrahim), six Academic All-Americans (Blaise Andries twice, Sam Renner twice, Payton Jordahl and Gary Moore) and 194 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 led Minnesota to its first New Year's Day bowl win (2020 Outback Bowl against Auburn) since 1962. He has also had eight players selected in the NFL Draft while at Minnesota.

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 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 Mohamed 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).

In 2019, Fleck led Minnesota to historic heights as the Gophers won 11 games 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 George Munger Award, Dodd Trophy, Eddie Robinson Award, Bear Bryant Award and AFCA National Coach of the Year.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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