P.J. Fleck

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate P.J. Fleck

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate P.J. Fleck.

P.J. Fleck’s coaching experience (36 years old)

This is just his first year of experience at a Power 5 school as he tries to rebuild Minnesota after turning Western Michigan into the mid-major standard, a team that took Wisconsin to the brink in 2016 before a close loss in the Cotton Bowl. Before that, Fleck was an assistant at Ohio State, Northern Illinois, Rutgers and with Tampa Bay in the NFL. He enjoyed a standout career at Northern Illinois before moving onto the 49ers in the NFL.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: The Proven Winner, Level Four – Mid-Major Champion (but just once, and is currently 5-5 at his first shot at Level Three (as of November 13))

Why the Tennessee Vols might want P.J. Fleck

He’s a young offensive mastermind and motivator that has consistently proven he can recruit, develop and build winners. What is his ceiling? He’s still too young to know, but he led the Broncos to some big-time football games a year ago, and if you can lock him in, Fleck’s best years are likely in front of him. He’s young and aggressive, and he’d probably do well in Knoxville.

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want P.J. Fleck

So … about those slogans… If you’re sick of Jones and his brick-by-brick/life champions rhetoric, Fleck isn’t going to be a change of pace. He does “row the boat” after all. That stuff has worn thin in Knoxville, and there are people who’d check out at the first sign of blabber, especially when it has nothing behind it. But Fleck has proven his accountability, and he wouldn’t make excuses. Still, has he been at a big program long enough?

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Andrew Cooper
Andrew Cooper
6 years ago

Well, if you win a championship or two no one cares about the slogans.

Joel Hollingsworth
Admin
Joel Hollingsworth
6 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Cooper

True. But I think it’s more about how much patience a guy gets. Familiarity breeds contempt, and because so many people were so fed up with Jones’ slogans, they’re going to be on guard against it. And at the first sign of trouble, that’s going to come back up. Bottom line, he won’t have as much patience as some other new guy because he’ll remind everyone of Butch too soon.

Joel Hollingsworth
Admin
Joel Hollingsworth
6 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Cooper

True, but I think it’s more about how much patience a guy gets. Familiarity breeds contempt, and because so many people were so fed up with Jones’ slogans, they’re going to be on guard against it. And at the first sign of trouble, that’s going to come back up. Bottom line, he won’t have as much patience as some other new guy because he’ll remind everyone of Butch too soon.