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?