Sorry, Tennessee fans: Don't hold your breath on PJ Fleck rowing his boat to Rocky Top
Tennessee fans, I tip my cap to you.
You’re loyal. You’re unapologetically passionate. You’re nostalgic. You’re the reason that football-focused sites like SDS can exist (and thrive) in a 24-hour news cycle. I mean, my dentist in Central Florida wears Tennessee scrubs and he even rocks a Tennessee mask … all year. It’d be a bit much to say that Vols fans are “the wind beneath our wings,” but let’s just say college football would be even more entertaining if all fan bases acted like Tennessee’s.
OK, good. That’s out of the way.
Now there’s something else we need to get out of the way as the search to replace Jeremy Pruitt continues. Don’t hold your breath on PJ Fleck coming to Rocky Top.
I say that in an effort to save the health of Vols fans who were indeed waiting on news of Fleck accepting the Tennessee job in order to exhale. Don’t have that mindset. Get that oxygen back to your brain.
This came up because over the weekend, reports came out that Parker Executive Search firm identified Fleck, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and Southern Methodist head coach Sonny Dykes as “being vetted for the Tennessee job.” Late Monday, there was a report that Fleck wasn’t interested in the job.
To be clear, if newly hired athletic director Danny White went out and landed Fleck, I’d offer nothing but praise. That would be quite the heist, even if it meant paying someone with a 15-19 Big Ten record somewhere in the $8 million range (annually). My guess is that the only way in which White hires someone on the short list of candidates is if he copies Michigan State’s overpay of Mel Tucker, who coached in 2020 with a buyout north of $23 million (!) in Year 1 of his deal worth more than $5 million annually.
That potential annual salary wouldn’t even include the $4.5 million that Tennessee would have to fork over to Minnesota to hire Fleck, who is under contract through 2026. On the bright side, that number would have been $10 million had Tennessee tried to poach Fleck in December. Then again, that couldn’t have happened because the Vols were in the midst of an internal investigation into Pruitt’s recruiting practices.
Speaking of that, it’s probably worth remembering that this isn’t anything close to a normal situation for a potential head coach candidate like Fleck to inherit.
Tennessee:
- A) Has an ongoing lawsuit over allegedly avoiding a $12.6 million buyout
- B) Lost several key starters via transfer, as well as 3 quarterbacks
- C) Had its top 2021 signee ask for his release
- D) Has yet to receive NCAA punishments for multiple Level I violations
- E) All the above
It’s “E.” It’s always “E.”
Now picture Fleck leaving Minnesota for that. Picture Fleck bailing on a place where he had his trademarked “Row the Boat” mantra put on basically everything in plain sight in the football facility. Picture him leaving a job that’ll pay him $4.65 million in 2021, which doesn’t include anything from his incentive-heavy deal that he agreed to after an 8-0 start in 2019.
They’ve treated Fleck well in the Twin Cities. The guy got a 25% raise in the midst of his breakout season in 2019. In 2020, he coached with a buyout of $18.7 million. When Fleck got that extension, Minnesota committed $1 million more to pay his assistants. If you recall, that was a major reason Bret Bielema left a Big Ten program for the SEC back in 2012. Unlike Wisconsin 8 years ago, Minnesota doesn’t spend like some mid-major in 2021.
Ask anyone who spent any time around that program. They’re all in with Fleck at Minnesota. They understand who they are. There’s no identity crisis. Instead of a coach’s goofy sayings becoming the butt of the joke like Butch Jones’ were in the midst of consecutive Top 25 seasons at Tennessee, Minnesota rallied around Fleck’s.
(I know, I know. Nobody wants to be a champion of life with guys who have 5-star hearts when rivals are off winning actual championships with their 5-star recruits. Still, the point remains.)
Fleck admits he has a “not for everyone” personality. And to be clear, that high-motor, Energizer Bunny way in which he carries himself is his real personality. He’s not playing a character.
That’s all worth remembering because even in the event that Tennessee rolls out the red carpet for Fleck, which I’d fully expect White to do if given the opportunity, it would still come down to him feeling like he’d have the chance to win big and be himself. For all the talk about Fleck coming off like a salesman looking to rise his way through the ranks, he’s about to enter Year 9 as an FBS head coach. He spent that entire time at Western Michigan and Minnesota.
However, this isn’t the part where I recall some quote Fleck had about being loyal to the Gophers or that his Midwest roots will prevent him from considering a job outside of the geographical footprint. If we’ve learned anything about college coaches, it’s that loyalty is only loyalty until the bigger, better opportunity comes calling.
The problem is that Tennessee is no longer the bigger, better opportunity. It’s been 2 decades since Tennessee finished in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25. It’s been 1 year since Fleck did that at Minnesota. In the last 10 drafts, Tennessee had 5 or more selections once. That’s the same number as Minnesota, which just pulled off that feat in 2020.
Why do some believe that Tennessee is a sleeping giant when it hasn’t won a conference title in the 21st century? Five full-time head coaches failed in that mission. Going 5-37 against your 3 biggest rivals in a 13-year stretch and going 14 seasons (and counting) without a win vs. a team in the top 10 of the AP Poll aren’t signs that a program has the same upside it once did. Call me crazy, but it seems like the coaching world knows that, too. Amidst all of that turnover, Tennessee has yet to hire a coach with Power 5 head coaching experience since Johnny Majors in 1977.
(For what it’s worth, Majors leaving Pitt immediately after winning a national title had a little bit to do with him being a Tennessee native/grad/legend.)
Until we see the words “P.J. Fleck agrees to extension at Minnesota,” I’d fully expect to see all the Tennessee rumors unfold. If you’re part of that process in Knoxville, of course you’d want the college football world to think you’re a conversation away from hiring the 40-year old head coach who had top-15 seasons at Western Michigan and Minnesota (he was also the second-youngest active FBS head coach to win 50 games). After all, we’re a week from Signing Day. It makes the job sound more attractive than it actually is by having an established Power 5 head coach being linked to it.
Given the dynamics at play here, Fleck’s agent, Bryan Harlan, might not mind hearing his client’s name surface for a Power 5 opening. That was at the root of Fleck’s 2019 extension when he was reportedly a candidate for the Florida State job. Why wouldn’t an agent want his client to gain a little more leverage following a disappointing season like the one Fleck just had?
In the end, though, talk is cheap. Uprooting your life and leaving a place where you’ve built a solid foundation isn’t so cheap. That can be a costly mistake that leads to a dead end, especially when the new school just tried to wiggle its way out of paying the predecessor’s 8-figure buyout.
I tip my cap to the Tennessee fans who can understand that.
Good. 1 good year out of 4 at Minnesota and a similar record at Western Michigan.
Fleck being considered a top coach is the result of his good salesmanship and gimmicks.
He’s 15-19 in the Big 10 and UT would have to pay a significant buyout. Never was excited about Fleck. Your making it sound like UT fans are wringing their hands about Fleck is a reach.
This was meant to be an original comment, not a reply to STG.
Totally agree with you VFL. This article presumed that all Vol fans drooled over Fleck and that’s just not true.
Cade and his family bought the last available tickets before that famous ship of the Vol Navy sailed. It seems to be overdue for arrival at this time.
Just let it go…
1980 ugarmyretard….1980
In the last 53 years, UGA has won the same number of national championships as UT.
53 years huh? Nothing like a nice rounded off number :)
Ok in the last 50 years, UT has won the same number of national championships as UGA.
By choosing a coach from a power 5 school means they dont think the sanctions will be that severe. By hiring a second tier coach means brace for impact.
I haven’t seen many Tennessee fans high on Fleck or even thinking they were getting him. I’ll keep saying Bill O’Brien until a hire is made.
Hasn’t O’Brien already been announced as the OC at Bama?
Yes, but I would still want to talk to him. He led Penn State through rougher times.
I may be wrong but I don’t think he was there more than 2 years. The sanctions were still in place when Franklin was hired and were then rescinded.
as much credit and good will that o’brien received from his immediate rebuild at psu, i think it’d be easy to state that he lost as much credibility in being able to manage a franchise….institution with how all came crumbling down in hou. from highly questionable roster moves, personality conflicts and an inability to interact with and involve his team captains as to the team’s mission…he’s in the right place right now. the saban rehab clinic.
Terrible GM. Heck of a coach. I’d take him in a heartbeat.
exactly
Exactly, I don’t know anyone that wants another slogan spouting coach, we’ve been there, done that! He can just continue to row his boat in Minnesota.
I can smell Knoxville from here and it ain’t good…it’s toxic.
Hmm… Toxic.
Wonder what Baby Mays and Nine-Fingered Daddy think of that… and all this? LOL!
Is Mrs Nine-Fingered-Daddy still suing UGA because Mr Nine-Fingered-Daddy can’t service her?
The Days of Our Hillbilly Lives …
1980
Irvin man, get a life and find something else to do then read all of UTs articles. I think your a closet tenn fan. And Bcreek same thing dude. And Fulmer and Pruitt was toxic. Now they are gone. Yu our act like USC is some power house. UT still abetter institution and job then that crap down in Columbia. I gurantee that whoever White hires will be a better pick then Beamer Jr. The media will tell you the same thing once this is all said and done. Now I understand Ga Bama, and even Fla fans talking as much smack as you do. But honestly you chicken heads at South Carolina have zero room to blast anyone.
Watch out, Pinky Mays might sue for the use of his trade mark word.
He would be a great hire later on, but I think he knows he’s better than just a transition coach.
Connor, excellent article. Booches94, perfect phrase; transition coach. I may be wrong but I would think the chancellor and Danny White already understand that. And once the TN fans recognize and accept that, the Vols nation can move on. We need a strong TN in the SEC.
Why does everyone keep saying we need a strong Tennessee in the SEC? The SEC has and will do just fine with or without Tennessee being relevant! Don’t recall ever hearing Tennessee folks being upset at the misfortune of another school!
agree strong Tenn
I think it’s a conference pride thing. The ACC looks terrible when Clemson can sleep walk through the season. Most people don’t mind when a program falls on their face from time to time…but UT fans are becoming apathetic. That’s not good for SEC football fans.
Because it’s what they remember growing up. But it’s kind of funny because the SEC is stronger now than it ever was while any of us were growing up.
I think everyone wants to see strong, competitive football from all of CFB. 42-10 games are pretty boring.
great question. This could be a fun debate. is there any one individual team in the conf that is truly needed for the conf to be considered elite, or the best?
i fell that you could easily argue that no team is. if bama’s last title was this past year and we fast forwarded 30 yrs and bama had slipped to mediocrity, but the conf had won 10 or 15 nat’l champs since, no matter the breakdown and by which team(s), no one outside of bama fans would really care.
Who doesn’t like to watch the home team beat a long time well regarded rival, more than the also ran team being paid as an opponent for an early season home game?
Because, in my opinion, crimsonrus, TN has a history of being an excellent program and we need ALL SEC programs to be strong. Not everyone has the history of Alabama but all schools help the conference in one way or another. General Neyland never lost to Coach Bryant. Did you know that? TN is proud of that fact. We can all be proud of our school but I’d rather beat a, say 6-1 TN than a 1-6 TN. It helps the Tide nationally!
The conference would be stronger due to more and better competition. The SEC is better with 6 or 7 teams in the top 25 and getting New Year 6 bowls. I’m 45 so half my life UT was a powerhouse the other half mediocre at best. We have the resources and the money, maybe more and better then most of the other teams have. So give it time UT is NOT down for the count. Maybe we got a standing 8 count but we will survive and flourish again. It will happen.
If you’re playing Connor O’Gara column bingo, go ahead mark off “I know, I know”, “to be clear”, and “E. It’s always E”.
Using the free space in the middle, all this column lacks is calling some receiver “uncoverable”.
BINGO!!
I don’t know if he was ‘uncoverable’ but as a strong Bama fan from way back I STILL call Hershel the best college football player ever. Bo Jackson was the best college athlete but Hershel was the best RB. And, yes, I saw both of them play.
You always have Kevin Steele!
I think the outcome under Steele is no worse than a Fleck situation. Because he has SEC experience, maybe a little better.
And Good ole Gus is available!
Not gonna lie I’d be really uncomfortable if Gus went to Tennessee. Remember the last time Gus was in his first season at a rag tag bottom of the SEC team?
Yeah but at least at AU he had a roster. The one at UT is getting smaller by the day.
That’s not really true. I mean Gus didn’t even have the quarterback yet. Tennessee isn’t far from where we were in terms of team talent.
What sought after coach, with P5 experience, is really going to want the TN job at this point? IF all that has been published is true, UT intentionally investigated their football program, with the goal of finding evidence, that would allow them to break their contract with Pruitt, & avoid paying a buyout. Now the fact that there apparently is evidence there is on Pruitt, but the fact that the university would take that approach is telling. No one, in their right mind, would take a job with any employer, who has proven that they will go to any possible means, to avoid honoring their employment agreement.
Exactly. No reputable and established HC will touch this dumpster fire of a program. And all of the criticism from Vawl fans on the potential candidates speaks to their delusion. They will be lucky to get ANYONE with head coaching experience at this point. Unless you count Jeff Fisher…which would be a beautiful disaster
You’re probably right leghumper. I mean what highly sought after AD would take the UT job?
You leghumpers are giving bammers a tough run to be considered the dumbest people on earth.
Leghumper does have a point, not that no one will but who? Also, the AD is in a much different position, if things don’t go well in a few years the coach will be fired naturally, and White will just hire another one. White will not lose his job if the first coach he hires doesn’t work out.
Really? UT has now had 5 AD’s in the last 10 years.
Coaches you’re in over your head here fella. Stick with coloring books.
*Booches
It makes you wonder why they even bother hiring them in the first place.
ADs are responsible for all sports. The football coach is responsible for one and he has to own the losses no matter the excuses for them. There is a big difference. Though it does not surprise me that most UT fans can not see the differences from their happy place. I am sure that John Gruden is going to take the job and lead the Vols to the promised land.
Calling you an idiot is redundant (as a bammer I’m sure you need to look that word up).
That would be “look up that word”. You must have suffered a traumatic brain death at some point. Don’t worry, when it comes to UT football you will not miss anything when they pull your plug.
Some coaches just get stale at their school and may be actually looking to move. That would be a search criteria IMO. Sell them the new environment and the challenge. But turning into a race to protect recruitment is just what you would you would expect from UT. So profoundly short sighted and dumb.
Mebbeso the SEC could just swap with the ACC? Tennessee for Clemson?
Yeah. Get Dabo to agree with that! (rolls eyes and laughs)
*heh*
Take a peek at the Big10 West and see the competition.
Nebraska
Purdue
Iowa
Illinois
Northwestern
Wisconsin
and Minnesota
They had one easy-beesy win over Illinois and the rest of their three wins were nail biters. That division was down significantly. I’m not sure that a multi-million dollar buyout and say a five year contract at maybe 7 million @ year is very smart. I dont see a lot of praise and even expectation on this selection. And as bad as Michigan was in 2020, Michigan 49, Minnesota 24. Best game was a loss to Wisconsin 20-17. Be careful, be very careful.
Moronic comment. Look at his roster. This year it was all youngsters because the prior coach left a huge year and class that left after the 2019 season. He chose to rebuild through balanced freshmen classes and has done so. He lost two games this year in overtime. That division in the Big 10 is as strong as the SEC east. Going forward Fleck has them primed to win big and everyone in the Big 10 knows it.
Agreed, Fleck a program builder through coaching kids up, Minn isn’t going to get class after class filled with 4* and 5* kids who are just plug and place like OSU, Bama, LSU etc.
They are vetting possible candidates. Vetting and meeting with and offering are very different things.
You’re trying to use logic with very dumb people Ladonvol. It’s a waste of time.
I wouldn’t call the fans dumb. No more than the 6 yr old with a mouth full of cavities because his mother gives him hard candy each night before bed. The AD and vol media have been feeding candy to the fan base for decades and have thrown away all the tooth brushes. Then tell the kid their next dental visit will be better. No wonder they live on hope. No wonder rumors are Paxil. And the Hyperactive AD and media are doing it again. Just slow down Do a professional job this time. The AD virtue signaled his entire pc . Why? What the fans need is the truth. Same old same old.
I hear Kevin Sumlin is available, he is an SEC coach with a winning record. Just kidding, I am wondering why Jeff Fisher’s name in not mentioned more. He took the Titians to a super bowl, he lives in Tennessee and is more than just interested in the job. I am sure the price would be right
Actually if he would take the job he would be a good choice. No matter who takes it is going to get plowed for a good many years. Then when probation is over and they can start to rebuild, go get a better coach than Sumlin.
Whoever is hired is stepping into a hornets nest. With sanctions coming and players leaving, the success curve is going to be long. Will the administration and fans want to wait for success or will the next coach be a 3 year guy and they are back to square one, again? Limited success in the Big 10 doesnt seem like a guy that would be high on the priority list, unless others have already turned them down.
I have watched Fleck for years and I think he is a good coach. The Big 10 really screwed over their schools this year. Very little fall prep. Cancelled games left and right. Hard to objectively evaluate a Big 10 school given the weak leadership at the conference level.
At a place like Minnesota, a winning season and a bowl game every year is about all they expect. If you go big every 3 years, they are even happier. At Tennessee, they want you to win the SEC east every year and beat Bama every other year. Very unrealistic expectations, given the state of the program.
If Fleck manages to win a Rose bowl in the next few years and something really great comes along, he will jump then.
Trust me, after a decade plus of what we have beem going through, expectations are most certainly lower. Everything you listed is more of a ‘want’ these days. I think most reasonable fans would’expect’ a bowl game and winning the games they are supposed to win and occasionally pulling the upset. Once that has been established, expectations will and should grow. And yes, there are many reasonable UT fans…but like most large fan bases, the crazy ones just tend to be the loudest
Tennessee is a sh!t stain
Is this the daily ‘let’s sh1t on rocky top’ article?
Short version: I liked Fleck over several other options that have been floated, especially any coordinators…but not gonna lose any sleep on him not coming to UT.
Tennessee fans think they deserve a top 10 program. The keyword is ‘deserve’, because that’s how they think. You people don’t deserve a GD thing.
Brilliant post… DA
Hey Connor, NOBODY in Tennessee gives a flip that CJ Fleck supposedly isn’t interested in the job. There’s a lot of interest in the job and White has a track record of making good hires.
Now, go wash my car you hack.
I am sure there is a lot of interest in the job. Just from no one that is any good or hopes to have a bright future in P-5 coaching. But heck I bet there are thousands of high school coaches in Tennessee and beyond that have interest in the job.
Again with a bammer trying to be smart… don’t try, all you do is make a bigger fool of yourself.
Maybe, but I have to make a much bigger fool of myself to be in your league. Give it up, you do not have what it takes to hang.
Hey Connor, here’s a question for you and your sidekick Adam. Are there any competent AD’s out there who would take the UT job?
Ohhhhh wait I think we know the answer.
Pure trash
TN has a great tradition that has waned due to mismanagement under Phil Fulmer as AD. I hope they can get their act together. I mean, how can you beat the VOLUNTEER NAVY, for goodness sake?
It started way before Fulmer became the AD.
Anytime I get to thinking I would like UT to have a winning program all I have to do is think of Fulmer. Then i am glad for them to go 1-10 with the only win against aubarn.
Tennesse comments show how bad things really are. Fleck can win a national championship at Minnesota quicker than he can at Tennessee. Wake up fools that is where the program is and get over it. Then you can start to build one again. Fleck took over a Westrn Michigan program that was no where and when he left they were playing in a BCS bowl,,, you know like Tennessee used to do thrity years ago.
Minnesota has a brand new stae of the art stadium. Tennessee has a concrete mausoleum. Minnesota has great facilities much better than the tired garbage present on rocky top. Minnesota does not have the NCAA taking out long term leases around Fulmer’s abandoned office. Minnesota is a far better job now than Tennessee and that is precisely the problem. Oh and deluded people like you also expect the new coach to beat Bama , Georgia and Florida the same year beginning year one. Ha ha ha
You are out in left field. Come back to reality. Minnesota is not a better place than Tennessee and it’s stadium can’t compare to Neyland Stadium.
Take your hate somewhere else and change your name to Big Ten BuyoutBoy.
Vol fans: your stadium is average. Its big, old and noisy. welcome to the club. The state of your stadium has zero influence on coaches or players. Why even bring that up?
Right now it is. It is all about expectations. If Fleck can win his division once every 4 years, and go to a bowl the others, he will be worshiped. The Vols still think so highly of their job that they actually think they are going to get a homerun hire to come before the sanctions are complete and that hire will make them competitive again. I hope I am wrong but I would not be surprised if it was 10 years before they are competitive again. Provided that the allegations are true. If they are not they still have the problem that they did all of this to get out of paying a coach his contract.
Connor is a Cuck who’s biased and lacking the basic kernels of knowledge necessary to be an effective sports reporter… In other words, he should be on espn’s short list of future hires!
So. You live in a fantasyland that thinks UT is going to be able to get a name coach or even a top coordinator to come fan the flames of the dumpster fire. UT is not going to get one of those until the sanctions are over.
Funny, the last time Minnesota was in the Rose Bowl, they had a former Vol and native Tennessean as their head coach in Murray Warmath.
If Jamey Chadwell’s minor issues at CCU can be excused and swept under the rug, he’s the right fit for this job.
Connor I didn’t think you could be worse as an interview than the garbage you write. Just heard you DA rant on Finebaum about how UT should hire Kevin Steele.
I’m stunned at how dense you keyword jocks are. Do you really think UT paid a ton to bring in AD Danny White to hire Kevin Steele? Really? You’re probably to dense to realize it but Finebaum was embarrassed for you.
*keyboard jocks
Don’t go hire some Butch Jones 2.0. Fire Donde! She seemed to be the problem.
Better hire a really good coach really soon. We are running out of players. Thanks, Donde and Randy.
Good. That lowers the probability of having to through another coaching search in three years.
Exactly
White was hired and become the highest paid AD in the SEC to hire Kevin Steele or that used car huckster Fleck.
Hide and watch what he comes up with. There’s a lot more interest in the job than tools like Connor Ogara realize.
I never wanted PJ Fleck. I didn’t think he was even being considered.
wtf would honestly want this hire? Lol is this a satire article?
Crisis? What crisis?
It’s always entertaining when an obvious dumba$$ like volbeef starts calling other people idiots