PJ Fleck is heading into his 10th straight season-opener at Minnesota, and the Gophers will kick off the 2026 season on Thursday at Huntington Bank Stadium against Eastern Illinois. But while the program gets ready for another year, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has put Fleck on the radar as a coach to watch for the next big opening in college football.
In Rittenberg’s ESPN piece, “Who to watch for the next big job opening [in college football]”, Fleck landed at No. 2 among Power 4 head coaches Rittenberg believes could be on the move. Rittenberg wrote that Fleck “could be ready for a different challenge, depending on what opens in this cycle.”
He also pointed to the results Fleck has stacked up at Minnesota, even if they don’t always get the national attention they deserve:
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Golden Gophers: His consistency at Minnesota seems to be overlooked nationally, but how many programs would gladly accept eight wins or more in five of the past six full seasons, or a 7-0 record in bowl games?
Fleck’s slogans/branding seem to get more attention than the results he delivers. The 45-year-old has a decade of Big Ten experience, at a program that doesn’t rank among those with the most resources.
He’s 66-44 as an FBS coach and could be ready for a different challenge, depending on what opens in this cycle.
Adam Rittenberg - ESPN
Rittenberg’s name carries weight here, too. He’s been around college football for a long time and has covered Minnesota regularly over the years. That makes his read on Fleck worth taking seriously, especially for Gopher fans who may not love seeing their coach mentioned in this kind of speculation.
Still, the numbers behind Fleck’s run in Dinkytown are hard to ignore. He enters year 10 with a 66-44 mark at Minnesota, and that .600 winning percentage is the best in program history for any coach who lasted more than five seasons, outside of Henry Williams and Bernie Bierman.
At this point, Fleck has won more games than Glen Mason, a name plenty of Minnesota fans still remember fondly. Mason was the program’s last long-term benchmark before the post-Mason search took three failed coaches to sort out.
That’s why any serious move away from Minnesota would have to come with a massive offer. Rittenberg noted that Fleck has turned down interest from UCLA and others, and the article also points out that his kids know only Minnesota, while he loves it there.
So yes, Fleck’s name is out there again. But if a major job comes calling next offseason, that likely means Minnesota just put together one of the best seasons of his tenure. For now, the safer bet is to keep the rowboat in place and let the 2026 season begin.
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Now the reboot centers on a familiar question with a lot riding on it: can Taylor stay healthy and rediscover the version of himself Minnesota needs? The Gophers are leaning into a tougher, more physical approach while also sorting through competition at key offensive line spots, so the success of the ground game will depend on more than one player. Still, Taylor remains the lead back, which means his health and form sit at the heart of whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesotas Opener Could Be Trickier Than Gophers Fans Expect
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Eastern Illinois comes in with a clear identity built around the run, and its defense has already shown it can make life harder on opposing ground games. Thomas pointed to Charles Kellom, Jawuan Nickson, Landers Green and Dillion Conway as players to keep an eye on, which means Minnesota will need to stay sharp early rather than assuming the afternoon will sort itself out. Even so, Thomas still picked the Gophers to win, leaving the larger question less about the final result and more about how cleanly Minnesota handles a team with a defined physical edge. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesotas 2026 Passing Game Hinges On One Huge Leap
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Noah Jennings is part of that equation too, since his receiving total is tied to how far the passing attack can stretch and whether Minnesota can turn more throws into real production. The over-under debate around both players says plenty about the uncertainty here: the Gophers have enough pieces to imagine a jump, but not enough certainty yet to make the leap feel automatic. [Read more 🡒]