P.J. Fleck has reached 100 career wins. Minnesota is happy to keep rowing with him

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — P.J. Fleck's self-professed best day in football was highlighted by Minnesota's first home win over Michigan since 1977 — and full of energy from start to finish.

Crowd-surfing was included, morning and afternoon.

After diving off the stage on Fox's pregame studio set into a sea of students across the street from the stadium, Fleck celebrated his 100th career victory as a head coach in customary fashion by sprinting into the locker room and leaping into the outstretched arms of the Gophers' players. He drank some water from the Little Brown Jug and doused his face right before he raced inside.

“We celebrate every single win, just like that. We just happened to have a trophy in this one,” said Fleck, who is 100-67 over 14 seasons, the last 10 at Minnesota . “Because I never take winning for granted, and we’re never, ever going to discount fun and put fun aside. Ever. It’s still a game.”

The genesis of the locker room leap goes back to his first year at Western Michigan in 2013, when the Broncos started 0-8 and got their first win at Massachusetts.

“We do it our way,” Fleck said.

Fleck’s unique brand and ubiquitous intensity have been as prominent as ever with the Gophers at 4-1 overall and off to their first 2-0 start in Big Ten play since they won their first six conference games in 2019 and finished 11-2. They play at Purdue on Saturday, before their bye week.

After Minnesota beat Michigan for the first time since 2014, Fleck blurted in the on-field postgame interview that his feelings that day trailed only the births of his children and his wedding on the list of best life experiences. The week before, following a win at Washington, Fleck was captured on camera smearing linebacker Maverick Baranowski's blood on his face .

For a few of Fleck's peers in coaching and many followers of the college game, and even for some traditionalists within Minnesota's own fan base, his style is out of place and his slogans — starting with “Row the Boat” — are an eye-roller. But it works with his players, and he has the backing of university leaders.

“At first when you get here, you’re kind of blown away with everything, but as I’ve been here, it’s been great,” said defensive end T.J. Bush Jr., who transferred from California. “I feel like it really molds you for life after football, and that’s one thing I love about this place.”

The elementary education major at Northern Illinois who briefly taught sixth-grade social studies before a two-year NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers is unabashedly himself.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for anybody in this world, no matter who you are, to apologize for who are, as long as you’re being the best, most authentic, most real version of yourself every day,” Fleck said.

Fleck's program isn't for every player, either, but in this new era of college football with money driving so many more decisions about where to play, the Gophers have been able to maintain more stability than most.

“Coach Fleck was so real with me when he brought me here. He said it’s not going to be easy to play for me,” said cornerback Aydan West, a transfer from Michigan State. “Our culture is our biggest thing. Being on this team has changed my life for the better.”

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