Western Michigan football coach PJ Fleck leaves to coach Minnesota

Western Michigan University head football coach P.J. Fleck is leaving the Broncos to become the head coach at the University of Minnesota, the schools announced Friday.

Minnesota announced that Fleck has signed a five-year deal with the Golden Gophers.

"It's an honor to coach at Minnesota and be part of the Big Ten conference," said Fleck. "I want to thank president Eric Kaler, athletic director Mark Coyle and the Board of Regents for this opportunity. I also want to thank Western Michigan, my players and the great fans and city of Kalamazoo for a wonderful four years.

"I look forward to meeting my new players and getting to know them as quickly as possible. I am excited to put together a staff and turn my efforts to recruiting, but also want Gopher fans to know that my wife, Heather, and I and our four children will be visible in the community and we are eager to connect with them. I am ready to go. Ski-U-Mah!"

Fleck's 2016 WMU team went 13-0 en route to a Mid-American Conference title. The Broncos fell short in the Cotton Bowl, where they lost to the Wisconsin Badgers, 24-16.

Since taking over the role in 2013, Fleck went 30-22 with the Broncos, earning two conference titles. The team went 1-2 in three trips to bowl games.

Minnesota fired head coach Tracy Claeys earlier this week after just one and a half seasons. The team went 9-4 this season with a win in the Holiday Bowl.

"P.J. is a proven winner and a strong leader. He's built a unique, positive culture that gets the best out of his students on the field and in the classroom," University of Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle said. "His infectious energy and passion make him a terrific coach and dynamic recruiter. I am excited he will be leading the Gophers for years to come."

Several Golden Gophers players were involved in a sexual assault case that resulted in 10 suspensions from their bowl game against Washington State. After a brief boycott by the players, they decided to play in the game without their suspended teammates. But Claeys' support of his team and the sexual assault case eventually led to his dismissal from the team.

Before his time at Western Michigan, Fleck served as the wide receivers coach for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 and coached the receivers at Rutgers from 2010-11. He coached receivers and was the recruiting coordinator at Northern Illinois in 2009 and tutored receivers for the Huskies from 2007-08. Fleck's coaching career began at Ohio State as a graduate assistant in 2006.

Fleck played receiver at Northern Illinois from 1999-2003 and helped lead the Huskies to a No. 10 ranking, a 10-2 record and wins against Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State in his final season. He ranks in the top five in Northern Illinois history in career receptions (179) and receiving yards (2,162). Fleck holds the school record for punt returns (87) and ranks second in punt return yards (716). He earned First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors in 2003 and was named an Academic All-MAC and Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education.

Fleck played the 2004-05 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. He signed with the 49ers as a free agent in 2004 and spent most of his time on the practice squad before seeing action against New England late in the season. He spent the 2005 season on the injured reserve roster and stopped playing professionally and started his coaching career in 2006. Fleck is one of a select few college football coaches to have played and coached in the NFL.

Fleck and his wife, Heather, have four children, Gavin, Carter, Paisley (P.J.) and Harper.

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