Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck, setting no limits, wields a new mantra: ‘Be delusional’

LAS VEGAS – A building away from the cacophony of bells and whistles, cheers and groans that a casino produces, P.J. Fleck took to the stage in a huge ballroom at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to give the annual update on his Gophers football team at Big Ten media days.

Fleck is entering his ninth season as Minnesota’s coach with the season opener Aug. 28 against Buffalo a little more than a month away. He wore a light cream blazer and maroon pants Wednesday, a contrast from the aggressive maroon plaid blazer he wore in his Big Ten media days debut in 2017 in Chicago. He was allotted 15 minutes for an opening statement and questions from media members. And like the ball-control coach he has been, Fleck used up 14 minutes and 30 seconds on his opening statement, leaving time for one question, with one-on-one interviews slated later.

“Viva Las Vegas, baby!” Fleck declared while thanking the Big Ten for moving this annual gathering from Indianapolis.

Maybe those are examples how the now-44-year-old has mellowed yet still kept his exuberance in his near-decade in Dinkytown. Fleck quietly has become the third-most-tenured coach in the Big Ten, behind only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz and Penn State’s James Franklin. And a contract extension he agreed to earlier this month has enhanced retention bonuses that could keep him in Minnesota through the 2030 season.

Fleck and the Gophers are coming off an 8-5 bounce-back season, one in which fans were treated to stellar quarterback play from graduate transfer Max Brosmer. Now, Fleck will try to keep the program moving forward with redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey at quarterback and plenty of productivity to replace at wide receiver, along the offensive line, at cornerback and in the kicking game.The Gophers had 17 players from 2024 participate in the program’s pro day this offseason, and their contributions won’t be replaced easily. Fleck, though, isn’t adjusting expectations.

“Be delusional,” he said. “… It means no cap on the job, no limitations. Dreaming big with the College Football Playoff. As Indiana showed last year, anybody can get there. And if we’re delusional enough to know we can do that, we can get there.“

Case in point: the 2019 Gophers, who bolted to a 9-0 start before a loss at Iowa and a home loss to Wisconsin torpedoed their playoff chances. Instead, they finished with an 11-2 mark and their first final top-10 ranking since 1962. Under a 12-team playoff, which debuted last year, a 10-2 team from the Big Ten or SEC would have a strong chance of grabbing a playoff berth.

“We’re recruiting, we’re developing, we’re retaining more and more talent than we ever have,” Fleck said. “That’s what’s so fun about it. You’re watching our recruiting successes that we’re having, whether it’s in-state or whether that’s out of state, but we’re willing to go wherever it takes to find the right fit for our program. And then once they’re in there, they get to develop.”

The Gophers are picked to finish 11th in the Big Ten in the cleveland.com preseason media poll, and their over/under win total according to Vegas oddsmakers is 6.5. Last year, they finished the regular season with seven wins and in a seventh-place tie at 5-4 in the conference. This year’s schedule has its challenges — trips to defending national champion Ohio State and Big Ten champion Oregon, plus a game at Iowa — but there appears to be a majority of toss-up games. Last year, the Gophers went 3-4 in one-score games. Go 6-1 in those games — like the 2019 team did — and a playoff spot could be there.

Getting there, though, is easier done when typed on a screen or printed on paper. The route for coaches is getting difference-makers on the field, and Fleck points out one in sophomore safety Koi Perich, who’ll see action this year on defense, offense and special teams.