Could this name be flying under the radar for Michigan football head coach opening?

As Michigan football continues its coaching search after firing Sherrone Moore last week, it seems like the Wolverines' list is shrinking.

On Friday night, No. 9 Alabama won its College Football Playoff game over No. 8 Oklahoma, making it highly unlikely Michigan would be able to make a push for Kalen DeBoer. Then, on Saturday morning, Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham signed a contract extension with the Sun Devils amidst his name being floated around for the Michigan job.

With two of its most desired candidates seemingly off the table, the Michigan athletic department will have to regroup quickly if they hope to make a hire before Jan. 2, which marks the beginning of the winter transfer portal window in college football.

While names like Kyle Whittingham and Jeff Brohm have floated around, there is one coach who is currently at a Big Ten school that hasn't been mentioned much.

That would be Minnesota's P.J. Fleck.

Here is why the Wolverines should consider giving Fleck a call to see if he might want to come to Ann Arbor.

Making the case for Fleck

Shortly after Moore was fired for cause by the Wolverines, Fleck's name did come up in a CBS Sports article as a suggestion for a potential candidate.

Beyond that, there haven't been any reports attaching Fleck's name as a candidate for the job. The question is, why?

Fans might see Fleck's antics and mantras as "corny" as he could be perceived as the type of personality that the Wolverines, for whatever reason, may not want.

But his ability to galvanize a program/locker room is unmatched, no matter what people may perceive from the outside.

At Western Michigan, Fleck took a program that hadn't won a conference title since 1988 and had been largely in the dumps before he arrived in 2013. By 2016, not only did Fleck lead the Broncos to a MAC title, but he took them to the Cotton Bowl that same season in what remains the most historic year in the program's history to date.

Since coming to Minnesota in 2017, the Gophers have only missed a bowl twice, and one of those seasons was the 2020 COVID year. In 2019, Fleck led the program to 11 wins, which was the most for a Minnesota team since 1904.

Overall, Fleck has posted a 65-44 record at Minnesota and is 95-66 overall as a head coach.

Has he led a Curt Cignetti-like turnaround? No—but that's a tough ask as the situation at Indiana is more of an outlier than a common occurence.

Fleck has, however, provided consistency and stability to Minnesota—a program with mid-tier resources when compared to the powerhouses of the Big Ten.

If Fleck can take Western Michigan and Minnesota to new heights, what would he be able to do at a place like Michigan, where he will have more resources at his disposal than he's ever had as a head coach? It seems like Fleck would be as likely as any other coach to get Michigan back to the top of the college football.

Furthermore, Fleck has always talked about Michigan's program with respect and admiration, particularly in 2023 in the year the Wolverines won the national title.

After falling to Michigan on their home field, Fleck called the eventual national champions the best football team he had seen in his 11 years of being a head coach.

"They’re as good as advertised,” Fleck said at the time. “I think they’re the best football team I have seen in 11 years of being a head coach. I’ve never seen a football team like that.”

Whether Fleck becomes a serious candiate for the opening remains to be seen, but considering his track record, it would be silly for Michigan to not inquire about his interest level.

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