Insider links P.J. Fleck and 6 others to Arkansas coaching job

Would Fleck leave the Big Ten for a job in the SEC? Is he even a realistic candidate?

Nov 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck looks on during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

P.J. Fleck's name doesn't appear to be at the top of the list, but it does appear to be a list of candidates Arkansas is reviewing amid its search for a new football coach.

According to On3 college football insider Pete Nakos, there are a bunch of names Arkansas is considering, with Fleck among them.

• Rhett Lashlee, SMU head coach
• James Franklin, former Penn State head coach
• Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach
• Alex Golesh, USF head coach
• Ryan Silverfield, Memphis head coach
• Pat Fitzgerald, former Northwestern head coach
• P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach

Nakos didn't elaborate, only saying "there's been interest" in Fleck from Arkansas.

What could make Fleck even more interesting is Minnesota redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey, who was the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023. He committed to the Gophers before Arkansas showed interest, and he's now an up-and-coming starter in the Big Ten.

If Fleck left for Arkansas, would Lindsey follow him? We're nowhere near that conversation, but it's a nugget worth pointing out as Fleck's name swirls in the college football coaching rumor mill.

Fleck has had a successful run at Minnesota after leading Western Michigan to 11 wins in 2016. While he hasn't taken the Gophers to the Big Ten championship game or found a way to consistently beat border rival Iowa, he has won six consecutive bowl games and had an 11-win season in 2019.

Of the names mentioned above, only Fleck, Franklin, and Fitzgerald have coached in a power conference. Lashlee, Silverfield, Golesh, and Sumrall are among the hottest up-and-comers in college coaching, but do the Razorbacks want to go with a coach that knows exactly what it takes to compete in a major conference?

Fleck and Minnesota are winless on the road this season ahead of Friday night's game at No. 9 Oregon. The Ducks are competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, and Fleck's name could get even more attention if he's able to lead an upset against a top-10 team on the road.

Losing Fleck now might be the worst-case scenario for the Gophers, largely because the 2026 recruiting class features a trio of four-star, in-state recruits in athlete Roman Voss, defensive lineman Howie Johnson, and offensive lineman Andrew Trout.

For now, Fleck is at Minnesota, and there doesn't appear to be a legitimate threat of him leaving.