P.J. Fleck floated as potential candidate at Michigan, does it make sense?

Fleck has already been connected to the latest open job.

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

Michigan shook up the college football world on Wednesday night when it fired head coach Sherrone Moore with cause. An article from Robby Kalland at CBS Sports already suggests P.J. Fleck as a potential candidate. Would it make any sense?

For those wondering, A recent @CBSSports article has Gophers' P.J. Fleck as the fifth mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Sherone Moore as Michigan's head coach.

Story via: @RKalland pic.twitter.com/VIGz42ybQl

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) December 10, 2025

"Fleck's gone 65-44 in his nine seasons at the helm of the Gophers, missing a bowl game only twice in that span and has made five straight. If Michigan can't pry one of those bigger names away from a marquee program, Fleck could be someone that interests them," he wrote.

"We've never seen Fleck at a program with the kinds of resources Michigan has, and he could be intrigued to find out what he could do with that kind of investment. At the same time, there is the risk that he's a program builder but not the kind of coach that maximizes elite talent to the level Michigan hopes."

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Kalland mentions Kalen DeBoer from Alabama, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, USC's Lincoln Riley, and Washington's Jedd Fisch before he gets to Fleck. The timing of Moore's dismissal is what makes this search interesting. If the Wolverines strike out on all their top candidates like Penn State did earlier this cycle, could they look at an option like Fleck?

Michigan is viewed as one of the top jobs in the Big Ten and one of the best jobs in all of college football. So there have already been dozens of names connected to the job. Other candidates include Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, former LSU head coach Brian Kelly or even former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.

Fleck is an interesting candidate in this search because Michigan football continues to seemingly be in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. If the Wolverines want more stability and a program that stays out of the headlines, Fleck would make a lot of sense.

Ultimately, if Michigan came calling, there are maybe only a few coaches in the entire sport who wouldn't listen. There are candidates more qualified than Fleck, but many have already accepted new jobs due to the timing of the cycle. Whether or not Fleck gets called remains to be seen, but whoever Michigan decides to hire will likely reignite what has already been a crazy coaching carousel this offseason.