P.J. Fleck expected to be 'major factor' in chaotic college football coaching carousel

It's only late October, but Fleck's name continues to be connected to multiple jobs.

Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The college football coaching carousel has gotten started early this season with notable head coach vacancies at top programs such as Florida, Penn State, and Arkansas already. With a 5-2 start to the season, Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck is reportedly expected to be in the middle of it all.

On3 college football insider Pete Nakos published an article on Thursday tying Fleck to the Arkansas opening. He wrote: "One sitting Power Four head coach to know in this search is Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck."

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Earlier in the week, John Brice from footballscoop.com broke down the Florida opening after Billy Napier was fired. He wrote: "Minnesota's P.J. Fleck is going to be a major factor in multiple coaching searches in this cycle."

"Fleck is going to get a look or looks, and he's earned them,. The dude wins with less, regardless if he's viewed as polarizing or gimmicky with his 'Row the Boat' mantra. Fleck owns six-straight bowl wins, as well as an 11-win season at Minnesota and a 13-win season at Western Michigan," Brice continued.

"He makes smart hires, which is why he's lost coordinators in recent years to college football's so-called blue bloods, including defensive coordinator Corey Heatherman, the architect of the Miami Hurricanes's stingy unit."

Minnesota ranks seventh out of 18 Big Ten programs with 37 wins since 2021. Five of the six programs that rank higher have made the College Football Playoff, with Iowa being the only exclusion. Fleck has a proven track record of success at a place that hasn't historically had much of it in the modern era.

There was mutual interest between Fleck and UCLA when the Bruins' job opened in 2023, and he has now been linked to the Arkansas job by at least one reputable source. The coaching carousel is also an opportunity for coaches to use leverage to negotiate bigger contracts and more resources. Fleck's longtime agent, Bryan Harlan, has done an effective job at doing just that.

The chaos scenario looming in this entire cycle is when programs start hiring sitting head coaches from other jobs. There are seven power conference jobs already open, and that number could grow between now and the end of the season.

If the Gophers continue to win, Fleck's name will only become more popular in these coaching searches. Whether or not he leaves is a whole different discussion, but this is likely only the beginning of what should be a rumor-filled cycle for Minnesota's head coach.