The transfer portal is a topic of constant conversation in college football, but here's an aspect that somehow goes under-discussed: it's a tool of great leverage for incumbent head coaches.
Here's Minnesota AD Mark Coyle speaking Thursday:
"Every year people have contacted him," Coyle told KFXN-FM's Justin Gaard, via All Gophers. "He's had great success here. When UCLA, when that started to percolate and gain momentum... he and I talked on Friday night. We had really long conversations on Friday night. He and I had long conversations on Saturday morning. I had to chance to talk with President Ettinger with board leadership and those type of things. We all recognized what PJ means to this place.
"Because of the transfer portal, because of all the changes going on in college football we felt it was important to continue to be committed to PJ," Coyle continued.
Those talks Friday night and Saturday morning led to this tweet on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 10.
Honored to be the Head Football Coach at Minnesota!! Ready for an ELITE 2024 season!!
— P.J. Fleck (@Coach_Fleck) February 11, 2024
Now, back to our wedding anniversary trip!! #RTB #HYPRR #SkiUMah
🚣🏽♀️🐿️
UCLA announced DeShaun Foster as its next head coach that Monday, but it wasn't until Friday that we found out the results of those early February conversations.
Minnesota revealed Friday that it has agreed to a contract "amendment" with its head coach.
The amendment will not increase Fleck's base salary ($6 million) nor the term (through 2029), but it will provide additional money through annual retention bonuses. Simply for remaining at Minnesota, he'll earn $700,000 and increasing by $100,000 per year, up to $1.2 million.
Minnesota also deepened Fleck's assistant coaching salary pool by $500,000.
Even with the additional half a million dollars, Minnesota's salary pool is 15th among the 18 Big Ten schools, while Fleck's salary is ninth in the conference.
In seven seasons on the job, Fleck is 50-34 overall and 29-32 in Big Ten play. Minnesota went 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) in 2023 until a lack of teams elsewhere lifted the Gophers into the Quick Lane Bowl, which they won.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.