MINNEAPOLIS _ Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck signed a new seven-year contract extension Tuesday that would last through the 2026 season, pending Regents approval.
Athletic director Mark Coyle said the deal would bring Fleck's new salary to $4.6 million. Coyle said the buyout if Fleck were to leave the university is $10 million. The Regents hold their next meeting Dec. 12-13.
"It is a tremendous honor to lead this team and represent the University of Minnesota and this great state," Fleck said in a statement. "Our family absolutely loves Minnesota, and we are excited to continue to call this state home. We are building a championship culture _ one that our fans can be proud of _ through the academic, athletic, social and spiritual development of our student athletes."
Fleck has the Gophers at 8-0 for the first time since 1941 and the No. 13 national ranking, heading into Saturday's game against No. 5 Penn State at TCF Bank Stadium.
The coach signed an $18 million contract for five years in 2016, when hired from Western Michigan. He garnered a one-year extension in November 2017 and another in December 2018 to keep him with the Gophers through 2023 for a total of $25.5 million.
Fleck's current $3.6 million salary for this season ranks 37th among all 130 FBS coaches and 11th among the 14 coaches in the Big Ten, according to USA Today.
"Coach Fleck has built a program that competes academically, athletically and socially," Coyle said in a statement. "He recruits at an extremely high level and the program is seeing success it has not seen in nearly 80 years. His students are succeeding off the field, as the team has posted a record GPA and continually gives back to the community. I am thankful to President Gabel and the Board of Regents for their continued support, and I look forward to Coach Fleck continuing to lead this program."
Fleck has been a head coach for seven years, taking Western Michigan from 1-11 in 2013 to 13-1 in 2016. In three seasons at Minnesota, he has taken the program from 5-7 to 7-6 to 8-0 in 2019.
The Gophers' most recent victory was Fleck's 50th, making him at 38 the second-youngest active FBS coach to reach that milestone. He is a hot commodity on the coaching market, especially with jobs already opening up. For instance, Florida State inquired about Fleck after firing Willie Taggart on Sunday, a source told the Star Tribune.
