Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck dispelled rumors that he was on his way to UCLA on Saturday, taking to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to say he’s happy at Minnesota and excited for the upcoming season.
While Fleck was immediately floated as a candidate at UCLA, it appears the Bruins were more interested than previously revealed. Per to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, Fleck was a “top choice” for UCLA and “it’s not clear why a deal didn’t get done.”
Speculation of UCLA’s interest in Fleck floated around Friday when Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported that the 43-year-old coach would be among the Bruins’ top candidates. Fleck’s name has routinely surfaced over the years whenever high-profile coaching jobs open up.
Fleck, who has a 50-34 record across his seven seasons with the Gophers, is under contract at Minnesota through the 2029 season. According to the Star Tribune, Fleck would owe the U $7 million if he were to leave in 2024 for another job.
For now, it appears Fleck will be staying in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.
More must-reads: