https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/...infomercial-after-beating-rutgers-politi.html Spoiler P.J. Fleck is everything Rutgers needs as its head football coach, a CEO who knows how to sell his program, motivate his players and rev up his fan base. He has a middling Minnesota program off to its first 7-0 start since 1960, and based on the way the Golden Gophers stomped Rutgers, 42-7, despite a sloppy afternoon, they’ll have a chance to keep making history. So maybe, if the testimonials from former players and prominent boosters and fans hoisting signs in the parking lot don’t get through, athletic director Patrick Hobbs will listen to Fleck. He turned his postgame press conference at SHI Stadium into a 15-minute-long infomercial for the man he calls “the greatest influence in my life.” Fleck was lobbed a softball: Would Schiano have success in a second act at Rutgers? He clearly was ready for the question. “The one thing I learned from Greg Schiano a long time ago was this: ’Don’t ever talk for me. I don’t need you to,'” Fleck said after his Golden Gophers handed Rutgers its latest humbling loss to ruin Homecoming. "That was in a meeting room when I was a wide receivers coach for him. I will not start doing that now. “But I will say is, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen, he’s the greatest coaching influence of my life, I learned more college football, I learned more business, I learned more (about) how to treat people, I learned more Xs and Os, I learned more discipline, I learned more work ethic from that man that I ever learned from anybody in my entire life.” Introducing Rutgers Sports Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers Fleck began his career working for the former Rutgers coach as a graduate assistant, worked his way up to a position coach for the Scarlet Knights before leaving Piscataway, and just 10 years later, has Minnesota in a position to win the Big Ten West Division and -- don’t laugh -- compete for a spot in the four-team playoff. So yeah, Fleck looks back on his days in Piscataway with a special fondness, and looks back on the man who gave him his first break in a reverential way. “I came to Rutgers as a boy and I left a man because of Greg Schiano,” Fleck said, repeating a line he’s used hundreds of times before. “Rutgers does something to you. It changes you. It’s a special place that can make you a way better coach, and it did to me.” Fleck knew exactly what he was doing. He knows what is happening -- and what is not happening -- in this coaching search in New Jersey. He mentioned Schiano’s name before anyone even asked him, during his opening statement, and brought up the former Rutgers coach again when talking about something completely unrelated. But, well, that’s Fleck. He understands the moment. The man Sports Illustrated once described as “a human shot of espresso” managed to turn an otherwise forgettable trip to New Jersey for his team into a memory his players won’t soon forget. He did that when he sent his third-string holder onto the field after Minnesota’s fourth touchdown. The kid is named Casey O’Brien, and he is a four-time cancer survivor. When the routine PAT sailed through the uprights, the Golden Gophers celebrated as if they had won the Rose Bowl. That celebration included a long embrace between Fleck and O’Brien, one that left the head coach in tears on the sidelines. Fleck gets a lot of flack for some of his row-the-boat shtick, but that emotion is something you just can’t fake. “It means the world to me,” O’Brien said. “There have been so many ups and downs, nights in the hospital and surgeries and everything like that, that have gone into this moment. This is what I dreamed about, and tonight it got to come true.” Fleck was on the Rutgers coaching staff when Eric LeGrand suffered his devastating injury. He saw how Schiano made the long drive from Piscataway to his bedside in Hackensack each night to sit at his at his bedside as he recovered. Now it’s Fleck, making sure the popular instate kid gets his moment to shine. Fleck bought a crate full of Eric LeGrand’s “Roll Model” T-shirts and had his players wear them in pregame warmups, a simple gesture that made a difference. He isn’t hiding where he learned how to lead a program like this. He announced it with a bullhorn. “I owe my entire coaching career to (Schiano), and I text him every week to tell him that,” Fleck said. “I know he’s sick of hearing it because he just doesn’t text me back for weeks. He is a head football coach. I don’t think anybody could ever doubt that.” Fleck, now a Big Ten rival, made as strong an argument for Schiano’s return as anyone. Will the man leading this coaching search finally listen? [\SPOILER]
I'm having some fun on Sports-Reference.com. A reminder that there are 130 teams in FBS: - 130th in PPG at 11.1 - 127th in passing TDs/game - 117th in yards/carry - 129th in YPG with 255 (Old Dominion is last) - 128th in yards/play (Northwestern is 129th) - 130th in first downs/game with 12.3 - 127th in INT/game with 1.6 - 123rd in points allowed/game with 36.9 - 126th in rushing TDs allowed/game with 2.7 - 129th in fumbles recovered at .1/game (TCU hasn't recovered a single fumble) - 129th in forced turnovers ahead of only New Mexico State - 2nd in punting yards/game behind only Vanderbilt Defensive statistics were very misleading as they often are when you're this bad.
Cop friend randomly messaged our group saying the paperwork is signed and Schiano is coming back so I am choosing to believe it. Congrats guys we did it.
Being a student when Schiano was the coach makes me want him back so badly. Dude loved the school. KEEP CHOPPING
This has me unreasonably hyped. Kid is big, skilled and apparently has great athleticism. Dem bloodlines.
I have to say, from being at the stadium and also watching on TV, there really isn't a weak link on our Dance Team this year. 100% smoke.
Seton Hall really doling out some self punishment, suspending Willard for an exhibition game and a game against Wagner.
Hobbs was talking up the liberty win at the EL fundraiser like he wanted credit for making nunzio interim HC. Totally clueless. I truly fear that he is considering making him HC.
Bye, Hobbs Rutgers softball players say they were physically, emotionally abused by wife-husband coaching team and school did nothing After NJ Advance Media contacted Rutgers Tuesday with questions about the allegations, Hobbs called one of the reporters working on the story and launched into a profanity-laced tirade that ended with him saying “You guys are f------ scum. Why should I help you people?” Hobbs sent the reporter a text message an hour later to “apologize for my words.” He then added, “This narrative around RU being a place where abuse is tolerated is bull----. But it gets clicks.”
Yeah, that'll probably be the end of him. But he's not wrong. Now the same dogs he rightfully called out in a fit of rage have a bone to chew on.
Fuck the Star-Ledger. If they didn't do stupid shit, maybe Uncle Bob would will be AD and we would've avoided the Flood and Ash eras when Gary left.