Report: Several former players, staffers come forward about toxic environment under P.J. Fleck

Several former Minnesota players and staff remembers reportedly described a toxic environment run by head coach P.J. Fleck.

In a series of interviews with Front Office Sports, former players described intimidation tactics and a “cult” like environment within the football program. These are the latest revelations about a Big Ten football program in light of the Northwestern hazing scandal, resulting in the firing of Pat Fitzgerald.

The toxic environment encouraged out-of-bounds behavior. And it wasn’t the first time Fleck did so.

“Over the last month, Front Office Sports interviewed several former players and staff members about Fleck’s six seasons as the Gophers’ head coach,” FOS’ AJ Perez wrote. “They described an environment fraught with intimidation and toxicity and referenced the ‘Fleck Bank; — a system that allowed players with enough ‘coins’ to get away with positive drug tests, and other violations of team rules …

“Unprompted, the term “cult” was used by multiple former players and former staff members to describe Fleck’s “Row the Boat” culture spelled out in the so-called “Fleck Book” that players are given when they join the team. Fleck said he developed the “Row the Boat” philosophy — one he laid out in a 2021 book of the same name — that was an approach he also used at Western Michigan.”

Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle defended Fleck in a statement.

“P.J. and our program are unique,” Coyle said. “They put themselves out there in new and different ways — but always in a first-class manner — and after nearly seven years, it is clear to me, that is what makes P.J. and our program so successful.

“I always encourage all of our student-athletes, including every member of our football team, to reach out to me directly if they encounter any issues. To date, I have not heard from a single football student-athlete about the allegations raised.”

P.J. Fleck’s reported toxic environment raises questions about Minnesota

Fleck’s “Row the Boat” phrase was used in a cult-like way according to the report. Perez referenced the “Fleck Bank” in order to gain coins to bypass several rules violations.

“You almost wondered who was a rat and who wasn’t a rat,” one annonymous player told FOS. “You always felt like you had to keep [your] guard up. They told us we could seek help with a mental health counselor, and get some therapy sessions. But our schedules were so busy that it was like, when would you do that?”

Essentially, Fleck bribed players that if there’s good behavior that he oversaw, you could get away with things such as positive drug tests.

“Some of Fleck’s recruits tested positive, but he looked past it because they had coins in the Fleck Bank from doing community service or staying around to pray with him,” the second player said. “He wanted you to be family, and he wanted you to do whatever he wanted you to do.”

Fleck, who’s certainly energetic on the sideline, can be seen clapping vigorously. That’s not an accident.

“Dan Nichol, Minnesota’s head football strength and conditioning coach who followed Fleck over from Western Michigan and interned at Iowa under disgraced strength coach Chris Doyle, gathered the team together after Fleck was hired, one of the former players said,” Perez wrote. “The instruction was simple: Clap whenever Fleck entered the locker room. 

“‘We had to [practice giving Fleck ovations] multiple times — the first time, because some other people in the back were not moving as quick as he wanted,’ a third player told FOS.”

Then if Fleck didn’t like the ovation, he reportedly would leave and reenter the room.

Former players, staffers describe toxic environment under P.J. Fleck

Fleck routinely used a lot of acronyms and phrases, namely F.A.M.I.L.Y (Forget About Me I Love You). That same phrase was used at Rutgers, where Fleck used to be an assistant.

Players received a three-ring binder and were reportedly required to memorize it and were tested. Not was the “family” acronym used, many others were required memorization, as well as inspirational phrases.

Then came the responses to mental health. Players were required to always answer “I’m elite,” the only acceptable answer.

“It was sickening because I wasn’t OK,” the first player said told FOS. “I wasn’t in a good mental spot. I was struggling. I was fighting every day just to get by or find hope. It’s not natural to say when someone asks how you’re doing to say, ‘I am elite.’

“When I said, ‘I’m good,’ [Fleck] would respond, ‘Oh, you’re not elite?’ He would either get all frustrated and walk off, or I’d be told, ‘You’re supposed to say elite.’ Inside, I was not feeling anywhere near that.”

In conclusion, the first player told Perez and FOS about the culture vastly affecting his mental health.

“I do have some PTSD,” he said. “Anytime anyone asks me about the U of M, they’re like, ‘Oh, that must have been great.’ And I am just like, ‘Not really at all.’ I don’t like thinking about it at all. I love my new life.

“Most of my U of M stuff I don’t even wanna touch. I have donated it just because I get sick or frustrated looking at it,” he said. “It should be nice stuff, but even some of the shirts have all of his slogans with misspelled words. [Fleck] is trying to be the next big best thing, but there’s no point or need.”