Minnesota's head coach just launched himself into a mob of his own players at full sprint. P.J. Fleck crowd-surfs after every win, today's was his 100th, and the mania took 15 years to build. It started with the worst thing that can happen to a person.
In February 2011, Fleck's infant son Colt died of a heart condition. Fleck was a 30-year-old receivers coach at the time. He came up with a phrase to get himself out of bed. Row the boat. Your back faces the future, you can't see what's coming, all you control is the oar.
Two years later Western Michigan made him the youngest head coach in the FBS. He went 1-11 his first season and people laughed at the boat stuff. By 2016 the same program went 13-0 and made the Cotton Bowl.
When Minnesota hired him away in 2017, there was a catch. Western Michigan had trademarked "Row the Boat." The school owned the legal rights to the phrase he created for his son. Fleck paid them $50,000 out of his own pocket, structured as a scholarship for a walk-on player, to take the words with him.
Nine years of rowing later, today happened. Minnesota beat #24 Michigan 20-14, took back the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014, and beat them at home for the first time in 49 years. 51,012 fans stormed the field.
So yes, the man flies into that pile looking slightly unhinged. He knows better than anyone in that locker room that you don't get to choose which days are the good ones. You just keep rowing until one shows up.
🏈D2 Coach on the Rise🏈
@CoachNardo27 is the Defensive Coordinator & LB's Coach at Gannon University✅
He was most recently at Youngstown State until last month's hire & has coached 25 All-Conference LB's & 2 All-Americans 👏
My last chance to enter the #MTNDEWMAJORMELON count, so here we go: [200] Let me know how I did. Have you counted yet? Check out the pinned tweet on @MountainDew. #MyPromotionEntry Rules: https://t.co/cFk2wEFoqB
Second time’s the charm. There are 199 bottles of #MTNDEWMAJORMELON in this ad. Think you can count better? Go to the pinned tweet on @MountainDew. #MyPromotionEntry Rules: https://t.co/cFk2wEFoqB
Welcome to Youngstown, Bryan Nardo (@CoachNardo27).
He has spent the past eight years as the defensive coordinator at Emporia State leading them to top defensive finishes in the country & was selected to the AFCA 35 under 35 in 2018.
#GoGuins // #GritU
Average people will always try to criticize / make fun of you for doing extra & trying to get better...
They would rather you stop doing what you’re doing, bringing you down to their level than work hard enough to get on your level
Choose to rise above them!
#BeDifferent