Gophers Head Coach Fleck Refutes Allegations of Player Mistreatment

Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck flatly denied allegations that his program mistreated and used physical activity to discipline players. 

"These allegations are baseless,'' Fleck said Thursday morning at Big Ten media days at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to the Star Tribune. 

Related: Former Minnesota Football Players Report Toxic Culture Under Fleck

Front Office Sports published a report this week that cited anonymous former player who described Fleck creating a "cult"-like culture with non-compliers subjected to punishable workouts and inequitable drug testing procedures. The report described "an environment fraught with intimidation and toxicity.'"

Athletic director Mark Coyle also refuted the report and defended Fleck. 

"This is a similar story that gets peddled every single year, and the majority of the players had been dismissed or removed from our football team,'' he said.

The Front Office report also mentioned a "Fleck Bank" where players could earn coins to offset positive drug tests and other team violations. Fleck also denied those allegations. 

"First of all, the Fleck Bank, mostly used in 2017 and '18, was an analogy in a team meeting, talking about the more you invest in a program, the better experience you're going to get out of it,'' Fleck said. "There was no currency ever exchanged, and there were no coins that ever existed.''

Fleck also reiterated allegations that he used physical activity to punish players. 

"We do not use physical activity to discipline our players at the University of Minnesota, and we have never done that,'' he said. "Our players do things like they wake up early and clean the weight room. Whatever you did, you watch a video on that. If you were late to class, you watch a video on tardiness. You then write your professor a letter.''

Gopher players also came to Fleck's defense on social media, calling the Front Office report "satire." 

Former defensive tackle, Sam Renner, also came to Fleck's defense, saying Fleck only wanted the best for his players. 

“I have always said and will continue to tell people: P.J. Fleck wants what is best for you on the football field as well as off the field,” said Renner, once a walk-on who earned a scholarship at the university and then had NFL opportunities. “That’s what sets him apart from other coaches.”

In a written statement, Coyle said he'd never heard of any mistreatment of players in Fleck's program. 

“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,” Coyle said. “To date, I have not heard from a single football student-athlete about the allegations raised in the reporter’s email.”