P.J. Fleck to Minnesota: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Western Michigan head football coach P.J. Fleck reached an agreement Friday with Minnesota to fill the same position for the Golden Gophers.

According to Kirk Mason of WWMT News in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Fleck confirmed the move. Western Michigan also released a statement confirming the move, per Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press:

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the deal will be for five years. 

Jamal Spencer of WZZM 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reported that Fleck's decision didn't sit well with Western Michigan's players:

Fleck rose to national prominence during the 2016 campaign while leading the Broncos to an undefeated regular season and a Mid-American Conference championship. They came up short in the Cotton Bowl, however, losing 24-16 to Wisconsin to finish the season 13-1.

Still, the year in Kalamazoo marked the completion of a tremendous program turnaround.

WMU went 4-8 during its final season under longtime coach Bill Cubit in 2012 and then dropped to 1-11 during Fleck's first campaign. The progress was noticeable over the next two years, with the Broncos going 8-5 both seasons to begin climbing the MAC hierarchy.

The rise reached its pinnacle when Western Michigan earned a New Year's Six bowl bid in 2016. Although its schedule wasn't overly difficult, a season-opening road victory over Northwestern set the tone.

After the bowl loss to the Badgers, Ron Clements of Omnisport (via Sporting News) reported this from Fleck: "I'm going back to Kalamazoo. If 13-1 gets you fired around here..."

He's not the first coach to change his mind after a bigger program came calling, and he won't be the last. The 36-year-old former NFL wide receiver is going to face exponentially more pressure following the move, though.

Fleck will replace Tracy Claeys at Minnesota as the school looks for stability. The program went through a period of uncertainty after a highly publicized player boycott for suspensions handed out amid allegations of sexual assault.

On the field, the Gophers are coming off a 9-4 campaign capped by a victory over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

Fleck should have a firm grasp of how to recruit in the region after growing up in Illinois, playing football at Northern Illinois and coaching in Michigan. The test will be whether he can travel into the South and West to bring in the necessary talent to compete for Big Ten titles.