Sources: Western Michigan's PJ Fleck to be named University of Minnesota football coach

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - PJ Fleck is expected to be named the next head coach of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football program, multiple sources tell Fox 9. A press conference announcing the decision is expected to be held Friday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium.

Fleck, 36, brings his “Row the Boat” motto to Minneapolis from Western Michigan, where he led the Broncos to a No. 15 ranking and a Cotton Bowl appearance this season.

Fleck has been offered a six-year, $21 million deal. 

PJ Fleck’s coaching resume

Fleck played college football at Northern Illinois from 1999 to 2003 and played two NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 2006 before returning to Northern Illinois in 2007. Fleck coach wide receivers at NIU, including several seasons under former Gophers head coach Jerry Kill.

Fleck moved on to Rutgers for the 2010-11 seasons before following head coach Greg Schiano to the NFL  for one season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers coach.

In Dec. 2012, Fleck was named head coach at Western Michigan, where he led the rebuilding of the Broncos football program, including a No. 15 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll and an appearance against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.

Show me the money

Big Ten head football coach salaries (2016)

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan - $9 million
Urban Meyer, Ohio State - $6 million
James Franklin, Penn State - $4.5 million
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa - $4.5 million
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State - $4.3 million
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern - $3.35 million
Mike Riley, Nebraska - $2.8 million
Paul Chryst, Wisconsin - $2.7 million
DJ Durkin, Maryland - $2.4 million
Kevin Wilson, Indiana - $2.3 million (resigned, replaced by Tom Allen)
Darrell Hazell, Purdue - $2.19 million (terminated)
Chris Ash, Rutgers - $2 million
Lovie Smith, Illinois - $1.8 million
Tracey Claeys, Minnesota - $1.4 million (terminated)

*Incoming Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm will earn $3.3 million in 2017.