Former Minnesota football players and staff members have come forward with allegations against P.J. Fleck.
Per Front Office Sports, the environment with Fleck at the helm was toxic and intimidating, and the coach also implemented a system called the “Fleck Bank.” The “Fleck Bank” allowed players that had enough “coins” to get away with positive drug tests.
Several players have described the atmosphere as “cult-like” while there were also allegations of strenuous workouts” being used as punishment to players.
Some of those workouts included “400-yard bear crawls or having to do burpees until you threw up.”
That last part ended up being denied by the school.
EXCLUSIVE from @byajperez: Minnesota football players describe the culture under coach P.J. Fleck as toxic since his arrival in 2017.
The term “cult” was used by players, who also recall the “Fleck Bank” — used to avoid punishment for positive drug tests and rule violations.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 26, 2023
Still, these are all major allegations against the head coach of a Power Five program. Right now, they don’t look like they will cost Fleck his job, especially since he agreed to a seven-year $42 million extension back in December.
This report comes on the heels of Pat Fitzgerald being fired by Northwestern after his program was investigated for hazing.
You can read the full report on the Minnesota program here.