Coming off of back-to-back nine-win seasons with two bowl victories, P.J. Fleck has built positive momentum on the field for his Minnesota football program. But, according to a report from Front Office Sports that cited multiple former players, the culture within the team does not match the outwardly positive “Row the Boat” mantra popularized by the veteran coach.
The report from A.J. Perez released on Wednesday includes details from anonymous players—some of whom were starters—that painted a negative picture of Fleck and the coaching staff, with numerous issues including a lax stance on players failing drug tests and excessive workouts being used as punishments for violating rules.
Players detailed a system called the “Fleck Bank” in which members of the team accumulated “coins” via various community service endeavors, which could be used to skirt consequences for failed drug tests and other team rules violations. They also used the word “cult” to describe Fleck’s “Row the Boat” culture, which he used during his time at Western Michigan. In 2021 he released a book under the same title, detailing his philosophy.
