What do you do after leading a mid-major to the Cotton Bowl and landing a Big 10 job? According to newly minted University of Minnesota football head coach P.J. Fleck, take a pay cut.
“It’s all about the dream. I took a major pay cut to come to Minnesota. A lot of people don’t know that,” Fleck told Jim Rome (h/t MLive.com).
It’s worth noting that the pay cut Fleck took to come to Minnesota on a five-year, $18.5 million deal is not compared to his old salary at Western Michigan but the the school’s proposed offer to keep Fleck from leaving.
There are also discussions with TV networks for a behind-the-scenes series with the Golden Gophers, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Though it is unknown whether the series will come to fruition, it represents a monetary opportunity Fleck undoubtedly would not have had if he stayed at Western Michigan.
All things considered, it’s hard to believe that Fleck left piles of cash on the table given the increased exposure that comes with being a coach at a Power Five school, not to mention potential opportunity to further his career even more in the future. Maybe he left some money on the table, but if Fleck performs in the Big 10 as well as he did in the MAC, he’ll make it back many times over.