Minnesota’s been steady under PJ Fleck, building toward something sustainable since he arrived in 2017. But even with that success, there’s one Big Ten team that’s starting to catch his attention — and maybe even make him a little uneasy.
Turns out, he’s keeping a close eye on Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers.
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“One of the most dangerous teams in the Big Ten is Nebraska because I know what Matt Rhule created at Temple,” Fleck said. “I know what he did at Baylor and the type of human being he is. He’s awakening it, that’s for sure.”
Fleck went on to commend Rhule’s disciplined and detailed coaching style — one he believes is built to last.
“He’s a special person and one thing I respect about him is he has a systematic approach of how he wants it done and what it looks like,” Fleck said. “I think as every coach, you can have that. But you also need the proof that it works because there’s a lot of hard days and hard times that come up and test how much you want it as a head coach.”
What stood out most to Fleck was Rhule’s clarity and conviction — something he says not every coach possesses.
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“Matt has a clear path of exactly what he wants. We’re all as head coaches finding and striking for clarity and I think that’s one thing he clearly has,” he continued. “He has a clear vision of what he wants to do and what it looks like. What the expectations are and how to get there. It’s a process-oriented coach and I think that’s gonna pay off.”
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Fleck’s not just throwing out compliments for the sake of it. He’s seen what’s happening in Lincoln, and he knows how quickly things can shift when the right coach is in place. After years of falling short, Nebraska finally put together a winning season — their first since 2016 — and there’s real momentum behind it now.
And if anyone understands how tough it is to turn a program around, it’s Fleck. He’s lived it.
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That’s what makes his words carry weight. He’s lived the grind. He’s fought through the rebuild and now, as one of the Big Ten’s most respected voices, he doesn’t hand out compliments just to be nice.
So when he calls Nebraska “dangerous,” it’s not about hype — it’s about recognizing a formula that works. One that looks a lot like the one he used to build Minnesota.
Fleck knows what it takes to rise in this conference and if he sees Nebraska coming, the rest of the Big Ten should probably start paying attention too.
