PJ Fleck has quietly become one of the best coaches in Big Ten Football. He has led the team to six bowl games in his nine seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Fleck also has a winning record in seven of eight seasons as a head coach.
Behind the scenes, Fleck’s wife, Heather Fleck, has also contributed to creating a winning culture in Minnesota. Going into tonight’s big game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Golden Gophers are 4-2 on the year and currently 40th in the PFSN Power Rankings.
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Who is PJ Fleck’s Wife? All About Heather Fleck, The Woman Behind Minnesota’s Success
After Penn State decided to fire James Franklin, Minnesota’s head coach has become the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is the only head coach who has served for longer.
One of the main reasons behind Fleck’s long stint in Minnesota is the culture the head coach has created. In an era of NIL deals and money-hungry coaches, the Gophers’ head coach has transformed his program into one focusing on player development.
““In every area that we could possibly be, academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. We value the person, right, from the tip of their head to the end of their toes, and everything included, and we value that entire person.” Fleck explained.
Ahead of tonight’s game against the Cornhuskers, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule also declared his respect for the Minnesota head coach. The coach, who has been a hot topic recently, revealed that Fleck was the kind of coach he’d want coaching his children.
“His wife, Heather, and my wife, Julie, are friends. PJ’s like one of the guys. I would always put coaches into two buckets. Guys, I’d let Bryant, Vivienne, and Leona go play for. And they would 100% go and play for PJ Fleck.” Rhule revealed.
With Fleck helping create this culture, another invaluable member of the team is his wife, Heather. The two met in Kalamazoo, Michigan, most likely when Fleck was serving as head coach at Western Michigan. The pair exchanged wedding vows in Hawaii in 2016.
“We met in Kalamazoo through a friend who kind of set us up. It was one of those deals where we went to dinner, and it was love at first sight. I recruited him a bit. He’s my best recruit!” Heather revealed in an interview.
Heather has become one of the most important figures in the Gophers’ locker room during her husband’s time at Minnesota. During the interview, the head coach’s wife revealed that she takes her role as a figure in the locker room extremely seriously.
“I rarely miss a practice. I get to know these kids like they are my own. I am very involved; there is not a day that I am not at the facility at some point, whether it is making cookies for the staff or with the kids at the office. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“When you have somebody that you’re married to that inspires you to do that, that’s powerful. Some people call it a power couple. I firmly believe she makes us that. … She’s constantly changing our program.” Fleck revealed.
Who Are PJ Fleck’s Children?
Outside of being a motherly figure inside the locker room, the couple also has five children between them. From their own family, they have four children, two sons and two daughters.
Tragically, Coach Fleck’s infant son, Colt, died in February 2011 from a heart condition. However, the Gophers’ head coach turned the tragic loss into the cornerstone of everything he does as a head coach.
“After a lot of prayer, what I realized was that my life wasn’t about me. It was about honoring my son. What I came to understand was that when I was able to touch another person’s life, it made me feel closer to him. And that was the greatest feeling of all.”
Fleck has become a model of stability as head coach, and his wife, Heather, has played a huge role in that. Going into tonight’s game against the Cornhuskers, Minnesota has a chance to cause an upset like their victory against USC last year.
