MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota has approved a hefty salary for its Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach.
The Board of Regents has approved a $33.25 million, seven-year contract for P.J. Fleck. The new deal begins Nov. 15, 2019 and goes through Dec. 31, 2026. The resolution also recommends increasing the assistant coaching staff's combined salary by $1.05 million.
Fleck's salary will increase from $3.6 million per year to $4.6 million in the first year, and then go up by $50,000 each year after that. If he chooses to break the contract, he'll have to pay $10 million as a penalty in the first year, $4.5 million in the second year, and then decreasing penalties after that.
Fleck was hired by the U of M in 2017 and has lately appeared to be the Gophers' golden ticket, leading them to their first 9-0 start since 1904. They also beat a top-five team at home for the first time since 1977 with last week's win against Penn State. The win was followed by TCF Bank Stadium's first sold-out crowd swarming the field.
"It is a tremendous honor to lead this team and represent the University of Minnesota and this great state," Fleck said in a press release after the contract extension was initially announced.
Fleck was named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week earlier this week.
The Gophers face Iowa next, on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.
