Western Michigan New Year's Day bowl game

[guest44]

It won't matter who is coaching Michigan St. when Michigan has the right coach, just like in the past.

[BowlingGreen80]

Conventional wisdom says now is the time for Fleck to make a move. He is anything but conventional.
I have heard some buzz that he may have a family reason to hold off on a move for now. I think there is a remote chance he stays around and waits for the right job to open up. The right job of course is in East Lansing.

What I heard, via a friend who went to Western and is still a fan, is that Fleck is divorced with children and is remarried. With joint custody, it makes it tough for him to move halfway across the country and work out all of the logistics involved. I'm sure other coaches have been through this before but most will do what's in the best interest of their family. Purdue or Notre Dame (?) seems like a good fit if he wants to upgrade and stay somewhat close to WMU, but if he wants a premium job he's going to have to go a lot further than the midwest for the hottest job opening.

Texas & Oregon will likely have openings. Wait and see I guess...

[jpfalcon09]

Conventional wisdom says now is the time for Fleck to make a move. He is anything but conventional.
I have heard some buzz that he may have a family reason to hold off on a move for now. I think there is a remote chance he stays around and waits for the right job to open up. The right job of course is in East Lansing.

What I heard, via a friend who went to Western and is still a fan, is that Fleck is divorced with children and is remarried. With joint custody, it makes it tough for him to move halfway across the country and work out all of the logistics involved. I'm sure other coaches have been through this before but most will do what's in the best interest of their family. Purdue or Notre Dame (?) seems like a good fit if he wants to upgrade and stay somewhat close to WMU, but if he wants a premium job he's going to have to go a lot further than the midwest for the hottest job opening.

Texas & Oregon will likely have openings. Wait and see I guess...

He'll be gone the day after the MACC should Western get there, sooner if they don't. Whoever his next employer is will probably be sensitive to his personal situation and help accommodate whatever his needs are.

[gmartin]

Fleck met his first wife while he was a teacher. Then we started coaching in the NFL with the 49ers. Eventually he worked with Schiano at Tampa. Then Fleck got a job at NIU where he played his college ball. Eventually he got the job at WMU. All the moving around, 8 jobs in 7 years took a toll on his now ex-wife. Fleck and his ex have joint custody of the kids. Sadly one of his kids passed away shortly after birth. Fleck remarried earlier this year. I don't see Fleck moving away because he wants to be close to his kids.

[jpfalcon09]

Fleck met his first wife while he was a teacher. Then we started coaching in the NFL with the 49ers. Eventually he worked with Schiano at Tampa. Then Fleck got a job at NIU where he played his college ball. Eventually he got the job at WMU. All the moving around, 8 jobs in 7 years took a toll on his now ex-wife. Fleck and his ex have joint custody of the kids. Sadly one of his kids passed away shortly after birth. Fleck remarried earlier this year. I don't see Fleck moving away because he wants to be close to his kids.

He's in the wrong profession then if he wishes to move up in his career and remain close to his children.

[Flipper]

They pay him $800k per year..He can settle in at WMU, bank major coin and not deal with the s**t sammich that jobs like Purdue represent. If they can him...he can always hook onto a major as a OC or whatever and make even more.

I'd dig in like a tick at WMU if I was him

[gmartin]

ESPN GameDay will be in Kalamazoo Saturday.

Only the 2nd time ever the MAC has had GameDay. The other time being in BG in Oct 2003. #12 NIU vs #23 BG.

In that game NIU standout receiver, now WMU coach, PJ Fleck.

[cameron]

Row that Boat!!

Hope they win out and go 14-0. Awesome for the conference. Wish we could get a coach here that has the kind of passion and enthusiasm for our program as PJ Fleck has for WMU.

[BGSU33]

Row that Boat!!

Hope they win out and go 14-0. Awesome for the conference. Wish we could get a coach here that has the kind of passion and enthusiasm for our program as PJ Fleck has for WMU.

I hope WMU wins out too and I really hope they win the MACC. But WMU has a tough test coming up next week vs Toledo. You know the Rockets are going to give the Broncos their best shot. And if WMU does go to the MACC undefeated and nationally ranked, remember, the MACC has been a major nightmare for teams in that position. An undefeated and #12 nationally ranked Ball State was upset by heavy underdog Buffalo in 2008, and a certain team from Northwest Ohio beat an undefeated and #16 nationally ranked NIU team with a Heisman candidate at QB in 2013. You can also throw in #24 NIU getting upset by heavy underdog Miami in 2010. Strange things happen in the MACC when you get what looks like an obvious matchup on paper. The underdogs have thrived and the ranked teams have majorly faltered.