P.J. Fleck: A Coach’s Never-Give-Up Approach To Life

Part of what makes athletes and coaches great is their attitude. They have within them a lot of directed energy that makes things happen. Mr. Head Coach P.J. Fleck believes in this. Now, he is in his seventh year as Head Coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He has a 44 and 27 record at Minnesota and 74 and 49 overall. He is a 2019 Big Ten Coach of the Year and Dodd Trophy finalist, a 2019 Bear Bryant Award finalist, and a 2019 AFCA National Coach of the Year finalist. In this episode, he lets us in on the lessons he learned growing up—from childhood to his professional life—that helped shape who he is now. Coach Fleck also brings out insights from his book, co-written with Jon Gordon, called Row The Boat. Through it, he shares a never-give-up approach to leading and showing up for life and for every person. He then talks about some of the memorable players he has coached, highlighting the lessons they learned that took them to where they want to be. Full of great insights and heartfelt stories, this episode is one to tune in to. Don’t miss out. Show Notes02:15 – What attitude means to Coach P.J. Fleck04:25 – Attitude alignment with your team07:46 – The role and responsibility of position coaches11:36 – Coach Fleck’s first attitude coach16:07 – Attitude lessons from Coach Fleck’s grandma23:08 – Attitude lessons from Coach Fleck’s mental coach25:22 – About Row the Boat31:53 – The players, coaches, and the lessons39:20 – Process of selecting45:53 – Attitude lesson about birth48:02 – Attitude lesson at 1050:44 – Attitude lesson at 2053:57 – Attitude lesson at 3055:00 – Attitude lesson at 4058:30 – Message of hope