Minnesota revised coach P.J. Fleck's contract to include an annual raise and additional incentives, a move approved by the university's board of regents on Thursday.
Fleck, who is entering his 10th season with the Gophers, will get a $700,000 management bonus on top of his existing $6 million salary and $1.2 million retention bonus to bring his total compensation for 2026 to $7.9 million. That ranks 10th among head coaches in the 18-team Big Ten, according to the university.
The annual retention bonus increases by $100,000 annually over his current deal, which was extended last year through the 2030 season.
The contract adjustment also gives Fleck more favorable incentives, with $150,000 for winning five conference games, $300,000 for winning six, and $750,000 for winning seven or more. Those amounts are not cumulative. Previously, he would have earned $100,000 for winning eight Big Ten games and $100,000 for winning nine.
Former Gopher and NFL linebacker Pete Najarian told the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar Fleck has never been able to break through like Indiana did over the last two years, but has been consistent enough to earn the trust of the University.
"We have a pretty consistent winning schedule, it seems like for, for PJ. He's done a great job with that," Najarian said. "We're going to bowl games. We're not going to the bowl games that we really want to go to, that next level bowl game, but he's done an outstanding job. These guys are educated, they're graduating, all the good thing that you would want."
Najarian does add that Fleck's salary increases should come with some raised expectations, however.
"He's slowly becoming a pretty well-paid head coacc in all of college football," said Najarian. "And, he's done a lot of things great, I think, at the university. But, we need to get that breakthrough. We need a breakthrough season. We don't have to be Indiana right away, but we need something where we get 10, 11 wins, maybe get fortunate and get 12. But, we haven't gotten there for quite a long time."
Fleck is 66-44 at Minnesota, including 7-0 in bowl games. He's the fifth-longest tenured coach in program history.