Andy Pepper of WWMT is reporting that former Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck may be getting his B1G career off with a bang. A bang that involves a questionable transfer and when those transfers may have occurred.
Let me be clear. I’m not saying Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is a cheater. I’m saying that a guy said that some other guys said Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck may be playing it fast and loose with transfers from his former stomping grounds in Kalamazoo. Now, if I’m being totally honest, I’ve often wondered why people who are accused of things they didn’t do don’t scream, “THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. I’LL SUE EVERYTHING THAT BREATHES.” That’s what I would say. That isn’t being said here, but there’s also the whole “high road” thing.
I’m not calling P.J. Fleck a cheater. You’re going to have to make that decision yourself. I need to make that abundantly clear. That’s the sort of disclaimer we have to give things in 2017. Here’s the tweets that brought all this to a head:
Just learned that @WMU_Football Linebacker Robert Spillane has asked for & been granted his release. No idea yet where he plans to transfer
— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) February 28, 2017
Spillane *will* have to sit out a year if he transfers to FBS school. Waiting to hear what restrictions will be placed on his release
— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) February 28, 2017
Sources say Fleck contacted Spillane prior to his official release from WMU. We've reached out to Fleck, Spillane, and Minnesota for comment
— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) February 28, 2017
Minnesota SID Paul Rovnak telling me that Minnesota "is not recruiting any students from WMU". Did not clarify whether Fleck did recruit...
— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) February 28, 2017
...Spillane, if a scholarship had been offered, or if Minnesota is investigating this matter. Updates as we get them here on Twitter
— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) February 28, 2017
So if you didn’t follow, shadowy figures are claiming that P.J. Fleck recruited Western Michigan linebacker Robert Spillane to join him in Minnesota.
Fleck and Spillane have not commented on the story as of yet, so we won’t find out for awhile if the rumors are true. Minnesota has made their statement and are taking steps to conduct its own investigation.
If the rumor is true, it could very well qualify as tampering with a prospect or another team’s active player, which is a violation of NCAA rules. Personally, I think where there is smoke, there is fire.
It wouldn’t be the first time a coach leaving a MAC job for a Power Five job did something like that; last season, Dino Babers was rumored to have been in contact with BGSU players after leaving for Syracuse.
It’s a cruel reality in FBS football that Fleck could be taking advantage of. If the rumors are true, Fleck’s really just “cheating” with scare quotes. Your favorite coach is “cheating”. They’re all “cheating”, if we’re going to be honest. Of course, there’s certainly varying degrees of “cheating”. I don’t know how severe a violation like this is, but I think it very well might have happened.
The more I think about it, I don’t fault him. If you want to be mad, be mad at the NCAA. They suck. Fleck’s a smart guy.
He turned a couple goofy phrases and some props into a head coaching gig at a Big Ten school. The guy is brilliant. He’s college football’s Carrot Top. If it occurred, he weighed the consequences and said “why not?” And you know what, I don’t care. He could be doing way worse things, after all.
(Ed. Note: This story has been edited from it’s original publication for more specific and related context and clarification.)