According to a recent report from Front Office Sports, multiple former players have come forward with allegations of a “toxic culture” under Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck.
The allegations included a lax stance on players failing drug tests, excessive workouts used as punishments for violating rules and rushed timelines for injured players. Some of the anonymous players described the program’s culture as a “cult.”
Fleck has since come out against what he calls “baseless allegations.”
“As of date, there have been zero claims made through these avenues,” Fleck said after naming six ways players can report concerns of mistreatment, via ESPN college football insider Adam Rittenberg.
“Our programming culture is proven to work on and off the field,” Fleck added. “It’s always done in a first-class manner.”
Fleck added that Minnesota’s athletic department followed the football program’s lead and removed physical activity as a form of punishment for all teams.
“Our programming culture is proven to work on and off the field,” Fleck said. “It’s always done in a first-class manner.”
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) July 27, 2023
Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle also denied these allegations.
“P.J. and our program are unique,” Coyle said, per FOS. “They put themselves out there in new and different ways — but always in a first-class manner — and after nearly seven years, it is clear to me, that is what makes P.J. and our program so successful.
“I always encourage all of our student-athletes, including every member of our football team, to reach out to me directly if they encounter any issues. To date, I have not heard from a single football student-athlete about the allegations raised.”