PJ Fleck accuses "dismissed" college players of berating him in the latest Minnesota scandal: "Similar story that gets peddled every single year"

Minnesota Golden Gophers coach PJ Fleck has found himself in a bit of a controversy after staffers and former players levied accusations of a toxic culture within the program.

In a Front Office Sports report published on Wednesday, former Minnesota players alleged mistreatment at the program, saying it was "fraught with intimidation and toxicity."

Fleck was asked about these allegations during his 2023 Big Ten Media Days availability on Thursday and called the allegations "baseless."

"These allegations are baseless. We have full support of our athletic director, Mark Coyle, and our university leadership. This is a similar story that gets peddled every single year, and the majority of the players have been dismissed or removed from our football team.

"We also have around a half-dozen anonymous reporting avenues within our football program that players can go to if they have an issue," Fleck said.

The accusations are not something PJ Fleck or AD Mark Coyle seem to be worried about. When Front Office Sports inquired about the allegations, Coyle defended Fleck.

"PJ [Fleck] and our program are unique. 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 PJ 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," Coyle said. h/t Front Office Sports

Fleck was also asked about "Fleck Coins" and "Fleck Bank," analogies anonymous players spoke about to the publication. The former Western Michigan coach explained they were references to life lessons about investing in the program.

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Will there be any disciplinary action against PJ Fleck?

At this moment, it seems like Minnesota is unfazed by the recent allegations involving PJ Fleck and the program.

After spending four years in Michigan, Fleck joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2017. Minnesota has a 44-27 overall record during Fleck’s time as head coach. He has a 74-49 record so far at both universities.

Speaking to ESPN, PJ Fleck mentioned how he runs a safe program:

"Our program culture is proven to work on and off the field, and it's always done in a first-class manner. There are tons of testimonials from past, current and future Gophers."