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‘Leadership genius’: Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams’ high praise for Gophers’ P.J. Fleck

andy greder, pioneer press
·5 min read

P.J. Fleck wasn’t the only head coach at Gophers football practice at Huntington Bank Stadium on April 11. Texas A&M men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams was watching along the sideline.

It wasn’t as random as it might seem.

Fleck and Williams became friends in 2014 and have been alternating visits to each other over the past decade. Fleck was coaching at Western Michigan when Williams traveled to Kalamazoo; Williams was leading Virginia Tech when Fleck and wife Heather traveled to Blacksburg.

It’s easy to see how they get along.

Fleck is known for his boundless energy, and that trait is how Brent Williams got his nickname. Both coaches embrace quirky catchphrases and slogans to drive home their points. Both have their players write hand-written letters to say thanks or give encouragement to others. Both have non-profit organizations helping children in need.

Both — and this is key — show a desire to learn and pass on knowledge gained, whether that is how to more efficiently run a college athletic program or personally become better leaders. It includes stepping into a classroom to help teach a class on campus or recommending a new book on their long reading lists.

And with their professional development, each coach has turned often-lagging programs into regular contenders.

Fleck “is a leadership genius,” Williams told the Pioneer Press in an interview during that practice last week. “I think he’s got a really fast-twitch brain that is wired different. It keeps a captive audience regardless of age. I think that is really hard to find in 2023. And he was doing that in 2014, 2015, when everyone was making fun of him.”

Similar to a subset of fans and onlookers in Minnesota, Williams didn’t know if Fleck was authentic when they were first acquainted.

“You don’t initially think that it’s real,” Williams said. “But it’s not only real, it has a lot of depth to it. I think that’s why he’s won at bad jobs and has done things at places that no one else has done, and in my opinion, will never do.”

Williams has won 62 percent of games over a 16-year career. The 50-year-old Texan has taken Marquette, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. He won SEC coach of the year last season as the Aggies advanced to March Madness for the first time since 2018.

Fleck wanted Williams to visit Minnesota as the U prepared for its spring game at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Gophers’ scrimmage was moved from Huntington Bank Stadium to the indoor facility midweek due to the forecast for poor weather and because of ongoing construction on the stadium’s new scoreboards. The game is no longer open to fans but will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.

Last week, Williams traveled north during a “dead” period in college basketball recruiting and stayed in Minnesota for roughly 24 hours. During the short stay, Fleck was able to have Williams observe all types of meetings (team, staff and position group) and watch a practice.

Fleck called having a “neutral party” provide observations “critical” to improvement.

They will also discuss the issues of the rapidly changing college landscape, from name image and likeness (NIL) to the NCAA transfer portal.

This type of relationship is rare within their own cohort. Both Fleck and Williams said it is usually diificult to have coaches in their respective sports open their own doors.

That’s also why Fleck and Williams gel. Williams isn’t looking to break down a run-pass option play, and Fleck doesn’t want to glean the nuance of a certain pick-and-roll coverage.

“I have friends in the game of football, but even some of my best friends are like, ‘Hey, P.J., listen, your defense can meet with us. But the offense, I don’t let them meet with anyone,” Fleck shared. “I’ve had that before and we’re really close friends.”

Williams, who only knows of Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson, said he will travel to see football coaches on a regular basis in the offseason. Who?

“Just name them,” he responded. “I have way more football friends than basketball friends. Basketball friends, they think you’re trying to steal something. (P.J.) knows I don’t know anything about this (holding up a practice script), so I’m not asking about anything like this.”

Fleck’s non-college football coaching friends include Becky Burleigh, the former University of Florida women’s soccer coach. He has been developing a relationship with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and has visited Rams coach Sean McVay. Fleck also mentioned an impactful chat with South Carolina’s Dawn Staley when the women’s Final Four was in Minnesota in 2022.

Then there’s former U volleyball coach Hugh McCutchen, who has transitioned into a new advisory role with the Gophers. He, too, was on the sideline at that April 11 practice.

“Hugh McCutcheon has actually been really involved in our program over the last few months,” Fleck shared. “He’s going to continue to be; I absolutely love getting his insights.”

Fleck plans to meet Williams in College Station, Texas, sometime next year. He might need to pack a glove.

When Fleck went to Virginia Tech a few years ago, Williams invited P.J. and Heather to play on the Hokies’ staff softball team in a summer recreational league on campus. P.J. and Heather — who played fast-pitch softball growing up — joined in the squad. P.J. recalled playing shortstop and left field.

Williams’ staff softball team was just one of the unique things Fleck saw on that trip.

“I’ve always respected Buzz; he’s incredibly creative,” Fleck said. “I think that’s a choice. I think creativity, you can have it, you can be blessed with it, but to keep developing it, that’s a choice. Every time I talk to him, he has a new creative way of doing something or a different creative way of explaining something. I think that’s really important.”

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