Coach Fleck bringing new energy to summer practice

Football season is fast approaching, and for many Gophers fans kickoff can't arrive soon enough.

There's a lot of excitement about the team this year, the first under new Head Coach P.J. Fleck.

Fans got a chance to see Fleck and the rest of the team up close, as the team held its first public practice of the year.

“I’m excited just to see how he’s transformed the culture,” said Kelly Fellows, who attended the practice with his son, Nathan. “You just watch practice and it’s different from anything else we’ve seen. I think it’s going to be fun.”

Fans were treated to an up-tempo, high energy brand of Gopher football during the public practice. The frenetic energy on the field matched that of the man in the center of it all. Fans said they appreciated that Fleck was not just barking orders, but taking the time to teach. The hype surrounding Fleck was evident as an ESPN crew was there with a drone, as part of shooting its series "Being P.J. Fleck."

“The ESPN show, it seems intense, but it’s showing what he’s about," said Emily Larson, a student at the University of Minnesota. "There’s also parts of it that show his interviews, and how he great is. [He’s] bringing the community together and making sure people are getting out for Gopher football.”

Fans don’t want to jinx things, but hope to see the Gophers match or even improve on last year’s regular season record of 8-4.