P.J. Fleck, Jim Harbaugh On Why Social Media Matters To Coaches
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh (L) and Minnesota coach PJ Fleck (R) [photos: Allen Kee & Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images]
P.J. Fleck doesn’t care about you if you’re 50 or older. OK, that’s not true, but he cares much more about the 17-22-year-olds who might make his University of Minnesota football program successful. So how do you connect with that age range? It’s simple, and almost anybody could tell you the answer — social media.
Since being hired as head coach in January, it has been one of his main tools. “It’s very important,” said Fleck of social media during Tuesday’s Big Ten media day. “I mean, the social media has changed. That phone has changed our entire world.”
Fleck’s actions as far as recruiting and building a brand reflect that realization. Early in his tenure, he was approached about doing a series of “Elite Access” YouTube videos. Most are less than two minutes and provide a glimpse into the coach’s day-to-day. It’s like a mini-reality series, but as Fleck described, he’s just being himself. In fact, ESPNU next month will air a four-part documentary-style series chronicling Fleck ahead of his first season at Minnesota after his success at Western Michigan that brought his “Row The Boat” catchphrase to prominence.
By no means is Fleck the first or only coach to jump on social media — he’s just one to use it in a way that’s beneficial to both the entire program and individual’s brand.
“I think it’s definitely cool,” Gophers defensive lineman Steven Richardson said of Fleck’s use of social media and tech. “I think it’s extremely beneficial for the university.”
The Minnesota coach understands the pitfalls of unlimited fan access through a medium like Twitter as well. That’s evidenced by his reading of “mean tweets” at Big Ten media day.
“We want to be able to be trailblazers,” Fleck said. “We want to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this. We’re going to be on the cutting edge of this.’ We want people to say, ‘Hey, Minnesota gets it. I understand them, they understand me.’ That’s where I want to go.”
Another Big Ten coach who seemingly gets it is Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. Along with being one of the more entertaining coaches in the country, he’s one of the more social media-savvy as well. He’s a popular follow on Twitter (1.94 million as of today) and recently started uploading personal videos to YouTube.
Asked why he enjoys social media the coach said, “I seem to learn more through social media and I laugh a little more every day at some of the things people put on there, some of the videos that they put on there.”
Both coaches are leading the charge in terms of reaping benefits from a program and personal brand’s perspective on social media. We’ll see if other coaches begin to follow suit.
