Syracuse, Minny coaches rematch

Dino Babers and P.J. Fleck got to know each other as upand-coming head coaches in the Mid-American Conference, splitting their matchups in 2014 and 2015 before Babers left Bowling Green for Syracuse and Fleck departed Western Michigan for Minnesota.

Their encounters have always been friendly. Amusingly, they haven’t stopped.

“I bump into P.J. more having dinner than any other coach in college football. I can take these private vacations, and all of a sudden nobody knows who you are. You’re in this restaurant. Nobody knows. It’s great. You’re just a normal person. You look over and you go, ‘P.J.’s here,” Babers said. “It’s been spooky how many times it’s happened.”

They usually just wind up joining each other and having an even better time than they imagined.

“Dino, he has this infectious personality. He can talk about anything, anytime, anywhere,” Fleck said. “He is a special human being.”

Up next: Yankee Stadium. Minnesota (8-4) plays Syracuse (7-5) in the 12th edition of the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday, giving Babers and Fleck yet another opportunity to connect — and highlighting another tie between them. The athletic director who hired both of them was Mark Coyle.

“He has a fantastic discernment when it comes to first judgment in hiring good coaches,” Babers said, wryly.

Coyle picked Babers for Syracuse prior to the 2016 season. After leaving for Minnesota, he hired Fleck a year later.

“They’re even better people behind the scenes. They’re wonderful men with great, great character. I think there’s a reason why you see why they’re having so much success,” Coyle said. —