The weekend was somewhat bittersweet in Minnesota. On Saturday, the Gophers fell to rival Wisconsin, losing Paul Bunyan’s Axe and missing out on a shot to travel to Indianapolis for the B1G Championship Game. That much was disappointing.

At the same time, however, Minnesota had just concluded one of its most successful seasons in decades, finishing the regular season 10-2 with a win over a highly-ranked Penn State team earlier in the year. It’s a year that, when it’s all said and done, will undoubtedly be celebrated.

Following Saturday’s game, head coach P.J. Fleck spoke with the media on a myriad of topics regarding Minnesota’s magical season. His primary message was that the program would not be going backwards and would only be taking strides in moving forward. It was a powerful message to the fans, students, players and the state.

That message received a huge endorsement from ESPN college football analyst David Pollack.

“He isn’t a guy that’s just about sayings,” Pollack wrote on Twitter. “He loves his team. Demands from his team and is doing what every coach in the country is supposed to do, train kids to me. I’d play for [Minnesota] too with that guy at the helm!”

Fleck comes across to some as too gimmicky, but he’s always been genuine to his players and staff. And, really, that’s all that matters.

He’s gotten Pollack’s stamp of approval, too.