If you've ever wondered how long it takes to row your boat from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the answer is roughly 72 hours.

After reports surfaced Friday morning that Minnesota was set to hire Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan athletic director Kathy Beauregard tweeted that Fleck had informed the school he was leaving for Minnesota.

The Gophers made the official announcement that Fleck had been signed to a five-year deal at 11 a.m. ET, closing up the Gophers brief coaching vacancy.

"P.J. is a proven winner and a strong leader. He's built a unique, positive culture that gets the best out of his students on the field and in the classroom," said Minnesota AD Mark Coyle. "His infectious energy and passion make him a terrific coach and dynamic recruiter. I am excited he will be leading the Gophers for years to come."

The Pioneer Press reported Fleck received a six-year, $21 million offer from Minnesota, which would put his annual salary at $3.5 million, but Minnesota's official release says the deal is for five years -- the official salary figure is unknown. Fleck made just over $820,000 at Western Michigan this season according to the USA Today database of coaches salaries, so if the yearly salary is similar to the report it is a healthy raise.

"It's an honor to coach at Minnesota and be part of the Big Ten conference," said Fleck in the release. "I want to thank president Eric Kaler, athletic director Mark Coyle and the Board of Regents for this opportunity. I also want to thank Western Michigan, my players and the great fans and city of Kalamazoo for a wonderful four years.

"I look forward to meeting my new players and getting to know them as quickly as possible. I am excited to put together a staff and turn my efforts to recruiting, but also want Gopher fans to know that my wife, Heather, and I and our four children will be visible in the community and we are eager to connect with them. I am ready to go. Ski-U-Mah!"

Fleck had been a hot coaching-market name, coming up at places like Oregon and Purdue, and it looked like he would stay in Kalamazoo until the Minnesota job opened. Once it did, Fleck was an obvious target.

Fleck, 36, has been coaching since 2006. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Jim Tressel before moving to his alma mater, Northern Illinois, as the wide receivers coach. While at Northern Illinois, he worked under Jerry Kill, who left NIU to take over at Minnesota following the 2010 season. After Kill stepped down because of health concerns in the 2015 season, it was Tracy Claeys taking over for him, and now Fleck replacing Claeys.

In four seasons at Western Michigan, Fleck rebuilt the program. The Broncos were 4-8 in 2012, and went 1-11 in Fleck's first season in 2013. Fleck righted the ship quickly, improving to 8-5 in 2014 and going 8-5 again in 2015 before breaking out with a 13-0 regular season in 2016. With the MAC conference title in tow, the Broncos played in the Cotton Bowl and lost to Wisconsin 24-16.

Fleck put together Western Michigan recruiting classes that far outpaced the rest of the MAC, a key to building the powerhouse. Minnesota hopes Fleck's recruiting acumen and his leadership and motivational skills make the Gophers a larger threat in the Big Ten.