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MN Gophers Promote Coach on Defense
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- MN Gophers Promote Coach on Defense
Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
It has become relative commonplace for P.J. Fleck assistants to be poached for other jobs . The Minnesota Gophers head coach has brought talent in to surround him throughout his career. That happened again this season with defensive assistant Kevin Kane being snapped up by Purdue .
The 7-5 Gophers still have a Rate Bowl matchup with New Mexico on deck, and they're going to promote from within before next season. Rather than lose talent, it's nice to see upward trajectory foster retention too.
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CJ Robbins earns defensive line title for Gophers
Last winter the Minnesota Gophers hired C.J. Robbins as their rush ends coach. Fleck nabbed him from Central Michigan, and he was a familiar face having previously worked with Minnesota in 2020 and 2021. Less than a year after rejoining the maroon and gold, he's earned a promotion.
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The Gophers football program is working towards promoting C.J. Robbins to defensive line coach, the Pioneer Press learned on Sunday. Head coach P.J. Fleck has a track record of elevating existing coaches on his staff to bigger roles and is expected to do so again with Robbins, who has been the U's rush ends coach since February.
Robbins would replace Dennis Dottin-Carter, who was dismissed as D-line coach Dec. 5 after one season in charge of that position group. Over the last few weeks, Robbins has been the acting defensive line coach going into the Rate Bowl against New Mexico at Chase Field at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Pioneer Press journalist Andy Greder has reported that Robbins will take over the as the defensive line coach in 2026. With Dottin-Carter no longer on the staff, it remained to be seen how Fleck would handle that assignment.
This season it seemed consistent for the Gophers to be gashed up the middle on the ground. While Anthony Smith (10.5), Karter Menz (5.5), and Jaxon Howard (4.5) put up solid sack numbers , the interior group left something to be desired.
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Minnesota ranked 31st among Division 1 defenses in rush yards per game allowed. That put them below plenty of their Big Ten competition, and forced a questionable cornerback group into tough spots. The hope would be that Robbins can right the ship and make a serious impact next season.
Greder did note that the Minnesota Gophers will look to fill Robbins' vacancy with an external hire. They also have to replace Kane as the outside linebackers/nicklebacks coach.
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