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Minnesota Gophers Hire New Coach on Defense
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- Minnesota Gophers Hire New Coach on Defense
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Minnesota Gophers football season is over, meaning PJ Fleck and his coaching staff are out on the recruiting trail, trying to add talent for future Golden Gophers squads. Every day, this time of year, college football coaches are crisscrossing the country trying to convince high schoolers and transfer portal entries that their school is the best fit for them.
But offseasons these days, both at the college and professional level, see just as much movement within coaching staffs, as it does player rosters. Nobody knows that better than the University of Minnesota, who has lost its defensive coordinator to better paying jobs each of the past two years.
Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports
Last offseason, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi made a lateral move to Michigan State . Somehow, under new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, the 2024 Gophers defense was even better, finishing top 10 nationally in points allowed (16.9 – 9th) and yards allowed (285.4 – 5th).
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PJ Fleck, Minnesota Gophers hire another coach to help on defense
One week after Minnesota beat Virginia Tech in the Duke's Mayo Bowl , Hetherman was hired away by Miami , to be their defensive coordinator. As he did when Rossi left for MSU, PJ Fleck filled the Gophers' defensive coordinator vacancy internally, promoting safety/defensive backs coach Danny Collins to defensive coordinator.
Then, on Wednesday evening, news broke that the Minnesota Gophers are hiring Kevin Kane as a new coach on their defensive staff. Kane, 41, spent 2023 and 2024 as defensive coordinator of the Purdue Boilermakers.
Sources: Minnesota is hiring veteran defensive coordinator Kevin Kane in an on-field coaching role. Kane has been the defensive coordinator NIU, SMU and Purdue. He'll bring more experience to the Minnesota defensive staff. pic.twitter.com/UPYgjZqsJt
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 23, 2025
It's possible Kane needs the University of Minnesota way more than they need him. Kevin could use the resume cleanse, after his time as DC at Purdue. Last season , the Boilermakers ranked 131 of 134 FBS schools in points allowed per game (39.9) and 124 of 134 in total yards allowed per game (452.7).
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During his first season as Boilermaker DC in 2023 , Purdue ranked No. 105 in points allowed (30.4) and and No. 69 in yards allowed (382.1), which wasn't much better. Kane's defenses at SMU struggled from 2018-2020 , too.
Coaching history of Kevin Kane
Kevin Kane played linebacker for the Kansas Jayhawks from 2002 to 2005 , where he twice earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and was an Academic All-Big 12 three times, before cutting his coaching teeth at Wisconsin, as a graduate assistant in 2008-2009 and a quality control coordinator in 2010.
Prior to his two seasons at Purdue, Kane spent time as assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach at Illinois, following his difficult three-year DC run at SMU. In total, Kevin Kane brings nearly two decades of coaching experience to the University of Minnesota staff.
| Coaching Timeline |
School |
Role |
| 2006–2007 |
Kansas |
Student Assistant |
| 2008–2009 |
Wisconsin |
Graduate Assistant |
| 2010 |
Wisconsin |
Def Quality Control |
| 2011 |
Northern Illinois |
Tight EndsFullbacks |
| 2012 |
Northern Illinois |
Linebackers |
| 2013–2014 |
Northern Illinois |
ST CoordinatorLinebackers |
| 2015 |
Kansas |
Linebackers |
| 2016–2017 |
Northern Illinois |
Defensive CoordinatorLinebackers |
| 2018–2020 |
SMU |
Defensive CoordinatorLinebackers |
| 2021–2022 |
Illinois |
Assistant Head CoachOutside Linebackers |
| 2023–2024 |
Purdue |
Defensive Coordinator |
