Minnesota Gophers Hire New Defensive Coordinator

Originally posted on Minnesota Sports Fan
By Ezra Greenman | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 2:21 PM ET

Just a few days ago, PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers football program took a hit when their defensive coordinator, Corey Hetherman, announced his resignation to take up the same position at the University of Miami. It’s no surprise that the move was motivated by a higher salary. This departure definitely stings, especially since the Gophers boasted one of the best defenses in the country last season.

As many had anticipated, the Gophers decided to keep it in house to fill the vacancy left by Hetherman. Today, they officially announced that safeties coach Danny Collins has been promoted to the new defensive coordinator. Collins will take over play calling duties.

Minnesota Gophers promote Danny Collins to new Defensive Coordinator

Danny Collins is gearing up for his 9th season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2025. Collins has followed head coach PJ Fleck every step along his coaching journey. It all started back at Western Michigan, where Collins served as a Defensive Graduate Assistant.

When Fleck made the move to Minnesota, Collins was right there with him. Fast forward to now, and Collins has climbed the ranks to become the official defensive coordinator for the Gophers.

Minnesota is set to promote safeties coaches Danny Collins to defensive play caller, multiple sources confirmed to @Minnesota247.

The 32-year old has been with Fleck since his Western Michigan days, and was an AFCA "35 Under 35" selection in 2023.https://t.co/FfOCju6c89 pic.twitter.com/AukvnS1AeG
— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) January 13, 2025

Collins deserves some serious props for his role in shaping NFL talent, with one of the most recent success stories being Tyler Nubin. Last year, Nubin was snagged by the New York Giants in the second round of the draft. There’s a strong case to be made that Nubin is among the best safeties to ever come out of the University of Minnesota, and you can bet Collins had a hand in that.

Jordan Howden, another safety coached by Collins, was picked up by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. As the second string safety, Howden has had quite a bit of action on the field this season, s tepping up when needed for the Saints. Howden grabbed 2 interceptions this season.

Although it’s unfortunate that Hetherman has moved on to Miami, Collins shows promise in maintaining the defense. It will definitely be intriguing to watch how this defense unfolds next season under the new Collins leadership.

This article first appeared on Minnesota Sports Fan and was syndicated with permission.

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