Get to know Minnesota football's complete 2025 coaching and support staff
Minnesota football begins its 2025 season on Thursday evening against the Buffalo Bulls. As we do every season here on Gophers Nation, in the lead-up to the Gophers’ season opener, we present the entire Minnesota football coaching staff and support staff.
The Gophers’ coaching staff, especially defensively, underwent quite a few changes over the course of the offseason, meaning there are plenty of new names for Minnesota fans to familiarize themselves with in the coming days and weeks.
Head Coach
- Head Coach: P.J. Fleck
P.J. Fleck enters his ninth season as Minnesota’s head football coach. Through his first eight seasons, the Golden Gophers have amassed a 58-39 record and have made six bowl games, including each of the last four seasons. A fifth straight bowl game in 2025 would tie the program’s record for most consecutive seasons reaching the postseason, joining the 2012-2016 teams.
Fleck’s 58 wins currently rank fifth all-time in program history. He needs seven wins to surpass Glen Mason, who collected a 64-57 record over 10 seasons from 1997 through 2006.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks: Greg Harbaugh Jr.
- Co-Offensive Coordinator / Wide Receivers: Matt Simon
- Run Game Coordinator / Offensive Line: Brian Callahan
- Tight Ends Coach: Eric Koehler
- Running Backs Coach: Jayden Everett
- Assistant Quarterbacks Coach: Keegan O’Hara
- Assistant Offensive Line Coach: James Bain
- Assistant Wide Receivers Coach: Nick Faus
- Offensive Analyst: Bill Legg
- Offensive Analyst: Jordan Hendy
- Offensive Quality Control: Brian Sheehan
Minnesota’s coaching staff remains mostly the same from last season. New additions include running backs coach Jayden Everett while Keegan O’Hara was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach. The Gophers will have two analysts on offense this season in Bil Legg and Jordan Hendy, as well as one quality control coach in Brian Sheehan.
Defensive Staff
- Defensive Coordinator / Safeties: Danny Collins
- Cornerbacks / Co-Defensive Coordinator: Nick Monroe
- Linebackers Coach: Mariano Sori-Marin
- Defensive Line Coach: Dennis Dottin-Carter
- Nickels / Outside Linebackers: Kevin Kane
- Rush Ends Coach: C.J. Robbins
- Assistant Defensive Line Coach: Malik Hollings
- Assistant Defensive Backs Coach: Christian Pawola
- Defensive Analyst: Kody Schutzman
The defensive coaching staff saw quite a bit of turnover. Former defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman is gone after taking the defensive coordinator job at Miami (FL), and safeties coach Danny Collins will take over.
Replacing Hetherman as the linebackers coach is Mariano Sori-Marin, who moved from nickel and outside linebackers. Dennis Dottin-Carter, originally hired to be the Rush Ends coach, was promoted to the defensive line coach after Winston DeLattiboudere took an opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals.
Former Central Michigan assistant C.J. Robbins was then hired to lead the rush ends, while former Purdue assistant Kevin Kane made the move to the Twin Cities to coach the nickels and outside linebackers spot.
The only analyst on the defensive side of the ball is Kody Schutzman. He’s been with the program since the 2022 season.
Special Teams
- Special Teams Coordinator: Bob Ligashesky
- Special Teams Quality Control: Brady Keeran
Bob Ligashesky returns in 2025 for his second season as the Gophers’ special teams coordinator.
Performance / Strength & Conditioning
- Head Strength and Conditioning: Dan Nichol
- Associate Director of Athletic Performance: Willie Jones
- Assistant Director of Athletic Performance: Troy Thompson
- Assistant Director of Athletic Performance: Quinton Miller
- Assistant Director of Athletic Performance: Cody Stout
Head strength and conditioning coach Dan Nichol enters his ninth year with the program and has been with P.J. Fleck since his Western Michigan days. With Nichol’s leadership, the Gophers have developed eight All-Americans and have seen 16 players drafted over the last eight seasons. Many would argue that the lead strength and conditioning coach is the most important staff member on any program.
Operations / Administration
- Assistant Athletic Director / General Manager: Gerrit Chernoff
- Director of Football Operations and Logistics: Emily Litwin
- Director of Football Program Operations and Administration: Zack Lucas
- Coordinator of Football Recruiting and Administration: Lauren Garlow
- Assistant for Football Operations and Development: Logan Richter
- Director of Football Equipment Operations: Brady Gagnon
- Assistant Equipment Manager: Paul Anderson
- Assistant Equipment Manager: Zach Nichols
Assistant athletic director and general manager Gerrit Chernoff is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for the Gophers. He oversees much of the Gophers’ roster management and is considered P.J. Fleck’s right-hand man.
Player Development / Personnel
- Director of Player Development: Norries Wilson
- Director of Player Personnel: Marcus Hendrickson
- Assistant Director of Player Personnel: Tanner Snustead
The player development/personnel department is broad in its duties, but is generally a jack-of-all-trades staff member. Wilson and his team help mostly student athletes but also assist coaching staffs, recruiting staffs, academic staffs, and communication staffs. In reality, they keep the program moving on a daily basis.
Recruiting
- Director of Recruiting / Minnesota High School Liaison: John Schaekel
- Director of Recruiting Operations: Kramer Cook
- Director of On-Campus Recruiting: Madison Roberge
- Assistant Director of Recruiting / Offensive Scouting: Nick Lee
- Coordinator of Defensive Scouting: Joe Ready
- Director of Defensive Scouting: Chase Gallagher
- Director of Offensive Scouting: Will Drew
- Assistant for Recruiting and Administration: Chandler Buning
John Schaekel leads the Gophers recruiting staff into the 2025 season, the 15th year he’s been a part of the program’s staff. A St. Paul, Minnesota native, Schaekel serves as the program’s liaison for high school football programs across the state.
Medical / Athletic Training / Sports Science
- Head Athletic Trainer: Mike Sypniak, MS, LAT, ATC
- Assistant Athletic Trainer: Joe Wisniewski, MS, LAT, ATC
- Assistant Athletic Trainer: Katie Chen, MS, LAT, ATC
- Director of Sport Psychology Services: Dr. Carly Anderson
- Football Team Dietitian: Madison Spence
Academic / Student-Athlete Support
- Lindahl Academic Center Senior Associate Director: Jacki Lienesch
- Lindahl Academic Center Assistant Director: Andrea Bretl
Communications / Media / Marketing
- Sr. Associate AD / Communications: Paul Rovnak
- Associate Director / Communications: Karl Anderson
- Assistant Director / Communications (FB Social): Trenten Gauthier
- Football Creative Director: Dane Kuhn
- Multimedia Content Producer | Football: Brian Rogers
- Assistant AD / Marketing: Mills Armbruster
- Director of Ticket Operations (Football): Dillon Connell
