Three candidates who could be the next Gophers defensive coordinator

The Gophers football team was left with a void in one of the most important positions on the coaching staff when news broke Saturday that defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman would be leaving the U to take the same position in Miami.

Hetherman was self-employed after leading the Gophers defense to new heights in his first season in 2024. Minnesota’s defense ranked fifth in the nation in yards allowed per game (285.7) and ninth in points allowed per game (16.9). It looked like he would be with the team for the long haul after Hetherman signed a contract extension with the U’s in December.

Nevertheless, the Gophers didn’t have the money to contend with the Hurricanes and will now have to move quickly to fill a void at a key position at the end of the recruiting cycle. And whoever takes the reins will have big shoes to fill. Given that the departure will come late in the cycle, it’s not surprising the U’s would look to fill the position from within, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

It’s also no surprise that the Gophers already have several great defensive coaches on their staff. There are three candidates in particular who seem to make a lot of sense to take over as the next defensive coordinator:

Collins, the team’s safeties coach and defensive passing game coordinator, appears to be the leading candidate to be Minnesota’s next defensive coordinator. He followed PJ Fleck at Western Michigan and has steadily risen through the Gophers coaching ranks over the past eight seasons. This season was his third as safeties coach and second as defensive passing game coordinator. Minnesota’s pass defense ranked ninth in the country in passing yards per game this year (176.1). As a safeties coach, Collins has developed players like NFL tight end Tyler Nubin, and freshman standout Koi Perich has certainly blossomed under his tutelage this season. Collins’ next step could be defensive coordinator.

Monroe would be another top candidate, and he already has defensive coordinator in his title. Monroe, a native of Mahtomedi, Minn., just completed his second season as cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator. He has 20 years of coaching experience, including a long stint at Syracuse before joining the Minnesota staff. Monore played a big role in constructing the Gophers’ top-10 passing defense and got the most out of players like Justin Walley, Ethan Robinson and others. While also at Syracuse, he developed numerous NFL players in secondary coaching positions. One thing to watch is the possibility of defensive coordinators working together, something Fleck has done in the past on offense with Matt Simon and Greg Harbaugh Jr., according to Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press. Greder rejected the possibility of Monroe and Collins.

DeLattiboudere is perhaps a less likely candidate because he has significantly less coaching experience than either Collins or Monroe, but he appears to be developing rapidly and quickly establishing himself as an excellent young coach. DeLattiboudere, Fleck’s former U.S. defensive lineman, joined Minnesota’s staff as defensive line coach in 2023 after a year coaching Akron’s defensive line. He quickly helped the U’s pass rate improve by seven sacks in 2023 compared to the previous year – the defensive line increased from 10.5 sacks in 2022 to 20 in 2023. The improvement in pass rate continued this season as the U earned 28 sacks, and the team’s rushing defense ranked 12th in the nation in yards allowed per game (109.6). While DeLattiboudere may need more experience before taking on such a large role, he has clearly developed into an excellent coach since graduating from the program in 2019 and it is reasonable to believe that he is at least a serious candidate for the position.