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Gophers hire former Power 4 defensive coordinator as senior assistant

The Gophers have made a coaching addition on the defensive side of the ball.
Will Ragatz|
Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo before the college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Brigham Young Cougars at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo before the college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Brigham Young Cougars at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Gophers are hiring former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo as a senior defensive assistant on P.J. Fleck's staff, according to a report from John Brice of FootballScoop.

Nardo is only 40 years old, but he'll bring plenty of experience to the Gophers' coaching staff, where he'll work with defensive coordinator Danny Collins and a quality group of assistants on that side of the ball.

Nardo's been coaching in college football for over 20 years, getting his start as a student assistant at Ohio in 2004. He was a grad assistant for a few years after getting his degree. He then spent close to a decade as an assistant at the Division II level, mostly with Emporia State (Kansas), where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012-19.

From 2020-21, Nardo served as linebackers coach at FCS Youngstown State. He then moved back to the D-II level for a year before landing his big break when Mike Gundy hired him as Oklahoma State's DC in 2023.

Nardo's tenure as defensive coordinator at OK St. wasn't a great one. The Cowboys went 10-4 in his first season, but they finished 126th out of 133 teams in yards allowed per game at 441.8. They did force turnovers at a decent rate and were excellent on fourth down, but that was about it.

Bryan Nardo
Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo during an OSU spring football practice in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, April 17, 2023. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

It got even worse in 2024. Nardo's defense allowed over 500 yards per game, ranking 133rd out of 134 (only Kent State was worse). They were absymal against both the run and the pass, Oklahoma State went winless in Big 12 play, and Nardo was fired after the season. In his defense, the Cowboys were even worse in 2025, going 1-11 and 0-9 in conference.

How much of Oklahoma State's struggles can be pinned on Nardo is tough to assess. Gundy himself said that he put Nardo "in a bad situation" by not letting him bring any assistants with him who knew the scheme he likes to run (a 3-3-5 defense).

Nardo then spent the 2025 season as the safeties coach at Charlotte, a low-level FBS program.

No matter how things went for Nardo at Oklahoma State, this is a solid hire for the Gophers. They're adding a guy with significant experience as a defensive coordinator at multiple levels, which can only help Collins and company as they build their defense for 2026.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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