P.J. Fleck details Gophers' decision to fire defensive line coach

Minnesota will need to hire a new defensive line coach for the second straight season.

Sep 13, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck prepares for a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Gophers made their first coaching staff change of the season last week when they dismissed defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter after only one season with the title.

He replaced Winston DeLattiboudere, who left last offseason to join the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff in the same role. Dottin-Carter had previously served as a defensive analyst during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. P.J. Fleck spoke to the media on Sunday for the first time since the decision.

"Coach [Dottin-Carter] is a tremendous football coach, and a really, really good person. Just felt like we needed to make a change at that position right now, and leadership. Those are really difficult decisions to make, and he has done a tremendous job with our guys and life lessons. But I just felt like it was time that we needed to move in a different direction there," Fleck told the media on Sunday.

"I wish him all the best, and he did a tremendous job when he was here, and gave his whole heart to our program. Very thankful for him, and as we continue to move in the future, we're going to look for the best leader in that room."

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Minnesota accepted an invitation to the Rate Bowl on Sunday, and it will face New Mexico on December 26. Without Dottin-Carter, the Gophers are expected to use a combination of coaches to fill the role.

"There will be a combination. Coach C.J. Robbins will kinda move into the D-line as well as Coach Kevin Kane with the [rush ends]. We'll kinda bring the whole D-line in together, then really kinda have them separate," Fleck said.

When the Gophers hire a new full-time defensive line coach, it will be their fifth since 2021. Chad Wilt left to become the Indiana defensive coordinator that offseason. He was replaced by Brick Haley in 2022, who was replaced by DeLattiboudere in 2023 and 2024, and then Dottin-Carter in 2025.

Potential replacements

• C.J. Robbins (current Gophers rush ends coach)

• Kevin Kane (current Gophers nickels/outside linebackers coach)

• Chad Wilt (Michigan State co-special teams/defensive ends coach)

The most obvious choice to replace Dottin-Carter would be promoting Robbins, who has done a great job with Minnesota's rush ends in 2025. He was the defensive line coach at Central Michigan in 2024, and a promotion to becoming a Big Ten defensive line coach would make sense.

Kane is a more veteran coach with experience as a defensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, SMU and Purdue. They could also bring back Wilt, who has been at Michigan State working with former Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi in East Lansing.