Report: Gophers to promote Danny Collins to defensive coordinator

The Gophers football team is expected to promote safeties coach Danny Collins to defensive play-caller and co-defensive coordinator, replacing Corey Hetherman, who accepted the same job at Miami over the weekend, according to 247Sports' Ryan Burns.

BREAKING (via @RyanBurnsMN/@247Sports): The #Gophers are expected to promote safeties coach Danny Collins (@Coach_DCollins) to "defensive play-caller."

He is 32 years old and he has been working under P.J. Fleck since 2015. https://t.co/KW6gWO258w pic.twitter.com/cfCxhGi1ES
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) January 13, 2025

Collins is 34 years old and he began his career as a defensive graduate assistant (GA) under P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan in 2015. He joined Fleck's first staff at Minnesota as a quality control coach in 2017, a GA in 2018, back to a quality control coach in 2019 and a senior defensive analyst from 2020-21. He was promoted to safeties coach in 2022.

In three seasons, Collins has worked with Tyler Nubin, Jordan Howden, Koi Perich and Kerry Brown, among others in the Gophers secondary. He assumed the title of defensive pass game coordinator in 2023, but he will now call plays in 2025.

Fleck has used co-defensive coordinator and co-offensive coordinator titles since taking over the program. Cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe currently has the title of co-defensive coordinator, so Collins will assume a similar title, but he's expected to call plays next season.

Minnesota technically did not have a defensive coordinator in Fleck's first season in 2017, but Collins will follow Joe Rossi and Hetherman as Fleck's third defensive coordinator since becoming head coach.

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