Rutgers Football Hires Dennis Dottin-Carter as Defensive Line Coach
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights football has officially hired Dennis Dottin-Carter as the program's new defensive coordinator. The hiring was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. That marks a significant addition to Greg Schiano’s staff as the Scarlet Knights look to translate defensive consistency into elite production.
A Big Ten-Proven Addition for Rutgers Football
Dottin-Carter arrives on the banks following a three-season stint at the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He joined Minnesota in January 2023 as a senior defensive analyst. He was elevated to rush ends coach in January 2025. He was also named defensive line coach in February 2025.
🚨BREAKING: Rutgers Football is set to hire former Minnesota assistant Dennis Dottin-Carter (@COACHDOTT) as its defensive line coach.
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | The Knight Report (@RutgersOn3) February 18, 2026
Dottin-Carter was the Gophers D-Line coach in 2025 and has a ton of ties to current / former RU assistants.https://t.co/nS3Ic00EPP pic.twitter.com/U5XymyDpNm
The 2025 campaign was a strong one for the Gophers’ defensive front. Minnesota finished 11th nationally in sacks and posted a top-30 run defense. Central to that success was Anthony Smith. He led the Big Ten with 12.5 sacks and ranked 12th nationally in tackles for loss.
He worked with Dave Brock at Delaware. That's where Dottin-Carter served as defensive line coach before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator and later interim head coach in 2016. He coached Luke Carrezola at UConn. It is also when he was a graduate assistant from 2019 through 2021.
He also overlapped with Eddie Allen at UConn from 2018 through 2021. Staff chemistry is not built overnight, and Rutgers is bringing in someone who already understands key pieces of the building.
A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dottin-Carter’s Northeast footprint includes coaching stops at Maine, Delaware, UConn, and Yale. The statistical growth of Minnesota’s defensive front during his tenure is notable, and the numbers tell a clear picture of development.
In 2022, before his arrival, the Gophers recorded 19 sacks, 47 tackles for loss, and seven defensive line pass breakups. By the 2024 season, that production jumped to 28 sacks, 66 tackles for loss, and 14 defensive line pass breakups.
The increase reflected steady year-over-year growth. Jah Joyner recorded seven pass breakups, and Jalen Logan-Redding added four. He helped anchor a disruptive unit that made life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks.
Dottin-Carter also contributed on the recruiting trail, helping Minnesota land Top 40 overall edge recruit Aaden Aytch. Player development is not just about improving numbers on Saturdays. It is also about preparing athletes for Sundays. Dottin-Carter has consistently developed NFL talent across multiple stops.
At UConn, he coached Travis Jones. He became a third-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens and earned Second-Team All-American honors from PFF. He also developed Foley Fatukasi, who was selected in the sixth round by the New York Jets after earning All-AAC honors.
At Delaware, Bilal Nichols was drafted 145th overall by the Chicago Bears. Zach Kerr signed with the Indianapolis Colts and went on to spend eight seasons in the NFL.
Before Minnesota, Dottin-Carter served as assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator. If that wasn't enough to show what he has in the line, he also has a defensive line coach at Yale Bulldogs. This helped guide the program to the 2022 Ivy League Championship.
Defensive linemen Reid Nickerson and Clay Patterson also earned Second-Team All-Ivy honors during that run. Meanwhile, the defense ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense and seventh in rush defense.
At UConn Huskies, he developed Jones and Fatukasi into NFL draft picks and was named interim head coach during the 2021 season. However, that interim title was not his first.
What Fans Can Expect to See in the Rutgers Football
Twice in his career, Dottin-Carter has stepped into interim head coaching roles, first at Delaware in 2016 and later at UConn in 2021. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, the Maine Black Bears, in 2008.
As defensive line coach, he helped guide Maine’s 2012 defense to the top of the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring defense. On the other hand, he also made future program sack leader Mike Cole.
As a player at Maine, Dottin-Carter was a standout linebacker who earned First-Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors as a defensive end in 2002 and Second-Team recognition in 2003. His roots in the trenches go back to his own playing days.
The hiring of Dennis Dottin-Carter represents a strategic move for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights add a coordinator with recent Big Ten experience, strong Northeast recruiting ties, proven NFL development credentials, and prior head coaching experience.
As the Scarlet Knights look to elevate their defense in 2026 and beyond, this hire signals intent. The numbers are there. The relationships are there. The development history is there. Now, Rutgers will look to turn all of it into production on the field.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.