Gophers Football: Fleck's Shakeup Behind Firing of D-Line Coach
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck has made another significant move in the Gophers' defensive line room, firing long-time defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter after just one year at the helm. The decision comes amid disappointing performances from incoming transfer players at the position and an overhaul of the depth chart for next season.
Fleck acknowledged that Dottin-Carter is a "tremendous football coach" and a "really good person," but ultimately felt it was time to make a change in leadership. Fleck cited a desire to move in a different direction as the primary reason, with no further details provided on his decision-making process.
The Gophers' next defensive line coach will be Fleck's eighth at Minnesota, marking another instance of significant turnover at the position. With bowl prep underway, coaches C.J. Robbins and Kevin Kane will contribute to coaching duties alongside Fleck.
Several roster changes are also expected in the coming seasons. Starting defensive tackles Devin Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding will lose eligibility after the Rate Bowl, while star end Anthony Smith remains uncertain about his future, having not yet made a decision on returning for his redshirt senior season or entering the NFL draft.
Injuries have plagued the Gophers' defensive line in recent years. Three transfers – including Rushawn Lawrence from Stony Brook – did not pan out as expected, with tackle Mo Omonode suffering a season-ending injury and edge Stephen Curtis seeing limited playing time. The latest setback is interior D-lineman KJ Henson's commitment to West Virginia.
Fleck expressed caution in anticipating the Gophers' success rate with their next batch of incoming players via the portal. "You expect it to be a little unpredictable," he said, but assured fans that the team will be well-prepared for the Rate Bowl on December 26th.
Meanwhile, Roman Voss has been named Minnesota's Mr. Football, marking the fourth time in the last 15 years a Gophers signee has received this honor.
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck has made another significant move in the Gophers' defensive line room, firing long-time defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter after just one year at the helm. The decision comes amid disappointing performances from incoming transfer players at the position and an overhaul of the depth chart for next season.
Fleck acknowledged that Dottin-Carter is a "tremendous football coach" and a "really good person," but ultimately felt it was time to make a change in leadership. Fleck cited a desire to move in a different direction as the primary reason, with no further details provided on his decision-making process.
The Gophers' next defensive line coach will be Fleck's eighth at Minnesota, marking another instance of significant turnover at the position. With bowl prep underway, coaches C.J. Robbins and Kevin Kane will contribute to coaching duties alongside Fleck.
Several roster changes are also expected in the coming seasons. Starting defensive tackles Devin Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding will lose eligibility after the Rate Bowl, while star end Anthony Smith remains uncertain about his future, having not yet made a decision on returning for his redshirt senior season or entering the NFL draft.
Injuries have plagued the Gophers' defensive line in recent years. Three transfers – including Rushawn Lawrence from Stony Brook – did not pan out as expected, with tackle Mo Omonode suffering a season-ending injury and edge Stephen Curtis seeing limited playing time. The latest setback is interior D-lineman KJ Henson's commitment to West Virginia.
Fleck expressed caution in anticipating the Gophers' success rate with their next batch of incoming players via the portal. "You expect it to be a little unpredictable," he said, but assured fans that the team will be well-prepared for the Rate Bowl on December 26th.
Meanwhile, Roman Voss has been named Minnesota's Mr. Football, marking the fourth time in the last 15 years a Gophers signee has received this honor.
. With another coaching change on the horizon, I'm not sure if Fleck's tinkering is having the desired effect. The fact that multiple transfers haven't panned out as expected suggests that the program may need to reevaluate its recruitment strategy or find alternative solutions to address the depth issues 
. It'll be interesting to see how this new coaching duo will shake things up and prepare the team for bowl prep 
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still got hopes for anthony smith, fingers crossed he decides to stay
like, he needs to get it right for the gophers to make some noise in the Big Ten 
i mean, i get why he fired dottin-carter but one year is a pretty short stint 4 such a key position 
gotta root 4 him tho, u know?
With so many roster changes expected, it's gonna be tough for the team to gel by bowl prep time. And what about the kids who did lose eligibility - do they just fade away or will they make an impact elsewhere? 
another round of transfers that dont pan out? i mean, im all for innovation but u gotta think about the players 
I'm like totally stoked about the changes going down with P.J. Fleck and the Gophers' D-line coach! I know it's sad to see Dennis Dottin-Carter go, but I think this shakeup is gonna bring in some fresh blood and new ideas 
. It's not easy coaching a team that's been through all that injury drama, so I gotta give Fleck props for making the tough calls 
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. I'm keeping it positive here, even when it comes to the not-so-good stuff. Time for some new faces and a fresh start, right? 
he's making some tough calls but i got faith in him 
gotta see how these new hires pan out 
. And now KJ Henson's leaving for West Virginia... it's like they're just bleeding talent on the defensive line. I hope Fleck knows what he's doing this time around.
. Maybe, just maybe, they can turn it around next season and make some noise in the Big Ten conference 
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Still, you can't deny the kid's got some wins under his belt. And Roman Voss being Mr. Football? That's dope