Fleck Promotes Three Coaches, Welcomes New Staff Members

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Fleck Promotes Three Coaches, Welcomes New Staff Members

University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck announced today title changes for three assistant coaches and also welcomed three new staff members.

Coach Fleck announced title changes for assistants Kenni Burns, Brian Callahan and Matt Simon. In addition to their current roles, Burns will now also serve as the Assistant Head Coach, while Callahan will be the Run Game Coordinator and Simon will add Passing Game Coordinator to his responsibilities.

"Kenni, Brian and Matt have been with me a long time and they are integral to the success of our program on and off the field," said Fleck. "They are not only elite coaches, but they are elite men who have helped set the standard for what our culture demands and expects from our team. They are extremely deserving of these added roles, and I look forward to watching them lead our young men as we continue to move this program forward."

Burns, Callahan and Simon led offensive units that thrived for the Gophers in 2018.

Burns mentored two freshmen running backs in Mohamed Ibrahim and Bryce Williams to exceptional seasons, as upperclassmen Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith were injured. Ibrahim rushed for 1,160 yards, which was the second most ever for a Gopher freshman, and nine touchdowns while Williams churned out 502 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman.

Callahan coached an offensive line that routinely started three underclassmen. However, his unit rarely showed its youth, as it blocked for an offense that averaged 28.9 points per game (tied for second most in a season since 2005) and one that rushed for 23 touchdowns and threw for 20 touchdowns (first time since 2006 Minnesota reached 20 passing and rushing touchdowns in a season).

Simon coached the wide receivers and the entire group blossomed under his tutelage. Tyler Johnson had one of the most prolific seasons in school history and shattered receiving records in the process. Johnson ended the 2018 season with single-season school records in receiving yards (1,169) and receiving touchdowns (12). His 78 catches rank second all-time in school history behind Gopher legend Eric Decker, who snagged 84 balls in 2008. Johnson became the first Minnesota receiver to be named First Team All-Big Ten since 2009.

In addition, receivers Rashod Bateman, Chris Autman-Bell and Demetrius Douglas all left their marks on the season. Bateman, who played as a true freshman, set freshman program records for receptions (51) and yards (704). His six touchdowns – which all came in Big Ten play – tied for the second most ever by a Minnesota freshman. Autman-Bell made 28 catches (fourth all-time for a Minnesota freshman) for 449 yards (third all-time for a Minnesota freshman) and led the team with a 16.03 yards per catch average. Douglas caught nine passes for 87 yards and one touchdown in 2018. He also served as the team's primary kick and punt returner and finished third on the team – behind Ibrahim and Johnson – with 794 all-purpose yards.

Fleck also welcomed Desmond Morgan, Dustin Krause and Jacob Niedermannto the staff. Morgan will serve as Special Teams Quality Control, while Krause will be a Defensive Graduate Assistant and Niedermann will be an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Morgan comes to Minnesota after two years working as a graduate assistant at Maryland, while Krause was with the team last year in a volunteer role. Niedermann joins the Gophers after stints at Elon and Harvard.

Go Gophers!!
 

So... is that just a way to give them pay increases? Does their day to day job actually change? Or does it make them just sound more important ("I'm the Assistant Head Coach!")?

Unrelated side story - a friend of mine was told he could choose his own title when he ordered business cards. He chose Jedi Master. His employer didn't find it as funny as he did, and made him reorder business cards with some generic title.
 

So... is that just a way to give them pay increases? Does their day to day job actually change? Or does it make them just sound more important ("I'm the Assistant Head Coach!")?

Unrelated side story - a friend of mine was told he could choose his own title when he ordered business cards. He chose Jedi Master. His employer didn't find it as funny as he did, and made him reorder business cards with some generic title.

Maybe it's like The Office...Assistant (to the) Head Coach. Might be wrong, but doesn't the running backs coach report to the OC? If so, how does that work with the assistant HC title?
 

For some people pay matters, for others, titles matter. For some, they just want more responsibility.
 

Burns will now also serve as the Assistant Head Coach,
Or is he assistant to the Head Coach?
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Give them any title they want, parking spot fine - just win the big ten west, damn it.
 

I don't care if they add Unicorn Tamer to their titles if it means keeping this offensive staff together.
 





Collaborate and listen.

Ah yes, the tap, tap, tap on the keyboard combined with the scrunched up face. The collaborators and listeners. Pure wit.
 

The life of an assistant coach is to get as much experience, recognition and pay as possible (assuming they are good). It all helps for your next position and to support the family.


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Ah yes, the tap, tap, tap on the keyboard combined with the scrunched up face. The collaborators and listeners. Pure wit.
It was a song reference.... Was hoping someone would add to it....

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It was a song reference.... Was hoping someone would add to it....

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Clearly a reference that is foreign to this board. Care to elaborate on the artist and genre? Realize that all GH posters stopped listening to music after Big Head Todd and the Monsters...[emoji41]
 

Clearly a reference that is foreign to this board. Care to elaborate on the artist and genre? Realize that all GH posters stopped listening to music after Big Head Todd and the Monsters...[emoji41]

Think "one hit wonder" and the beat was ripped off of song by two artists that have passed away and one of the two had a bio movie out this past year.
 


Something grabs ahold of him tightly


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Something grabs ahold of him tightly


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Will it ever stop?

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Millie Vanillie?
Its 1990...... Stole part of "Under Pressue" by queen/Bowie..... Got it yet?

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Its 1990...... Stole part of "Under Please" by queen/Bowie..... Got it yet?

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Nope. What is "Under Please?"
That's what she said!!! [emoji41]
 

Nope. What is "Under Please?"
That's what she said!!! [emoji41]
Under pressure.... Darn auto correct.





Vanilla ice.....

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