Looking to reinforce their coaching ranks, the Minnesota Gophers tapped into new expertise for their football program, announcing Monday the hiring of Corey Hetherman as defensive coordinator and Bob Ligashesky to take the helm of special teams, each bringing a pedigree of experience from college and professional tiers.

Hetherman, who recently served as Rutgers' linebackers coach, is also slated to continue mentoring the linebackers at Minnesota, with a resume that includes a distinguished stint as the defensive coordinator at James Madison from 2019 to 2021, a period highlighted by his recognition with the American Football Coaches Association's FCS Assistant Coach of the Year award, CBS News Minnesota reports. Hetherman's previous tenure as the defensive mind behind Maine's football squad, and now he takes over at Minnesota, filling the void left by Joe Rossi who moved to Michigan State after more than five seasons with the Gophers.

Bob Ligashesky, a name familiar with both collegiate and NFL circles, steps into the special teams coordinator role previously held by Rob Wenger. Ligashesky's resume includes a recent two-year spell at Syracuse and an extensive NFL coaching background that spanned over a decade with seven different teams and includes more than eight years as a special teams coordinator. This move marks a reunion with Gophers' head coach P.J. Fleck, the two having worked together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, KARE 11 highlighted.