U hires new defensive coordinator

Former Duke coach Ted Roof will become the Gophers' third defensive coordinator in three years, and he inherits the worst defense in Division I-A.

By CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune

Last update: February 21, 2008 - 6:13 PM

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Ted Roof served as Duke University's football coach for five seasons, so he knows a thing or two about tough gigs.

He landed another one Thursday.

Roof accepted the Gophers defensive coordinator job, according to a person close to the situation.

Roof becomes the team's sixth defensive coordinator since 2000, and the third in three years. He is expected to receive a three-year contract worth $350,000 annually, according to the source. Roof was unavailable for comment, and an athletic department spokesman said the school had no announcement.

The position has had a revolving door; so it seems fitting that Gophers coach Tim Brewster hired Roof only three days after Everett Withers officially resigned to take the same position at North Carolina.

Roof was fired at Duke after last season. He went 6-45 in five seasons, including a 1-23 record the past two years. Roof was hired by Louisville last month to coach linebackers.

Roof was the defensive coordinator at Massachusetts, Western Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke before taking over as the Blue Devils' head coach in the middle of the 2003 season.

At Georgia Tech, Roof served as defensive coordinator under George O'Leary, a former Vikings assistant who is now head coach at Central Florida. O'Leary said Thursday that he told Brewster in a phone conversation this week that "you can't go wrong with [Roof]."

"They got a solid football coach and a great guy," O'Leary said. "He's very loyal and the kids will love playing for him. His defense will bring pressure and make the offense execute, and they will be very fundamentally sound."

In 2000, Georgia Tech finished 12th nationally in rushing defense and 21st in scoring defense. The Yellow Jackets finished 32nd in total defense in 2001.

Roof inherits a Gophers defense that ranked among the worst statistically in recent NCAA history in a 1-11 season. The Gophers finished last nationally in Division I-A in total defense, gave up a school-record 6,224 yards and ranked 103rd or worse in seven major defensive categories.

The Gophers staff made defense a priority in their recruiting efforts this offseason.

As many as 20 members of Minnesota's Top 20 national recruiting class will play defense, and Brewster said the defense could feature seven or eight new starters in 2008.

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