Cosgrove likely to coach U defense

By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune

Last update: January 8, 2009 - 12:43 AM

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While no final decision has been made, it appears former Wisconsin and Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove is the leader to replace departed defensive coordinator Ted Roof on the Gophers staff, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Cosgrove, 53, and Brewster have been friends since the early 1980s, when Brewster was playing at Illinois and Cosgrove was a graduate assistant. Cosgrove's son, Clint, just finished his second season as a defensive graduate assistant with the Gophers.

It's unclear whether he would come in as the defensive coordinator or, perhaps, share those duties with a person already on the staff.

Cosgrove has an extensive résumé that includes both Rose Bowl titles with the Badgers and disappointment in Nebraska. He was linebackers coach at Illinois for five years and had stints at Southeast Missouri State and Colorado State before going to Wisconsin to coach linebackers as part of Barry Alvarez's first staff in 1990. From 1995 through 2003 he was also defensive coordinator.

During his time in Wisconsin the Badgers won three Big Ten titles, went to and won three Rose Bowls and made nine bowl appearances overall, winning seven.

He moved to Nebraska to work with Bill Callahan in 2004, where he worked through four up-and-down seasons. Nebraska went 27-22 in those four years, winning nine games in 2006. But the 2007 season ended poorly, with the Huskers losing six of their final seven games, including a 76-39 loss at Kansas, as the Callahan era came to an end.

Cosgrove moved back to Madison, where he served as a volunteer assistant coach at Madison Edgewood High School where his son, Connor, played.

On the other side of the ball, reports have suggested that neither Major Applewhite (Texas) nor Dana Holgorsen (Houston) are available as candidates to replace departed Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar.

Meanwhile, the Gophers have secured a Jan. 16 visit from four-star St. Louis recruit Ronnie Wingo Jr.