Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck hired former Kent State head coach Paul Haynes as cornerbacks coach, the team announced Monday.

Haynes, who has 25 years of coaching experience, replaces Rod Chance, who left earlier this month to become Oregon's cornerbacks coach. Fleck and Haynes first worked together in 2006 when Haynes was on staff and Fleck was a graduate assistant at Ohio State. Haynes left the Buckeyes five years later and stopped at Arkansas before spending five seasons at Kent State.

He spent the past two years as Michigan State defensive backs coach. He inherits a deep cornerbacks room, including All-Big Ten honorable mentions Benjamin St-Juste and Coney Durr.

Also, a source confirmed two Gophers players have medically retired. Wide receivers Erik Gibson and Jornell Brooks II, three-star recruits from the 2018 class, just finished their redshirt freshman seasons. Neither played a game for the Gophers.

MEGAN RYAN

On the move in MIAC

St. Olaf's Dave Stromme announced his retirement after 13 seasons as women's basketball coach and 33 years as a college coach.

"I am stepping away from St. Olaf and am very much looking forward to the next chapter of my professional career," Stromme said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the college over the past 13 years as the head women's basketball coach and exercise science instructor, and I look forward to continuing to support St. Olaf athletic teams."

Stromme led St. Olaf to an overall record of 123-204 over 13 seasons since returning to his alma mater before the 2007-08 season. His 123 career victories rank second in program history.

• Concordia (Moorhead) men's basketball coach Grant Hemmingsen announced his resignation Monday, after three seasons as head coach and seven seasons with the program. He was 16-59 in his three seasons as head coach, including 11-49 in MIAC games.

Big Ten honorees

The Gophers' Jasmine Powell was chosen the women's basketball freshman of the week, after averaging 18 points, three rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals in two Gophers losses last week. In a 75-69 setback against No. 24 Indiana on Saturday, she scored a team-high 21 points, her 10th straight game in double figures.

• Gophers softball star Amber Fiser was named Big Ten pitcher of the week for the 11th time, tying her for third all-time in league history with Michigan's Megan Betsa.

Title (?) bouts

The World Boxing Association now has three categories of world champions: super, world and interim. What that seems to mean is that anyone winning an interim gets a belt declaring him to be a world champion, and the other belt-holders can't duck him for future bouts.

Two WBA interim titles will be on the line April 11 at the Minneapolis Armory when Jamal "Shango'' James (26-1, 12 KOs) meets Thomas Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) for a welterweight belt, and David Morrell Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) takes on Lennox Allen (22-0-1, 12 KOs).

PATRICK REUSSE