University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck announced additions and changes to his staff today.
Joining the staff are newcomers Jahmile Addae (defensive backs) and Marcus West (defensive line pass rush specialist). Fleck also assigned responsibilities to Clay Patterson (tight ends), who was hired in January, and to longtime assistant Brian Callahan (offensive line). In addition, Daniel Ifft was named director of football operations after working as a recruiting assistant in 2017.
Addae will coach defensive backs at Minnesota and comes to the bold north from Arizona, where he coached defensive backs last season.
At Arizona, Addae helped develop Arizona's young defensive backs into some of the team's top performers on the defensive side of the ball. Four of Arizona's leading tacklers were in the secondary in 2017 in Lorenzo Burns, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Scottie Young and Jace Whittaker. That quartet combined for 261 tackles, 24 pass breakups and 12 interceptions.
West will be the Maroon and Gold's defensive line / pass rush specialist coach and joins Minnesota after serving as an assistant head coach at Austin Peay, where he was also the defensive coordinator and coached the defensive line.
In 2017, Austin Peay - which was a combined 1-45 from 2013-16 - posted an 8-4 record. The eight wins tied a program record for the Governors and the team's seven conference wins were a program record. The defense, led by West, held its opponents to 24.8 points per game (fifth-best in the OVC), which is impressive considering the Governors played at undefeated Central Florida and gave up 73 points to the Knight. Excluding Central Florida, Austin Peay gave up 20.3 points per game in 11 games and gave up only 16.6 points per game in its eight wins. Austin Peay totaled 63 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, nine interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and 10 fumble recoveries as the team posted a historic turnaround. West's defense ranked third in rushing (123.2 yards per game), fourth in total defense (310.1 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (186.8 yards per game).
Fleck also announced that Patterson will coach tight ends and that Brain Callahan will shift from coaching tight ends to the offensive line.
Patterson came to Minnesota after serving as head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for two seasons. He led the Norseman to a 9-3 record in 2017 after going 5-5 in 2016.
In 2017, the program claimed its first Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) championship since 2003 and played in its first bowl game since 2012. Patterson earned conference coach of the year honors as his team averaged 524.5 yards per game (253.8 rushing and 270.6 passing) and 36.2 points per game.
Callahan will coach Minnesota's offensive line in 2018, which was a position he had previously coached from 2001 through the 2016 season at Western Michigan.
In 2016, Callahan's offensive line protected for an offense that averaged 41.57 points per game and rushed for 3,392 yards and 36 touchdowns. In addition, the Broncos passed for 3,533 yards and 33 touchdowns. Callahan's line yielded only 16 sacks in 14 games. He coached All-MAC First Team honorees Taylor Moton and Chukwuma Okorafor in 2016 and All-MAC Second Team player John Keenoy. FootballScoop named Callahan its 2016 Offensive Line Coach of the Year.
Joining the staff are newcomers Jahmile Addae (defensive backs) and Marcus West (defensive line pass rush specialist). Fleck also assigned responsibilities to Clay Patterson (tight ends), who was hired in January, and to longtime assistant Brian Callahan (offensive line). In addition, Daniel Ifft was named director of football operations after working as a recruiting assistant in 2017.
Addae will coach defensive backs at Minnesota and comes to the bold north from Arizona, where he coached defensive backs last season.
At Arizona, Addae helped develop Arizona's young defensive backs into some of the team's top performers on the defensive side of the ball. Four of Arizona's leading tacklers were in the secondary in 2017 in Lorenzo Burns, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Scottie Young and Jace Whittaker. That quartet combined for 261 tackles, 24 pass breakups and 12 interceptions.
West will be the Maroon and Gold's defensive line / pass rush specialist coach and joins Minnesota after serving as an assistant head coach at Austin Peay, where he was also the defensive coordinator and coached the defensive line.
In 2017, Austin Peay - which was a combined 1-45 from 2013-16 - posted an 8-4 record. The eight wins tied a program record for the Governors and the team's seven conference wins were a program record. The defense, led by West, held its opponents to 24.8 points per game (fifth-best in the OVC), which is impressive considering the Governors played at undefeated Central Florida and gave up 73 points to the Knight. Excluding Central Florida, Austin Peay gave up 20.3 points per game in 11 games and gave up only 16.6 points per game in its eight wins. Austin Peay totaled 63 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, nine interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and 10 fumble recoveries as the team posted a historic turnaround. West's defense ranked third in rushing (123.2 yards per game), fourth in total defense (310.1 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (186.8 yards per game).
Fleck also announced that Patterson will coach tight ends and that Brain Callahan will shift from coaching tight ends to the offensive line.
Patterson came to Minnesota after serving as head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for two seasons. He led the Norseman to a 9-3 record in 2017 after going 5-5 in 2016.
In 2017, the program claimed its first Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) championship since 2003 and played in its first bowl game since 2012. Patterson earned conference coach of the year honors as his team averaged 524.5 yards per game (253.8 rushing and 270.6 passing) and 36.2 points per game.
Callahan will coach Minnesota's offensive line in 2018, which was a position he had previously coached from 2001 through the 2016 season at Western Michigan.
In 2016, Callahan's offensive line protected for an offense that averaged 41.57 points per game and rushed for 3,392 yards and 36 touchdowns. In addition, the Broncos passed for 3,533 yards and 33 touchdowns. Callahan's line yielded only 16 sacks in 14 games. He coached All-MAC First Team honorees Taylor Moton and Chukwuma Okorafor in 2016 and All-MAC Second Team player John Keenoy. FootballScoop named Callahan its 2016 Offensive Line Coach of the Year.
