Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell saw several members of his coaching staff interview for open positions this offseason, but the only significant loss was Grant Udinski. In contrast, Minnesota Gophers coach P.J. Fleck has faced a much tougher time, as multiple members of his coaching staff have been poached.
Defensive coordinator Corey Heatherman unexpectedly left for the same role at the Miami Hurricanes, followed by former player Winston DeLattiboudere, who was hired as the defensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Nic McKissic-Luke also vacated his position as running backs coach when he joined the New York Jets in the same role.
Despite losing key staff members, Fleck has been strong on the recruiting front this offseason, though he still needed to make replacements. Jayden Everett, formerly with South Alabama, has now joined the Gophers to coach running backs, including Darius Taylor.
Everett brings experience from a variety of stops. He had a brief stint at South Alabama, and his last full-time position was at Michigan in 2024, where he coached running backs. Under his guidance, Michigan’s running back duo of Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings rushed for over 1,500 yards, helping an offense with limited quarterback play. Now, Everett has the opportunity to help develop Minnesota’s running back group, which in recent years has included players like Mohamed Ibrahim, Rodney Smith, David Cobb, Darius Taylor, Shannon Brooks, and Bucky Irving.
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