Two defensive assistants for the Gophers football team — cornerbacks coach/co-defensive coordinator Paul Haynes and defensive line coach Brick Haley — are leaving the program to take jobs with Big Ten West Division foes, according to multiple reports.
Haynes, who's been with the Gophers since 2020, will become cornerbacks coach at Wisconsin under new coach Luke Fickell, while Haley is leaving after one year in Minnesota for Purdue to become defensive line coach under new coach Ryan Walters.
Haynes and Fickell have deep ties. They went to the same high school, St. Francis DeSales in Columbus, Ohio, graduating five years apart. Haynes also was an assistant coach with Fickell at Ohio State from 2005-10 and coached under Fickell, who was Buckeyes interim head coach in 2011.
Haynes also was head coach at Kent State from 2013-17.
Haynes has been part of a Gophers defense under coordinator Joe Rossi that has helped Minnesota post back-to-back 9-4 seasons.
The Gophers ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense (13.8 points allowed per game) in 2022 and sixth in 2021 (17.3).
Haley spent the 2017-19 seasons at Missouri, where he worked with Walters.
The Gophers were 13th in the Big Ten with 19 sacks and 14th in tackles for loss with 47 in 2022.
