GopherLady
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2008
- Messages
- 9,514
- Reaction score
- 1,310
- Points
- 113
Per U of MN:
University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck announced changes and additions to the coaching staff today.
C.J. Robbins, who served as Minnesota's Rush Ends Coach in 2025, was named Defensive Line Coach, while Daniel Da Prato joins the program as Special Teams Coordinator.
Fleck also announced Bobby April III as the Rush Ends Coach and Minnesota alums Isaac Fruechte as the Wide Receivers Coach and Mohamed Ibrahim as the Running Backs Coach.
Matt Limegrover, who previously coached at Minnesota, will be the Assistant Offensive Line Coach, while Travis Moore will serve as the Assistant Defensive Line Coach.
Bryan Nardo was named Senior Defensive Assistant and Caleb Richardson was hired as an Offensive Line Assistant.
C.J. Robbins, Defensive Line Coach
Robbins was named Defensive Line Coach after one season serving as the Rush Ends Coach at Minnesota. Robbins coached Karter Menz (6.5 sacks) and Jaxon Howard (4.0 sacks) and worked with Anthony Smith (12.5 sacks) in 2025. That trio combined for 23 of Minnesota's 39 sacks and added a combined 32 tackles for loss.
Robbins joined the Minnesota football program in February 2025 after a brief stint leading the defensive line at Central Michigan.
He spent the 2023-24 seasons at Kent state. In 2023 he coached the rush ends and was also the co-special teams coordinator as well as the defensive recruiting coordinator. Prior to the 2024 season, Robbins moved to linebackers coach and was promoted to special teams coordinator and the assistant head coach.
In 2022, he coached the outside linebackers at the University of South Dakota
Robbins was a graduate assistant at Minnesota during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In his first stint with the Gophers, he helped mentor Boye Mafe (7.5 sacks) and Thomas Rush (5.5 sacks), who lead the Gophers in sacks in 2021. Both Mafe and Rush earned All-Big Ten honors in their careers. Mafe is a standout performer for the Seattle Seahawks and Rush has spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers organizations.
Robbins, who graduated from Northwestern in 2015 after being a three-year starter, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Miami (Ohio) in 2019. He worked with the defense and helped Miami capture the 2019 Mid-American Conference title and a bowl berth.
Daniel Da Prato, Special Teams Coordinator
Da Prato comes to Minnesota from New Mexico where he served as the Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator in 2025.
Prior to New Mexico, he was at Texas State from 2023-24 and was the Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. Da Prato was at USF from 2020-22. He was the Special Teams Coordinator all three seasons and served as the interim head coach at the end of his tenure. He spent the 2019 season at Arkansas where he started as Special Teams Quality Control before being elevated to Special Teams Coordinator near the end of the season.
He was at Colorado from 2016-18 and was the Director of Quality Control / Offense, and he was the Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach from 2013-15 at Montana State. Da Prato spent six seasons at Sacramento State from 2007-12. He was the Wide Receivers Coach all six seasons and was the Special Teams Coordinator the final three.
Da Prato started his college coaching career at his alma mater, ULM, where he was from 2004-06. He was a graduate assistant for offense for two seasons before being named Director of Operations and Recruiting Coordinator.
Bobby April III, Rush Ends Coach
April joins the Gophers after spending three seasons at Stanford where he was the Director of Defense and Outside Linebackers Coach.
Prior to Stanford, he spent five seasons at Wisconsin, and he also has extensive NFL experience as he has spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
His coaching career began at his alma mater, Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was a student assistant in 2004. He spent the next two seasons as a graduate assistant at Tulane before taking a position as inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Portland State, a role he held from 2007-09. He then served as secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Nicholls State in 2010.
Isaac Fruechte, Wide Receivers Coach
Fruechte returns to his alma mater after coaching stints at North Dakota, Winona State, Northern State, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin-La Crosse.
He was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at North Dakota for the 2024-25 seasons.
Prior to North Dakota, Fruechte spent two seasons at Winona State as the offensive coordinator. He was elevated to the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach in March 2023 after guiding the Warriors to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Fruechte was the Offensive Coordinator at Northern State from December 2019 through the 2021 season. He managed all offensive personnel and coached both the quarterbacks and wide receivers. He led the wide receivers at Northern Iowa in 2019 and was on the coaching staff that led the Panthers to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs. He also oversaw the punt and kickoff return units for Northern Iowa that season.
Before Northern Iowa, Fruechte was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2018. He was hired in March 2018 and coached wide receivers before transitioning in the fall to lead the offense and quarterbacks.
From 2015-17, Fruechte played two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2016, he also had a six-game stint as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions before returning to the Vikings.
Fruechte played receiver at Minnesota from 2012-2014. In his career, he made 50 receptions for 702 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Mohamed Ibrahim, Running Backs Coach
Ibrahim spent the 2025 season coaching running backs at Kent State after working with the Minnesota program in 2024.
Ibrahim spent part of the 2024 NFL preseason with the Minnesota Vikings after being with the Detroit Lions for the 2023 season.
Ibrahim played at Minnesota from 2017-22. He competed in 41 career games and set school records as he became one of the most productive backs in Big Ten history. In 2022, he set school single-season records for rushing attempts (320), rushing yards (1,665), rushing touchdowns (20), total touchdowns (20), total points (120) and 100-yard rushing games (10). He also set a school record by averaging 153.7 rushing yards per game in 2020.
Ibrahim is Minnesota's career record holder for rushing yards (4,668), rushing and total touchdowns (53), 100-yard rushing games (24) and 200-yard rushing games (5).
Matt Limegrover, Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Limegrover was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Minnesota from 2011-15.
He returns to the Gophers after stints at Kent State (Offensive Line Coach, 2023-24), Arkansas State (Tight End Coach in 2022 and Offensive Line Coach in 2021), Michigan (Analyst, 2020), and Penn State (Offensive Line Coach, 2016-19).
The veteran coach has also mentored offensive lines at Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, Emporia State and Ferris State.
Limegrover also worked as a graduate assistant at Northwestern and coached at Chicago, his alma mater. While at Chicago, he coached the offensive line and tight ends and served as the interim head coach during the 1994 season.
Travis Moore, Assistant Defensive Line Coach
Moore comes to Minnesota from Northern Illinois, his alma mater, where he coached since 2019.
Prior to Northern Illinois, Moore was the head coach at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Illinois for 12 years.
Before Eisenhower, Moore spent one year as an assistant coach at Oswego East High School, where he was a part of establishing the school's first varsity football program.
Moore played at Northern Illinois with Fleck from 2000-03.
Bryan Nardo, Senior Defensive Assistant
Nardo comes to Minnesota from Charlotte where he coached safeties in 2025.
Prior to Charlotte, he spent the 2023-24 seasons as the Defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State. Before his time in Stillwater, Nardo served as the Defensive Coordinator at Gannon University in 2022, the Linebackers Coach at Youngstown State from 2020-21 and the eight seasons before that as the Defensive Coordinator at Emporia State.
Before going to Emporia State, Nardo spent a season at Missouri S&T. Nardo was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Ohio University, from 2008-10 and coached the nickel backs and outside linebackers. He served as a student coach at Ohio from 2004-08.
Caleb Richardson, Offensive Line Assistant
Richardson will take on an increased role in 2026 after volunteering with the Gophers during the 2025 season.
Prior to Minnesota, he was a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois from May 2023 – January 2025 and he was also an assistant coach at Sioux Falls from December 2022 – May 2023.
Richardson also spent time at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire after playing offensive line at Bethel from 2018-21.
University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck announced changes and additions to the coaching staff today.
C.J. Robbins, who served as Minnesota's Rush Ends Coach in 2025, was named Defensive Line Coach, while Daniel Da Prato joins the program as Special Teams Coordinator.
Fleck also announced Bobby April III as the Rush Ends Coach and Minnesota alums Isaac Fruechte as the Wide Receivers Coach and Mohamed Ibrahim as the Running Backs Coach.
Matt Limegrover, who previously coached at Minnesota, will be the Assistant Offensive Line Coach, while Travis Moore will serve as the Assistant Defensive Line Coach.
Bryan Nardo was named Senior Defensive Assistant and Caleb Richardson was hired as an Offensive Line Assistant.
C.J. Robbins, Defensive Line Coach
Robbins was named Defensive Line Coach after one season serving as the Rush Ends Coach at Minnesota. Robbins coached Karter Menz (6.5 sacks) and Jaxon Howard (4.0 sacks) and worked with Anthony Smith (12.5 sacks) in 2025. That trio combined for 23 of Minnesota's 39 sacks and added a combined 32 tackles for loss.
Robbins joined the Minnesota football program in February 2025 after a brief stint leading the defensive line at Central Michigan.
He spent the 2023-24 seasons at Kent state. In 2023 he coached the rush ends and was also the co-special teams coordinator as well as the defensive recruiting coordinator. Prior to the 2024 season, Robbins moved to linebackers coach and was promoted to special teams coordinator and the assistant head coach.
In 2022, he coached the outside linebackers at the University of South Dakota
Robbins was a graduate assistant at Minnesota during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In his first stint with the Gophers, he helped mentor Boye Mafe (7.5 sacks) and Thomas Rush (5.5 sacks), who lead the Gophers in sacks in 2021. Both Mafe and Rush earned All-Big Ten honors in their careers. Mafe is a standout performer for the Seattle Seahawks and Rush has spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers organizations.
Robbins, who graduated from Northwestern in 2015 after being a three-year starter, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Miami (Ohio) in 2019. He worked with the defense and helped Miami capture the 2019 Mid-American Conference title and a bowl berth.
Daniel Da Prato, Special Teams Coordinator
Da Prato comes to Minnesota from New Mexico where he served as the Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator in 2025.
Prior to New Mexico, he was at Texas State from 2023-24 and was the Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. Da Prato was at USF from 2020-22. He was the Special Teams Coordinator all three seasons and served as the interim head coach at the end of his tenure. He spent the 2019 season at Arkansas where he started as Special Teams Quality Control before being elevated to Special Teams Coordinator near the end of the season.
He was at Colorado from 2016-18 and was the Director of Quality Control / Offense, and he was the Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach from 2013-15 at Montana State. Da Prato spent six seasons at Sacramento State from 2007-12. He was the Wide Receivers Coach all six seasons and was the Special Teams Coordinator the final three.
Da Prato started his college coaching career at his alma mater, ULM, where he was from 2004-06. He was a graduate assistant for offense for two seasons before being named Director of Operations and Recruiting Coordinator.
Bobby April III, Rush Ends Coach
April joins the Gophers after spending three seasons at Stanford where he was the Director of Defense and Outside Linebackers Coach.
Prior to Stanford, he spent five seasons at Wisconsin, and he also has extensive NFL experience as he has spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
His coaching career began at his alma mater, Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was a student assistant in 2004. He spent the next two seasons as a graduate assistant at Tulane before taking a position as inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Portland State, a role he held from 2007-09. He then served as secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Nicholls State in 2010.
Isaac Fruechte, Wide Receivers Coach
Fruechte returns to his alma mater after coaching stints at North Dakota, Winona State, Northern State, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin-La Crosse.
He was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at North Dakota for the 2024-25 seasons.
Prior to North Dakota, Fruechte spent two seasons at Winona State as the offensive coordinator. He was elevated to the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach in March 2023 after guiding the Warriors to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Fruechte was the Offensive Coordinator at Northern State from December 2019 through the 2021 season. He managed all offensive personnel and coached both the quarterbacks and wide receivers. He led the wide receivers at Northern Iowa in 2019 and was on the coaching staff that led the Panthers to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs. He also oversaw the punt and kickoff return units for Northern Iowa that season.
Before Northern Iowa, Fruechte was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2018. He was hired in March 2018 and coached wide receivers before transitioning in the fall to lead the offense and quarterbacks.
From 2015-17, Fruechte played two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2016, he also had a six-game stint as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions before returning to the Vikings.
Fruechte played receiver at Minnesota from 2012-2014. In his career, he made 50 receptions for 702 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Mohamed Ibrahim, Running Backs Coach
Ibrahim spent the 2025 season coaching running backs at Kent State after working with the Minnesota program in 2024.
Ibrahim spent part of the 2024 NFL preseason with the Minnesota Vikings after being with the Detroit Lions for the 2023 season.
Ibrahim played at Minnesota from 2017-22. He competed in 41 career games and set school records as he became one of the most productive backs in Big Ten history. In 2022, he set school single-season records for rushing attempts (320), rushing yards (1,665), rushing touchdowns (20), total touchdowns (20), total points (120) and 100-yard rushing games (10). He also set a school record by averaging 153.7 rushing yards per game in 2020.
Ibrahim is Minnesota's career record holder for rushing yards (4,668), rushing and total touchdowns (53), 100-yard rushing games (24) and 200-yard rushing games (5).
Matt Limegrover, Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Limegrover was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Minnesota from 2011-15.
He returns to the Gophers after stints at Kent State (Offensive Line Coach, 2023-24), Arkansas State (Tight End Coach in 2022 and Offensive Line Coach in 2021), Michigan (Analyst, 2020), and Penn State (Offensive Line Coach, 2016-19).
The veteran coach has also mentored offensive lines at Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, Emporia State and Ferris State.
Limegrover also worked as a graduate assistant at Northwestern and coached at Chicago, his alma mater. While at Chicago, he coached the offensive line and tight ends and served as the interim head coach during the 1994 season.
Travis Moore, Assistant Defensive Line Coach
Moore comes to Minnesota from Northern Illinois, his alma mater, where he coached since 2019.
Prior to Northern Illinois, Moore was the head coach at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Illinois for 12 years.
Before Eisenhower, Moore spent one year as an assistant coach at Oswego East High School, where he was a part of establishing the school's first varsity football program.
Moore played at Northern Illinois with Fleck from 2000-03.
Bryan Nardo, Senior Defensive Assistant
Nardo comes to Minnesota from Charlotte where he coached safeties in 2025.
Prior to Charlotte, he spent the 2023-24 seasons as the Defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State. Before his time in Stillwater, Nardo served as the Defensive Coordinator at Gannon University in 2022, the Linebackers Coach at Youngstown State from 2020-21 and the eight seasons before that as the Defensive Coordinator at Emporia State.
Before going to Emporia State, Nardo spent a season at Missouri S&T. Nardo was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Ohio University, from 2008-10 and coached the nickel backs and outside linebackers. He served as a student coach at Ohio from 2004-08.
Caleb Richardson, Offensive Line Assistant
Richardson will take on an increased role in 2026 after volunteering with the Gophers during the 2025 season.
Prior to Minnesota, he was a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois from May 2023 – January 2025 and he was also an assistant coach at Sioux Falls from December 2022 – May 2023.
Richardson also spent time at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire after playing offensive line at Bethel from 2018-21.
