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Per U of MN press release:
University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck announced seven promotions and four new hires today. Fleck announced promotions for Joe Harasymiak, Rob Wenger, Danny Collins, Austin Starnes, Will Henry, Emily Litwin and Bradley Parker Jr. and welcomed newcomers Tyler Majewski, Nick Murphy, Derek Schmidt and Brian Sheppard.
"I am honored to announce these well-earned promotions and to welcome four elite individuals to our football family," said Fleck. "Head coaches are the product of the people around them and we have tremendous individuals working with our student athletes to help them grow daily in their academic, athletic, social and spiritual endeavors."
Joe Harasymiak was promoted to Defensive Backs, Safeties and Co-Defensive Coordinator. Harasymiak was previously the Defensive Backs and Safeties coach. Harasymiak joined the Minnesota staff in December 2018 from Maine after being named the FCS National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
In one season at Minnesota, Harasymiak mentored safeties Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Howden and Chris Williamson. Winfield led Minnesota with 88 tackles and was named a Unanimous All-American and was the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year.
Howden and Williamson finished tied for fourth on the team with 57 tackles and each came up with critical interceptions during the season. Howden made a game-winning interception in the end zone as Minnesota beat No. 5 Penn State last season and Williamson returned a 43-yard interception for a touchdown in a seven-point win to open the season against South Dakota State. The Gophers ended the year with 14 interceptions, which ranked second in the Big Ten.
Wenger was promoted to Special Teams Coordinator/Rush Ends after previously serving as Special Teams Coordinator. Minnesota's special teams have seen success under Wenger, as the Gophers ranked second in the nation in punt return defense in 2018 and 2019. Minnesota led the nation in 2018 in punt returns with an average of 22.25.
Collins, who has been with Coach Fleck since his first year at Western Michigan, was promoted to Senior Defensive Analyst. Collins has served in a variety of roles for the Gophers and was most recently in quality control on the defensive side of the ball. Collins has also been an on-field coach at Minnesota, as he was the interim defensive backs coach in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl and the interim defensive line coach in the 2020 Outback Bowl. In the Quick Lane Bowl, the Collins-led secondary held Georgia Tech to just 77 passing yards and 283 total yards. In the Outback Bowl, the defensive line notched two sacks in a win against Auburn.
Starnes was promoted to Director of Internal Football Operations. Starnes was previously the Assistant Director of Football Operations and spent the last two seasons assisting both the football operations and player development departments. He assists the Director of Football Operations with all team travel, team schedules and recruiting travel for Coach Fleck and all assistant coaches.
Henry was promoted to Assistant Director Recruiting/Player Development. Henry, who has been on staff since 2016, previously served as the program's lead graphic designer and was also a recruiting assistant.
Litwin, who is in her third year with the program, was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer/Parent Liaison. Litwin was previously the Assistant to Recruiting and Coaching Staff and helped coordinate many aspects of recruiting, which included the planning of all unofficial and official visits. She also assisted the coaching staff with day to day needs, managed student interns and helped coordinate guest visits to the facility and practice.
Parker was promoted to Director of Football Administration after serving as a Player Development Graduate Assistant since 2018. Parker has been with the program since 2017 and works closely with football operations and player development. He helps coordinate all player and team travel, charity operations, housing and recruiting visits.
Fleck also introduced new staff members Brian Sheppard and Nick Murphy and welcomed back former staffers Tyler Majewski and Derek Schmidt.
Sheppard is the team's Offensive Quality Control and comes to Minnesota from VMI where he was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for two seasons. Last year, VMI's offense featured a 3,000-yard quarterback, a 1,000-yard running back and a 1,000-yard wide receiver. Sheppard also served as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Northern Arizona (2017), Indiana State (2013-16) and Williamette (2012).
Murphy is the team's new Director of On-Campus Recruiting. He comes to Gold Country after one year as a graduate assistant at Charlotte where he worked with the defensive line. Prior to that, Murphy was an offensive graduate assistant at USF and worked with the offensive line during the 2018 season. Murphy also spent time with the NFL's Houston Texans and assisted with the evaluation of draft eligible college prospects and familiarized himself with the NFL's college and professional player evaluation process.
Majewski will serve as the program's Special Teams Quality Control. He returns to Minnesota after two seasons at Shorter University where he most recently was the Recruiting Coordinator and a Defensive Assistant. Majewski was a Special Teams Intern at Minnesota in 2017.
Schmidt is the Football Digital Content Coordinator for the program and returns to Minnesota after spending the past two school years at his alma mater TCU. Schmidt was previously at Minnesota for the 2017 football season and was the team's Assistant Director of Football Video Services.
University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck announced seven promotions and four new hires today. Fleck announced promotions for Joe Harasymiak, Rob Wenger, Danny Collins, Austin Starnes, Will Henry, Emily Litwin and Bradley Parker Jr. and welcomed newcomers Tyler Majewski, Nick Murphy, Derek Schmidt and Brian Sheppard.
"I am honored to announce these well-earned promotions and to welcome four elite individuals to our football family," said Fleck. "Head coaches are the product of the people around them and we have tremendous individuals working with our student athletes to help them grow daily in their academic, athletic, social and spiritual endeavors."
Joe Harasymiak was promoted to Defensive Backs, Safeties and Co-Defensive Coordinator. Harasymiak was previously the Defensive Backs and Safeties coach. Harasymiak joined the Minnesota staff in December 2018 from Maine after being named the FCS National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
In one season at Minnesota, Harasymiak mentored safeties Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Howden and Chris Williamson. Winfield led Minnesota with 88 tackles and was named a Unanimous All-American and was the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year.
Howden and Williamson finished tied for fourth on the team with 57 tackles and each came up with critical interceptions during the season. Howden made a game-winning interception in the end zone as Minnesota beat No. 5 Penn State last season and Williamson returned a 43-yard interception for a touchdown in a seven-point win to open the season against South Dakota State. The Gophers ended the year with 14 interceptions, which ranked second in the Big Ten.
Wenger was promoted to Special Teams Coordinator/Rush Ends after previously serving as Special Teams Coordinator. Minnesota's special teams have seen success under Wenger, as the Gophers ranked second in the nation in punt return defense in 2018 and 2019. Minnesota led the nation in 2018 in punt returns with an average of 22.25.
Collins, who has been with Coach Fleck since his first year at Western Michigan, was promoted to Senior Defensive Analyst. Collins has served in a variety of roles for the Gophers and was most recently in quality control on the defensive side of the ball. Collins has also been an on-field coach at Minnesota, as he was the interim defensive backs coach in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl and the interim defensive line coach in the 2020 Outback Bowl. In the Quick Lane Bowl, the Collins-led secondary held Georgia Tech to just 77 passing yards and 283 total yards. In the Outback Bowl, the defensive line notched two sacks in a win against Auburn.
Starnes was promoted to Director of Internal Football Operations. Starnes was previously the Assistant Director of Football Operations and spent the last two seasons assisting both the football operations and player development departments. He assists the Director of Football Operations with all team travel, team schedules and recruiting travel for Coach Fleck and all assistant coaches.
Henry was promoted to Assistant Director Recruiting/Player Development. Henry, who has been on staff since 2016, previously served as the program's lead graphic designer and was also a recruiting assistant.
Litwin, who is in her third year with the program, was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer/Parent Liaison. Litwin was previously the Assistant to Recruiting and Coaching Staff and helped coordinate many aspects of recruiting, which included the planning of all unofficial and official visits. She also assisted the coaching staff with day to day needs, managed student interns and helped coordinate guest visits to the facility and practice.
Parker was promoted to Director of Football Administration after serving as a Player Development Graduate Assistant since 2018. Parker has been with the program since 2017 and works closely with football operations and player development. He helps coordinate all player and team travel, charity operations, housing and recruiting visits.
Fleck also introduced new staff members Brian Sheppard and Nick Murphy and welcomed back former staffers Tyler Majewski and Derek Schmidt.
Sheppard is the team's Offensive Quality Control and comes to Minnesota from VMI where he was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for two seasons. Last year, VMI's offense featured a 3,000-yard quarterback, a 1,000-yard running back and a 1,000-yard wide receiver. Sheppard also served as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Northern Arizona (2017), Indiana State (2013-16) and Williamette (2012).
Murphy is the team's new Director of On-Campus Recruiting. He comes to Gold Country after one year as a graduate assistant at Charlotte where he worked with the defensive line. Prior to that, Murphy was an offensive graduate assistant at USF and worked with the offensive line during the 2018 season. Murphy also spent time with the NFL's Houston Texans and assisted with the evaluation of draft eligible college prospects and familiarized himself with the NFL's college and professional player evaluation process.
Majewski will serve as the program's Special Teams Quality Control. He returns to Minnesota after two seasons at Shorter University where he most recently was the Recruiting Coordinator and a Defensive Assistant. Majewski was a Special Teams Intern at Minnesota in 2017.
Schmidt is the Football Digital Content Coordinator for the program and returns to Minnesota after spending the past two school years at his alma mater TCU. Schmidt was previously at Minnesota for the 2017 football season and was the team's Assistant Director of Football Video Services.
