CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head coach Mario Cristobal announced the hiring of Corey Hetherman to the position of defensive coordinator Sunday. Hetherman’s hire is pending completion of a standard University background check.
Hetherman arrives in Coral Gables after spending the 2024 season as defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota, where he helped lead the Golden Gophers to an 8-5 finish, a 5-4 mark in Big Ten play and a win over Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl this past December.
Hetherman oversaw a Gophers unit that was ninth nationally in points allowed (16.9 per game), fifth in total defense (285.7 yards allowed per game), 12th in rushing defense (109.6) and tied for ninth in passing defense (176.1). Minnesota’s 22 interceptions tied for seventh nationally, and its plus-9 turnover margin is tied for 17th.
Before his season in Minneapolis, Hetherman spent the two previous years (2022-2023) as the linebackers coach at Rutgers. Prior to that he was the defensive coordinator at James Madison from 2019-21 and was named the AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021.
He has also been the defensive coordinator at Maine (2016-18) and at Pace College (2014).
At Rutgers, Hetherman took over an inexperienced unit that had seven combined career starts prior to his arrival before the 2022 season. That year, the defense improved by allowing 46.7 fewer yards per game compared to 2021, 28.1 fewer passing yards and 18.6 fewer rushing yards. Rutgers posted its best mark in total defense (349.8) in 10 years.
In 2023, Hetherman coached a pair of honorable mention All-Big Ten linebackers in Mohamed Toure and Deion Jennings. Jennings led the team in tackles, while Toure finished second.
Jennings, who was also Honorable Mention in 2022, played in all 13 games and led Rutgers with 95 tackles and added 4.5 tackles for loss and four pass breakups. Toure played in all 13 games in 2023 after missing the entire 2022 season with an injury. He was named a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year award and had 93 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and one interception.
Hetherman spent 2019-21 at James Madison as the defensive coordinator. His defense ranked in the top 10 in both total defense and scoring defense in all three years he was there.
In 2021, Hetherman was promoted to Associate Head Coach and was named the AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year after James Madison finished with the No. 2 defense in the…
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