Three makes a trend, especially in clockwork over three straight years.

With Gophers defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman accepting the same role at Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, the Minnesota football program has now lost three coordinators in lateral job moves to three different schools over the last three years.

After leading a Top 10 defense in the nation in 2024, Minnesota rewarded Hetherman with a contract extension and pay raise in December, from $850,000 to $1 million per year for both 2025 and 2026. But it’s not considered to be enough to compete with what the Hurricanes are believed to have offered Hetherman.

Miami will also need to pay a $600,000 buyout to Minnesota to bring Hetherman aboard, per his new contract terms.

Minnesota previously had offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca go to Rutgers in 2022 and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi leave for Michigan State in 2023. Now with Hetherman, all three will have seen significant pay raises in their new jobs.

Minnesota tried to safeguard against a situation where Hetherman was plucked away with $200,00 retention bonus triggering on Feb. 1 in 2025 and 2026, but that wasn’t enough to keep him in Dinkytown.

With more change on staff, Fleck is expected this time to stay within his existing staff for the new DC. Two leading candidates are safeties coach Danny Collins and cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe. It could be a co-coordinator title, with one calling plays next fall. After Rossi left a year ago, Collins was the interim defensive coordinator for the Quick Lane Bowl win in December 2023. An internal hire might also come for the linebackers coach, which was part of Hetherman’s duties.

Last season, the U’s defense was ninth in the nation in points per game (16.9) and 12th in the country yards per play (4.7).

— Andy Greder

College men’s hockey

Gophers get their revenge at Ohio State

One night after suffering its worst loss of the season at Ohio State, the No. 3-ranked Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey team bounced back to smite the Buckeyes in a 6-1 win at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The Gophers were an entirely different team Saturday than they were in a 5-1 Friday loss, taking it to their hosts from the opening puck drop.

Minnesota scored its first goal on the power play less than three minutes into the game on Mike Koster’s initial tally. The Gophers added two more scores off the sticks of Maxon Nevers and Connor Kurth to up their lead to 3-0 with 12 minutes yet to play in the first period.

Koster netted his second power-play goal less than two minutes into the middle stanza, with Jimmy Snuggerud wrapping the second period with a third Minnesota goal on the man advantage to close out the frame.

Ryan Chesley closed the Gophers’ account with one final goal for the visitors midway through the third period to put Minnesota up 6-0 before Ohio State’s Gunnarwolfe Fontaine’s power-play strike in the dying embers of the contest ruined goaltender Liam Souliere’s bid for a shutout. Souliere ended up with 32 saves on 33 shots faced in the game.

With the resounding victory, Minnesota upped its record to 18-4-2 overall, with the Gophers now 9-2-1 in Big Ten play. the Gophers return home to take on Notre Dame next weekend.

— Staff report

College cross country

Three U runners finish high at XC championships

Three University of Minnesota first-year runners finished in the top five of their divisions at the 2025 USA Track and Field U20 Cross Country Championships in Lubbock, Texas, at the Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course.

Sam Scott, a Minneapolis Southwest grad, won the men’s 8K with a time of 25:16.7. Nolan Sutter, from Chaska, finished second, with a 25:39 time.

Caitlyn Osani, a Robbinsdale Armstrong grad, placed third in the women’s 6K race with 21:58.5, her personal best at that distance.

— Staff report

IIHF women’s hockey

U.S. beats Sweden 2-1, on to U18 final game

Bella Fanale made two second-period goals for the U.S. Under-18 women’s team in the semifinal against Sweden, providing the Americans a 2-1 win and a ticket to the Gold Medal Championship Game.

Haley Box, a forward from Eden Prairie, Minn., helped create a 2-on-1 opportunity in the slot late in the first period with a pass to Evelyn Doyle, but it bounced off the pads of Sweden goalie Maja Helge.

U.S. team captain Fanale made the game’s first goal in the second period, and both Sweden and the U.S. each added one more before the next intermission.

With Canada’s 4-2 win over Czechia, they earned the other final spot, and will face the U.S. on Sunday.

— Staff report

GOLF

Spaun takes lead at windy PGA Sony open

J.J. Spaun got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 18th for a 5-under 65, the final birdie giving him a one-shot lead at the Sony Open going into a final round where more than a dozen players remain in the mix.

Spaun mixed bogeys with birdies over the final four holes at windy Waialae, the dropped shots costing him and Patrick Fishburn a chance to create some separation.

Stephen Jaeger, the German best known as the only player to beat Scottie Scheffler in the Houston Open during Scheffler’s most dominant stretch last year, had nine birdies in a 62. He was one shot behind, along with Fishburn (68) and Eric Cole (67).

— From news services