Former Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove was hired today as Minnesota's co-defensive coordinator by one of his former players, Gopher head coach Tim Brewster.  Last season, Cosgrove's son Clint served as a graduate assistant for Brewster.  (More from The Daily Gopher.)

In announcing Cosgrove's hiring, Brewster said: 

"Coach Cosgrove brings a wealth of experience in the Big Ten as both a coach and recruiter. Plus, he possesses a long track record of developing outstanding defenses."

The release goes on:

Cosgrove has 13 seasons of experience as an NCAA Division I defensive coordinator and 28 seasons of collegiate coaching experience. He was named the top coordinator in the Big Ten by The Sporting News in 2002 and was named one of the top coordinators in the nation by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. in 1999. Cosgrove was also inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008.

"I’m thrilled to be back in the Big Ten," Cosgrove said. "I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to work with Tim Brewster and an outstanding A.D. in Joel Maturi at the University of Minnesota. I’m very familiar with Minnesota. I always felt that this program had great potential and I’m glad to have the opportunity to work here."

Of course, Cosgrove is thrilled to be back in the Big MAC! Look at the Big MAC nowadays. They went 1-6 in bowl games. Only four teams ranked in the top 50 offenses nationally. (#14 Penn State, #19 Illinois, #37 Wisconsin, and #48 Purdue)  So it's a chance for Kevin Cosgrove to take a step down and regroup outside the spotlight of major college football.  Not to mention a chance to work alongside his son, which would be very satisfying personally.