Gophers football coach Tracy Claeys announced Monday the hiring of Dan O'Brien to fill an open coaching spot on defense.
O'Brien had been senior associate athletics director at the university.
O'Brien's new roles will be co-special teams coordinator, assistant defensive backs coach and assistant to the head coach.
O'Brien, a Winthrop, Minn., native, had previously served as Minnesota's director of football operations from 2008-14 and then senior associate AD.
"I tried to get Dan to join the coaching staff the last time we had an opening, but the timing was not right for him and his family," Claeys said in a statement.