On the same day Minnesota elevated safeties coach Danny Collins to defensive coordinator, Mariano Sori-Marin is set to step into the vacant linebackers coach role, per Ryan Burns of 247Sports.
Mariano Sori-Marin, a former Gophers linebacker from 2018 to 2022, has been named Minnesota’s new linebackers coach. During his playing career, Sori-Marin appeared in 58 games, logged over 2,000 snaps, and recorded 274 tackles. He joined the coaching staff in 2023 as a defensive analyst and was promoted to nickel coach/assistant linebackers coach in 2024.
Sori-Marin takes over the linebacker coaching duties from former defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, who departed for Miami (FL). He becomes the second former Gophers player to join the positional coaching ranks, alongside defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III.
With Danny Collins stepping up as defensive coordinator and Sori-Marin filling the linebackers coach role, Minnesota’s 2025 coaching staff now appears set. All three — Sori-Marin, DeLattiboudere, and Collins — have been closely tied to P.J. Fleck for at least six seasons, bringing a deep understanding of the “Row the Boat” culture that defines the program.
Just days after losing defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman to the University of Miami, the Minnesota Gophers football program took swift action to fill the void. The Gophers have officially promoted safeties coach Danny Collins to the role of defensive coordinator, a decision that had long been expected. Collins, who will now take over play-calling duties, is entering his ninth season with the team in 2025.
Collins has been by PJ Fleck’s side throughout his coaching career, starting as a Defensive Graduate Assistant at Western Michigan. When Fleck made the jump to Minnesota, Collins followed, and now he’s risen through the ranks to lead the Gophers’ defense. The promotion marks a new chapter for Minnesota’s defense, as Collins takes the helm following a standout season under Hetherman.
