Gopher Football 2008 Coaching Staff [ 105 ] Minnesota Football 2008 Gopher Football 2008 Coaching Staff Tim head coach • seBconrd seeawson ster n just one year as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota, Tim Brewster has combined his unique brand of positive energy with a well-earned reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters to rejuvenate the hopes of Go - I pher Nation. Brewster, who is in his second year at the helm of the program after being named Minnesota’s 26th head football coach on Jan. 17, 2007, has never been afraid to work hard or think big. That was proven out this past February, when Brewster and his staff signed a consensus top-25 recruiting class that some experts even rated among the nation’s top 15. The significance of this accomplishment would be difficult to overstate at one the nation’s traditional recruiting powers let alone at Minnesota, where the average Rivals ranking for the Gophers’ previous six recruiting classes was 54th. The renewed emphasis on recruiting may be the most visible phase of Brewster’s plan to help Minnesota football make history again, but it’s just one building block of a blueprint he developed while helping Mack Brown turn North Carolina from ACC doormat into a national power and rebuild Texas into one of the country’s elite programs. Brewster came to Minnesota after spending the previous five years as an assistant coach in the National Football League, including the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the tight ends coach of the Denver Broncos. In addition to his productivity as a college recruiter, Brewster has also built a strong reputation for developing players during his 22-year coaching career. In his first season at Minnesota, Brewster mentored freshman quarterback Adam Weber, who broke nearly all of the Gophers’ single-season passing and total offense record during the 2007 season. Brewster also helped coach safety Dominique Barber to All-Big Ten accolades during his inaugural campaign in the Twin Cities and personally worked with punter Justin Kucek, expanding his repertoire with the effective and efficient flop punt and helping him evolve into one of the conference’s top punters. On the professional level, Brewster helped rookie Tony Scheffler lead the NFL in average yards per reception by a tight end with a 15.9-yard average. His tight ends also contributed to the Broncos finishing fourth in the AFC in rushing yards per game (134.5) during 2006. Brewster's tight ends helped the Broncos post a 13-3 record and capture the AFC West title in 2005 en route to ad - vancing to the AFC Championship Game. Jeb Putzier ranked fourth among NFL tight ends (2nd in AFC) in yards per reception average, posting a 13.0-yard average on 37 receptions for 481 yards. The blocking of Brewster's unit helped the club rank second in the NFL in rushing (158.7 ypg.) and place third in the league in fewest sacks allowed (23). In 2005, Brewster also tutored rookie tight end Wesley Duke, who played basketball only in college and was an undrafted free agent. Duke caught a 1-yard touchdown pass for his first career catch at Buffalo (12/17/05) and started for the Bron - cos in the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers (1/22/06). Brewster served as the San Diego Chargers tight ends coach from 2002-04 and held additional responsibilities as the club's assistant head coach for the 2004 season. He oversaw the rapid development of Antonio Gates, who like Duke, played basketball only in college and was an undrafted free agent. Under Brewster, Gates would earn first-team All-Pro honors in 2004 from the Associated Press and was a Pro Bowl se - lection after playing only his second year of football since high school. He set an NFL single-season touchdown record (13) for tight ends in 2004 while ranking third in receiving yards (964) and fourth in receptions (81) among NFL tight ends. In 2003, Gates' first NFL season, Brewster helped the young talent rank third for the Chargers with 24 receptions. While his tight ends showed progress as pass catchers, Brewster's unit was adept at blocking in a potent rushing attack that gained more than 2,100 yards on the ground in each of his three seasons with the team. Before working for San Diego, Brewster coached collegiately for 14 years at the Division I-A level. Brewster enjoyed tremendous success as tight ends coach at the University of Texas (1998-2001) and as tight ends coach at the University of North Carolina (1989-97), where he also coached special teams and was the Tar Heels' recruiting coordinator. He worked on Brown's staffs at both schools and developed six tight ends who signed NFL contracts, including four who were selected in the NFL Draft. [ 106 ] Minnesota Football 2008 Gopher Football 2008 Coaching Staff In four years at Texas, Brewster's tight ends played a key role in the team advancing to a bowl game each Brewster’s Philosophy Brewster At A Glance season (two Cotton Bowls, two Holiday Bowls). He tu - ON WHAT HE LOOKS FOR IN RECRUITING: Born tored two tight ends who earned All-Big 12 Conference “The No. 1 thing we’re looking for in our players is toughness. October 13, 1960 honors, including 1998 first-team selection Derek Lewis, Second, we’re looking for passion, and third we are looking Hometown and coached two players who signed NFL contracts in for smart guys. The fourth thing we always want to address is that we’re looking for playmakers. Regardless of position, we Phillipsburg, N.J. Lewis and Bo Scaife, who was drafted in the sixth round need playmakers on this football team. We want guys who we High School by Tennessee in 2005. feel can do something with the ball and score points.” Phillipsburg Brewster's tight ends at Texas blocked for a 1,000- Alma Mater yard rusher in each of his four seasons at the school, ON RECRUITING IN MINNESOTA: highlighted by Ricky Williams' 2,124-yard (sixth-most in “My stated goal when I took this job was that we were going Illinois, 1983 NCAA history) Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1998. to recruit the state of Minnesota extremely hard and we are Coaching Experience Brewster developed Lewis into a scoring threat as well very passionate with what we do to reach out to the players in 2007- University of Minnesota Head Coach in 1998 as the tight end finished the year second on the this state. We want them to come play for us at the University 2005-06 Denver Broncos Tight Ends Coach Longhorns with six touchdown receptions in a season of Minnesota and be Golden Gophers. 2004 San Diego Chargers Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach that ended with a Cotton Bowl win. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that 2002-03 San Diego Chargers Tight Ends Coach He honed the skills of a pair of converted Longhorns the top players in this state come to the University of Min - 1998-2001 University of Texas Tight Ends Coach defensive ends in 1999 as well as true freshman Scaife, 1989-97 University of North Carolina Tight Ends & Special Teams nesota. We want to identify these players early, get on them helping the tight ends total 24 receptions for 267 yards and stay on them from the beginning. We’re going to make Coach/Recruiting Coordinator with four touchdowns. Scaife became a 2001 honorable sure that every guy in this state who wants to play here and 1987-88 Central Catholic High School Head Coach mention All-Big 12 selection under Brewster's tutelage who we feel can help us win, they’re going to come here and 1986 Purdue University Graduate Assistant only one year after missing the entire season with a major play for us.” (Tight Ends & Offensive Tackles) knee injury. Bowl Games Coached [10] In nine years at North Carolina, Brewster mentored ON RECRUITING NATIONALLY: 2001 Holiday Bowl (Texas), 2000 Holiday Bowl (Texas), 2000 Cotton Bowl four All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections at tight end “There are 16 states represented in this year’s class and the (Texas), 1999 Cotton Bowl (Texas), 1998 Gator Bowl (North Carolina), 1997 and helped the school advance to six consecutive bowl exciting thing is the tremendous reception we are seeing and Gator Bowl (North Carolina), 1995 Carquest Bowl (North Carolina), 1994 Sun games from 1992-97. As recruiting coordinator, his ef - continue to see from kids in all regions of the country. These players are excited about what’s going on here at Minnesota.” Bowl (North Carolina), 1993 Gator Bowl (North Carolina), 1993 Peach Bowl forts secured the talent that helped the 1997 team go 11- (North Carolina) 1 and win the Gator Bowl. ON PASSION: Brewster, who served as a volunteer assistant at “What we’re doing is creating a tremendous excitement about North Carolina for the 1989 season before earning a full- the U here in the state of Minnesota. We’re going to work real time position in 1990, oversaw the development of four hard and have a lot of fun and I think that these kids are un - Tar Heels tight ends who signed NFL contracts: Alge derstanding that’s the way it’s going to be here at the U. Each Crumpler (Falcons, 2001-present), Freddie Jones and every day, I’m more excited about being the head coach (Chargers, 1997-2001; Cardinals, 2002- 04), Greg De - at the U, because it’s such a tremendous sell and I don’t think Long (Vikings, 1995-98; Ravens, 1999; Jaguars, 2000) it’s a hard sell at all.” and Deems May (Chargers, 1992- 96; Seahawks, 1997- ON INTENSITY: 99).