Marty Hoffmann, along with Matthew Johnson, took over as head coaches at Minnesota-Morris after a particularly late offseason change. Hoffmann will be the head coach going forward, with Johnson remaining on staff as associate head coach. Minnesota-Morris athletics photo

After a season as interim co-head coach, Marty Hoffmann has been promoted to head coach at Minnesota-Morris. Hoffmann, who took over along with Matthew Johnson after Rob Cushman left days before the start of camp to take over at Occidental, led the Cougars to a 1-9 mark.

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Johnson will remain on staff as associate head coach.

Hoffmann has 10 years' experience as a coach and standout player at Morris. Hoffmann's return to Morris in 2013 followed successful stints coaching defense, special teams, and corners at Minnesota State, Moorhead; Carleton and South Dakota State. He was defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator at Morris prior to his promotion this past season.

"I want University of Minnesota, Morris football to be a championship program both on and off the field," said Hoffmann. "This university holds a very special place in my heart, and I'm prepared to lead it into the future."

Hoffmann has been a key contributor to program turnarounds and player accomplishments over his 13-year coaching career. Hoffmann worked as a secondary and special teams assistant coach at South Dakota State, where he helped the Jackrabbits win their first conference championship in 63 years. At Carleton he was the special teams coordinator and secondary coach, helping to lead the Knights to seven wins in a season for the first time in 16 years. He moved on to serve as the special teams and co-defensive coordinator at Minnesota State, Moorhead, where the Dragons were among the conference leaders in kick/punt return average.

At Morris Hoffmann's defenses have been highly ranked both in the conference and the nation. In 2016 the Cougars ranked in the NCAA Division III top 25 in turnovers forced, third-down efficiency, red zone defenses, interceptions, and defensive touchdowns. In 2017 the Cougars were again ranked high nationally in turnovers forced, and linebacker Drew Shipley led the conference in total tackles and was ranked 15th nationally in tackles per game.

A Cougar football MVP, Hoffmann was a two-time All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference First Team selection as a linebacker and defensive back for Morris from 2001-04 and set a then-program record of 130 tackles in the 2004 season where was named UMAC Defensive Player of the Year. After earning his BA in sports management and coaching endorsement at Morris, Hoffmann served as a Cougar assistant football coach for a year before earning his MS in health, PE, and recreation from South Dakota State.

"Coach Hoffmann has proven he is dedicated to Morris and to the Cougar football program," said athletic director Jason Herbers. "We look forward to seeing him continue his positive influence on our student-athletes, the campus, and the community as we build Cougar football for a great future."

Johnson will serve as the Cougars' associate head coach. Prior to sharing head coaching duties with Hoffmann in 2017, Johnson spent 13 seasons on the Cougar staff, coaching the offense. He also serves as associate athletic director and coordinator for the Sport Studies and Athletics academic discipline.

Johnson was Hoffmann's teammate at Morris in the early 2000s. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Cougars who started all 44 games of his college career on the offensive line, and was the "Men's Honor Athlete" in 2004. Johnson earned his BA from Morris in social science with a minor in history and coaching certification. He holds a MEd with a focus on educational administration from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.