Minnesota is set to hire former South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula to its offensive staff, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Shula will primarily work with the quarterbacks.
Shula had been with the Gamecocks since 2024 before the two sides moved on in November. He was promoted to OC by Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer ahead of the 2025 season after being hired as a senior offensive assistant for South Carolina in 2024.
He was let go during the season as the Gamecocks began the season 3-6. South Carolina ranked last in the SEC in both yards per game (294.1) and points per game (19.7) through 10 weeks. At the time, the Gamecocks were the only team in the SEC that currently averaged less than 300 yards per game and 20 points per game.
Additionally, Shula is a former head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. He held the job from 2003-2006 before Nick Saban took over the following season. Now, he’ll work under PJ Fleck with his offense in Minnesota.
Shula has been in the coaching industry since 1988, when he began his career as an offensive assistant in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’d go on to become the offensive coordinator in Tampa, but that wasn’t until 1996. Between then, he also had stints with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears.
When he was hired at Alabama, it was the first time he coached at the college level. From 2007-2023, Shula went back to the NFL and coached for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills before making the jump back to college to coach at South Carolina.
This marks the first time in Shula’s coaching career that he’ll have consecutive jobs coaching college football. All but five years of his long-standing career have been in the NFL.
For Minnesota, the Golden Gophers wrapped up their second straight 8-5 season. They made it to their fifth-straight bowl game as a result, defeating New Mexico 20-17 in the Rate Bowl.