University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Trenten Gauthier
Everett Named Running Backs Coach
2/25/2025 1:32:00 PM | Football
Fleck announces hiring of five staff members
University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck announced today that Jayden Everett has been hired as the team's running backs coach.
Everett joins the Gophers from South Alabama where he briefly served in the same role. Prior to South Alabama, he spent the 2024 season at Michigan where he helped coach the team's running backs. Everett has also coached running backs at Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Akron, Central Michigan, Indiana State and Hutchinson Community College.
Fleck also announced the hiring of Nick Faus (Assistant Wide Receivers Coach), Jordan Hendy (Offensive Analyst), Christian Pawola (Assistant Defensive Backs Coach) and C.J. Robbins (Rush Ends Coach). Faus, Pawola and Robbins all worked at Minnesota previously in their careers and Hendy is joining the Gophers from Pittsburg State.
"I am excited to welcome Jayden and Jordan to Minnesota and to welcome back Nick, Christian and C.J.," said Fleck. "They all have tremendous energy and passion for helping young people excel, and I am looking forward to watching them lead and develop our players. I know they will pour everything they have into our program."
Jayden Everett, Running Backs Coach
Everett has been coaching running backs his entire career, which includes on-field coaching experience at Michigan, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Akron, Central Michigan, Indiana State and Hutchinson Community College.
Everett spent the 2024 season at Michigan where he assisted the running backs. He then accepted the running backs coach position at South Alabama, before joining the Gophers.
At Michigan, Everett helped mentor Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards who combined for 1,537 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024.
Prior to Michigan, Everett spent the 2023 season at Vanderbilt. There he helped Sedrick Alexander earn SEC All-Freshman honors, as he led all SEC freshmen in rushing yards and was the only freshman in the league with four or more rushing touchdowns.
Everett spent the 2021-22 seasons at Tulsa and the 2019-20 seasons at Akron. He has coached all-league players, 1,000-yard backs and future NFL players.
Nick Faus, Assistant Wide Receivers Coach
Faus returns to Minnesota after spending the 2024 season at Pittsburgh as a Senior Offensive Analyst and the 2023 season at Kent State coaching wide receivers.
He was at Minnesota during the 2022 season as a graduate assistant and worked with the offensive. Faus spent the 2021 season as a graduate assistant at West Virginia where he worked with special teams.
Faus also spent four seasons at Western Michigan University where he worked as a graduate assistant on both the Broncos' offensive and defensive coaching staff. After three seasons on the defensive side of the ball, Faus spent the 2020 season working with the wide receivers.
Jordan Hendy, Offensive Analyst
Hendy heads to Minnesota after spending three seasons at Pittsburg State. He worked with cornerbacks in 2024 and safeties in 2023 after serving as an offensive graduate assistant and assisting with the offensive line in 2022.
Hendy served on the coaching staff at the University of Central Oklahoma in the spring of 2022, after earning third-team All-MIAA honors at cornerback as a graduate transfer for Pittsburg State in 2021.
Hendy posted 32 tackles (20 solo) with three interceptions and three pass break-ups at Pittsburg State after transferring from the University of Toledo.
Christian Pawola, Assistant Defensive Backs Coach
Pawola returns to Minnesota after spending the 2024 season at Michigan State where he was since January 2024. At Michigan State, Pawola was a graduate student defensive coach and was named assistant defensive backs coach in January 2025 before joining the Gopher staff.
Pawola is a 2020 Minnesota graduate. He spent the 2022-23 seasons as a graduate assistant for the Gophers and was also a defensive student assistant from 2019-20.
C.J. Robbins, Rush Ends Coach
Robbins was a graduate assistant at Minnesota during the 2020 and 2021 seasons and has since gained experience at South Dakota, Kent State and Central Michigan before returning to the Gopher staff.
Robbins was most recently at Central Michigan for a brief stint after spending the 2023-24 seasons at Kent State coaching rush ends and serving as the defensive recruiting coordinator. In 2022, he coached outside linebackers at South Dakota.
In his first tenure at Minnesota, Robbins helped mentor former Gopher standouts and future NFL players Boye Mafe and Thomas Rush.
Everett joins the Gophers from South Alabama where he briefly served in the same role. Prior to South Alabama, he spent the 2024 season at Michigan where he helped coach the team's running backs. Everett has also coached running backs at Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Akron, Central Michigan, Indiana State and Hutchinson Community College.
Fleck also announced the hiring of Nick Faus (Assistant Wide Receivers Coach), Jordan Hendy (Offensive Analyst), Christian Pawola (Assistant Defensive Backs Coach) and C.J. Robbins (Rush Ends Coach). Faus, Pawola and Robbins all worked at Minnesota previously in their careers and Hendy is joining the Gophers from Pittsburg State.
"I am excited to welcome Jayden and Jordan to Minnesota and to welcome back Nick, Christian and C.J.," said Fleck. "They all have tremendous energy and passion for helping young people excel, and I am looking forward to watching them lead and develop our players. I know they will pour everything they have into our program."
Jayden Everett, Running Backs Coach
Everett has been coaching running backs his entire career, which includes on-field coaching experience at Michigan, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, Akron, Central Michigan, Indiana State and Hutchinson Community College.
Everett spent the 2024 season at Michigan where he assisted the running backs. He then accepted the running backs coach position at South Alabama, before joining the Gophers.
At Michigan, Everett helped mentor Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards who combined for 1,537 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024.
Prior to Michigan, Everett spent the 2023 season at Vanderbilt. There he helped Sedrick Alexander earn SEC All-Freshman honors, as he led all SEC freshmen in rushing yards and was the only freshman in the league with four or more rushing touchdowns.
Everett spent the 2021-22 seasons at Tulsa and the 2019-20 seasons at Akron. He has coached all-league players, 1,000-yard backs and future NFL players.
Nick Faus, Assistant Wide Receivers Coach
Faus returns to Minnesota after spending the 2024 season at Pittsburgh as a Senior Offensive Analyst and the 2023 season at Kent State coaching wide receivers.
He was at Minnesota during the 2022 season as a graduate assistant and worked with the offensive. Faus spent the 2021 season as a graduate assistant at West Virginia where he worked with special teams.
Faus also spent four seasons at Western Michigan University where he worked as a graduate assistant on both the Broncos' offensive and defensive coaching staff. After three seasons on the defensive side of the ball, Faus spent the 2020 season working with the wide receivers.
Jordan Hendy, Offensive Analyst
Hendy heads to Minnesota after spending three seasons at Pittsburg State. He worked with cornerbacks in 2024 and safeties in 2023 after serving as an offensive graduate assistant and assisting with the offensive line in 2022.
Hendy served on the coaching staff at the University of Central Oklahoma in the spring of 2022, after earning third-team All-MIAA honors at cornerback as a graduate transfer for Pittsburg State in 2021.
Hendy posted 32 tackles (20 solo) with three interceptions and three pass break-ups at Pittsburg State after transferring from the University of Toledo.
Christian Pawola, Assistant Defensive Backs Coach
Pawola returns to Minnesota after spending the 2024 season at Michigan State where he was since January 2024. At Michigan State, Pawola was a graduate student defensive coach and was named assistant defensive backs coach in January 2025 before joining the Gopher staff.
Pawola is a 2020 Minnesota graduate. He spent the 2022-23 seasons as a graduate assistant for the Gophers and was also a defensive student assistant from 2019-20.
C.J. Robbins, Rush Ends Coach
Robbins was a graduate assistant at Minnesota during the 2020 and 2021 seasons and has since gained experience at South Dakota, Kent State and Central Michigan before returning to the Gopher staff.
Robbins was most recently at Central Michigan for a brief stint after spending the 2023-24 seasons at Kent State coaching rush ends and serving as the defensive recruiting coordinator. In 2022, he coached outside linebackers at South Dakota.
In his first tenure at Minnesota, Robbins helped mentor former Gopher standouts and future NFL players Boye Mafe and Thomas Rush.
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