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University of Minnesota Athletics
Football
Bobby April III
- Title:
- Rush Ends Coach
- Email:
- april011@umn.edu
Bobby April III joined the Minnesota football staff as Rush Ends Coach in January 2026.
April came to Minnesota from Stanford where he spent three seasons as the Director of Defense and Outside Linebackers Coach.
Stanford’s defense showed improvement with April on staff. The 2025 season marked the first time Stanford's defense held teams to fewer than 30 points per game since 2018, and the unit's total yards allowed per game mark of 408.2 was the lowest since 2017.
Stanford’s run defense was ranked 28th in the country as it allowed 119.3 yards per game, which was the best output for the team since 2014. The Cardinal also proved to be one of the toughest in the red zone, allowing teams to score touchdowns on just 50% of red zone trips, tied for second in the ACC and ranking 14th nationally.
Stanford turned turnovers into points as well, as it had four defensive scores, which was the most since 2016. Three of those defensive touchdowns were on fumble returns, the most by a Stanford defense in at least the last 20 years.
The 2024 campaign was a season of growth for Stanford. The Cardinal forced 17 turnovers – an increase of six from April's first season – and returned three of them for scores. The team also recorded 26 sacks, which was the most by Stanford's defense since 2019.
With more turnovers and more sacks, Stanford's defense tightened down on opponents throughout its first season in the ACC. April's defense shaved off nearly 50 yards per game from its 2023 total with the most notable improvement coming against the rush. Stanford ranked 39th in the country in rush defense at 133.5 yards per game, the fewest rushing yards per game allowed by Stanford since 2014.
In 2023, April’s first season at Stanford, the defense had many impressive performances. Notably, in a near-upset win against eventual national runner-up Washington, the Cardinal held Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr. to a 56.8% completion percentage, his third-lowest in a regular season game. Stanford also produced a four-turnover game against No. 17 Notre Dame, its first game forcing at least four turnovers since 2019. In a win at Washington State, Stanford held the Cougars to seven points, the fewest in a road conference game by Stanford since a shutout at Colorado in 2012.
Prior to Stanford, April spent five seasons at Wisconsin where he coached the outside linebackers and served as defensive run game coordinator.
In 2022, the Wisconsin defense ranked 13th in total defense (305.4 yards per game), 12th in rushing defense (103.2 yards per game), 26th in scoring defense (20.5 points per game) and 31st in passing defense (202.2 yards per game).
April mentored Nick Herbig, a consensus first-team All-Big Ten honoree who was also named a Walter Camp second-team All-American. Herbig finished the regular season as the Big Ten sack leader with 11.
In 2021, Wisconsin led the country and set a school record by allowing just 64.8 yards per game on the ground, becoming just the second FBS team since 2008 to allow fewer than 70.0 yards rushing per game over an entire season. Wisconsin allowed just 2.12 yards per carry in 2021, tops in the country and best by an FBS defense since 2016. In April’s first year as defensive run game coordinator, Wisconsin led the Big Ten and ranked fifth nationally in rush defense (96.1 yards per game).
April was an integral part of a defensive staff that produced three straight top-five national finishes in total defense. In 2021, the Badgers allowed just 239.1 yards per game, the third-best mark in school history and the lowest total at Wisconsin since 1954. That was the fewest yards allowed by an FBS team since 2011.
In his first two seasons at Wisconsin, April mentored a pair of productive pass-rushers who went on to become NFL draft picks in Andrew Van Ginkel and Zack Baun.
Baun had 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss to rank second in the Big Ten in both categories. He was a consensus first-team All-America honoree and was a finalist for the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker.
All told, April’s outside linebackers contributed 17.5 of the Badgers’ school-record 51 sacks, which ranked No. 2 nationally on the season.
Despite being limited by injury for a portion of the 2018 season, Van Ginkel led the team in sacks, with 5.5, and finished with 9.5 tackles for loss among his 60 total tackles that year. Baun finished third on the team with 63 total stops, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
April joined the Wisconsin staff after six seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
In his final season with the Bills, April coached a pair of All-Pro linebackers in Lorenzo Alexander and Zach Brown. Alexander earned Defensive MVP honors in the Pro Bowl.
Prior to his time in Buffalo, April served two seasons on the New York Jets’ staff. He spent the 2013 season as a quality control assistant before being promoted to linebackers coach in 2014. April got his start in the NFL under head coach Andy Reid, working as a quality control assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary in 2011 and 2012.
A graduate of Louisiana-Lafayette, April’s coaching career began as a student assistant at his alma mater in 2004. He spent the next two seasons as a graduate assistant at Tulane before taking a position as inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Portland State under head coach Jerry Glanville, a role he held from 2007-09. He then served as secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Nicholls State in 2010.
April is the son of longtime coach Bobby April Jr., a two-time NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year.
He and his wife, Laura, have two daughters, Olivia and Gabby.
April came to Minnesota from Stanford where he spent three seasons as the Director of Defense and Outside Linebackers Coach.
Stanford’s defense showed improvement with April on staff. The 2025 season marked the first time Stanford's defense held teams to fewer than 30 points per game since 2018, and the unit's total yards allowed per game mark of 408.2 was the lowest since 2017.
Stanford’s run defense was ranked 28th in the country as it allowed 119.3 yards per game, which was the best output for the team since 2014. The Cardinal also proved to be one of the toughest in the red zone, allowing teams to score touchdowns on just 50% of red zone trips, tied for second in the ACC and ranking 14th nationally.
Stanford turned turnovers into points as well, as it had four defensive scores, which was the most since 2016. Three of those defensive touchdowns were on fumble returns, the most by a Stanford defense in at least the last 20 years.
The 2024 campaign was a season of growth for Stanford. The Cardinal forced 17 turnovers – an increase of six from April's first season – and returned three of them for scores. The team also recorded 26 sacks, which was the most by Stanford's defense since 2019.
With more turnovers and more sacks, Stanford's defense tightened down on opponents throughout its first season in the ACC. April's defense shaved off nearly 50 yards per game from its 2023 total with the most notable improvement coming against the rush. Stanford ranked 39th in the country in rush defense at 133.5 yards per game, the fewest rushing yards per game allowed by Stanford since 2014.
In 2023, April’s first season at Stanford, the defense had many impressive performances. Notably, in a near-upset win against eventual national runner-up Washington, the Cardinal held Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr. to a 56.8% completion percentage, his third-lowest in a regular season game. Stanford also produced a four-turnover game against No. 17 Notre Dame, its first game forcing at least four turnovers since 2019. In a win at Washington State, Stanford held the Cougars to seven points, the fewest in a road conference game by Stanford since a shutout at Colorado in 2012.
Prior to Stanford, April spent five seasons at Wisconsin where he coached the outside linebackers and served as defensive run game coordinator.
In 2022, the Wisconsin defense ranked 13th in total defense (305.4 yards per game), 12th in rushing defense (103.2 yards per game), 26th in scoring defense (20.5 points per game) and 31st in passing defense (202.2 yards per game).
April mentored Nick Herbig, a consensus first-team All-Big Ten honoree who was also named a Walter Camp second-team All-American. Herbig finished the regular season as the Big Ten sack leader with 11.
In 2021, Wisconsin led the country and set a school record by allowing just 64.8 yards per game on the ground, becoming just the second FBS team since 2008 to allow fewer than 70.0 yards rushing per game over an entire season. Wisconsin allowed just 2.12 yards per carry in 2021, tops in the country and best by an FBS defense since 2016. In April’s first year as defensive run game coordinator, Wisconsin led the Big Ten and ranked fifth nationally in rush defense (96.1 yards per game).
April was an integral part of a defensive staff that produced three straight top-five national finishes in total defense. In 2021, the Badgers allowed just 239.1 yards per game, the third-best mark in school history and the lowest total at Wisconsin since 1954. That was the fewest yards allowed by an FBS team since 2011.
In his first two seasons at Wisconsin, April mentored a pair of productive pass-rushers who went on to become NFL draft picks in Andrew Van Ginkel and Zack Baun.
Baun had 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss to rank second in the Big Ten in both categories. He was a consensus first-team All-America honoree and was a finalist for the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker.
All told, April’s outside linebackers contributed 17.5 of the Badgers’ school-record 51 sacks, which ranked No. 2 nationally on the season.
Despite being limited by injury for a portion of the 2018 season, Van Ginkel led the team in sacks, with 5.5, and finished with 9.5 tackles for loss among his 60 total tackles that year. Baun finished third on the team with 63 total stops, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
April joined the Wisconsin staff after six seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
In his final season with the Bills, April coached a pair of All-Pro linebackers in Lorenzo Alexander and Zach Brown. Alexander earned Defensive MVP honors in the Pro Bowl.
Prior to his time in Buffalo, April served two seasons on the New York Jets’ staff. He spent the 2013 season as a quality control assistant before being promoted to linebackers coach in 2014. April got his start in the NFL under head coach Andy Reid, working as a quality control assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary in 2011 and 2012.
A graduate of Louisiana-Lafayette, April’s coaching career began as a student assistant at his alma mater in 2004. He spent the next two seasons as a graduate assistant at Tulane before taking a position as inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Portland State under head coach Jerry Glanville, a role he held from 2007-09. He then served as secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Nicholls State in 2010.
April is the son of longtime coach Bobby April Jr., a two-time NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year.
He and his wife, Laura, have two daughters, Olivia and Gabby.
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