Dennis Dottin-Carter - Defensive Line - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Dennis Dottin-Carter

Title:
Defensive Line

NOTABLE:
- The 2025 season will be the third at Minnesota, first as defensive line coach
- Was a senior defensive analyst for the 2023-24 seasons at Minnesota
- Has coached the defensive line at Yale, Connecticut and Maine
- Served as interim head coach at Maine during the 2016 season

Dennis Dottin-Carter was named Rush Ends Coach in January 2025 and was then named Defensive Line Coach in February 2025. He joined the Minnesota staff in January 2023 as a senior defensive analyst.

He has worked closely with the team’s defensive line and is one of the main reasons the team’s sack and tackles for loss totals has increased year-over-year. In 2022, the year prior to Dottin-Carter’s arrival, Minnesota had 19 sacks and 47 tackles for loss. Last season, the Gophers totaled 28 sacks and 66 tackles for loss. In 2022, the Gopher defensive line broke up seven passes, and in 2024 it broke up 14, led by Jah Joyner (7) and Jalen Logan-Redding (4).

Prior to Minnesota, Dottin-Carter was Yale’s assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and defensive Line coach for the 2022 Ivy League Champions. Defensive linemen Reid Nickerson and Clay Patterson each earned Second-Team All-Ivy honors under Dottin-Carter’s tutelage, while the defense finished fifth in the country in scoring defense and seventh in rush defense.

Prior to Yale, Dottin-Carter spent five seasons as UConn’s defensive line coach. Hukies' defensive lineman Travis Jones was drafted in the third round by Baltimore and was named a Second Team All-American by PFF. During the 2016 season, Dottin-Carter coached Foley Fatukasi to All-American Athletic Conference honors before being selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Against UMass on Oct. 9, 2021, Dottin-Carter was named UConn's interim head coach.

Before UConn, Dottin-Carter coached for four seasons at the University of Delaware where he was the Blue Hens’ defensive line coach for one year before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2014. He was selected as interim head coach during the 2016 season. At Delaware, Dottin-Carter oversaw the development of 2013 All-American Zach Kerr who signed with the Indianapolis Colts and spent eight seasons in the NFL. Defensive lineman Bilal Nichols was drafted 145th overall by Chicago in 2018 after being a Third Team All-American.

Dottin-Carter began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Maine, in 2008 as tight ends coach. He went on to coach fullbacks, running backs, defensive line and special teams in his five-year tenure that overlapped with Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who was the Black Bears’ special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2007-08 and the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2009-11.

With Dottin-Carter as defensive line coach, Maine's 2012 defense led the Colonial Athletic Conference in scoring defense and ranked 16th nationally. Junior defensive end Mike Cole led the CAA with 7.0 sacks in just five games and would go on to become the school's all-time leader in sacks. The 2011 Maine team reached the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs and boasted the top pass defense in the CAA, while Cole was tabbed All-CAA after leading the conference in sacks.

A native of Cambridge, Mass., Dottin-Carter earned his degree in kinesiology and physical education from Maine following a standout playing career in which he led the Black Bears to Atlantic 10 titles in 2001 and 2002. He was a first team All-Atlantic 10 selection as a defensive end in 2002 and a second-team pick in 2003.

DOTTIN-CARTER AT A GLANCE
2025: Minnesota - Rush Ends
2023-24: Minnesota - Senior Defensive Analyst
2022: Yale - Assistant Head Coach / Co-Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line
2017-21: Connecticut - Defensive Line
2016: Delaware - Interim Head Coach
2014-16: Delaware - Co-Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line
2013: Delaware - Defensive Line
2012: Maine - Special Team / Defensive Line
2011: Maine - Defensive Line
2010: Maine - Running Backs / Fullbacks / Tight Ends
2009: Maine - Fullbacks / Tight Ends
2008: Maine - Tight Ends

Birthday: Feb. 4, 1981
Hometown: Cambridge, Mass.
Alma Mater: Maine, 2006 (kinesiology and physical education)