Minnesota DC Corey Hetherman left strong mark on Rutgers football during his stint as LBs coach
PISCATAWAY – When Joe Harasymiak became Rutgers football’s defensive coordinator back in 2022, one of the first moves he made was bringing Corey Hetherman on as his linebackers coach.
The two had worked together previously, first as graduate assistants at Springfield College and later at Maine.
But on Saturday, they’ll be on opposite sidelines.
Rutgers will host Minnesota at SHI Stadium (noon, NBC) looking to snap a four-game losing streak, but that won’t happen easily against the Golden Gophers’ defense, led by Hetherman, in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Hetherman spent two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, helping to develop an impressive linebacker corps that includes Tyreem Powell, Moses Walker, Dariel Djabome and Abram Wright.
“Coach Hetherman, he took my game to another level,” Powell said. “If you look from the year he got here to last year, I think I elevated as a player. He’s a great coach, a very detailed coach. I’m looking forward to seeing him Saturday. It’s going to be a challenge for our offense as well, but I know they’re going to be prepared.”
Hetherman’s unit ranks ninth nationally in total defense, yielding 290.6 yards per game. Its passing defense ranks 14th (169.6 yards per game) while its rushing defense is 36th (121.0 yards per game).
Minnesota as a team also has a plus-12 turnover margin – plus-nine during the four-game winning streak that it’ll bring to Piscataway.
“Very similar beliefs in both programs; It’s all about the ball,” Hetherman said, according to NBC Sports. “The ball is the program. Our job is to affect the football—we want the second guy in to go get the football out.”
“Corey, start with he's an incredibly detailed football coach and very passionate, so he connects with his players,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. “He helps his players get better. When you're detailed and passionate, that usually is the case. Real fine football coach.”
Hetherman played a big role in brining Djabome to Rutgers, initially seeing him at a camp in Buffalo and later convincing him to attend a camp at Rutgers. Djabome, a Quebec native, soon committed to the Scarlet Knights.
Djabome this season leads Rutgers with 69 tackles (two for loss) with one sack, playing in an expanded role following the loss of Mohamed Toure.
“Coach Hetherman’s a great coach,” Djabome said. “I’m just looking forward to playing against him. It’s going to be a little weird, but I’m looking forward to playing against him.”
Most of all, though, Powell, Djabome and the rest of Rutgers’ defense have been focusing on improving as a unit – the Scarlet Knights have struggled defensively during its losing streak, with injuries playing a major role.
Last week’s bye week offered a chance to regroup, and for some players, get some rest and a chance to potentially get a bit healthier.
“I think it was needed, at the right time,” Powell said. “Obviously we had a few rough outings the last weeks. So I think it was perfect for us to focus on ourselves and do things we need to do to get better as a team. I think having that having no game that week and just focusing on us and not having to play at the end of the week, it definitely benefitted us.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football preparing for tough challenge vs familiar face
