Gophers hire Lions QB coach as O-Coordinator

Published Jan. 23, 2010 1:43 a.m. ET

foxsports

Minnesota has hired Detroit Lions quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton to be its third offensive coordinator in three years.

Horton replaces Jedd Fisch, who left after just one season to be the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks. And he has plenty of work to do. The Gophers finished last in the Big Ten in total yards, points per game and touchdowns scored.

Horton started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Minnesota in 1984. He has 22 years of experience in the college ranks. He was a head coach at UNLV and Nevada and also served as quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin from 1999-2005.

Coach Tim Brewster says Horton's experience and teaching ability made him an attractive candidate.