Minot State Naming Hoffner New Head Football Coach
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A former college football coach who was cleared in a child pornography investigation in Minnesota is the new head coach at Minot State.
KTOE radio first reported Thursday that former Minnesota State-Mankato coach Todd Hoffner got the job. Minot State spokesman Michael Linnell confirmed the hire to The Associated Press.
Hoffner didn't immediately respond to AP telephone and email requests for comment. He said during a visit to the northern North Dakota campus on Monday that "one of my focuses and goals has been to re-establish myself."
"With all the adversity my family and I have faced, we are looking to dust ourselves off, move forward," he said. "We need to move on and move forward in our lives, and hopefully this is a great opportunity for us to do that."
Hoffner was charged with possession of child pornography in August 2012 after school officials found videos of his naked children on his work-issued cellphone, which he had turned in to be repaired. A judge cleared him three months later, ruling that the short videos of his children acting silly after a bath were not child porn and showed nothing illegal. Minnesota State removed him as head coach and later fired him.
Hoffner, a former University of South Dakota offensive coordinator, spent four seasons as the coach at Minnesota State, from 2008-2012. He compiled a 34-13 record and coached the Mavericks to three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division championships — in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Minot State plays in the NSIC's North Division.
At Minot State, Hoffner replaces Paul Rudolph, who resigned on Jan. 2 after seven seasons to become the offensive coordinator at North Dakota. More than 100 people applied to succeed him. The other two finalists were Wayne State defensive coordinator Mike Aldrich and Wisconsin-Stevens Point offensive coordinator Aaron Vlcko.
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