ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Kevin Cosgrove had opportunities to return to coaching last year and possibly ease the pain from an ill-fated final season as Nebraska's defensive coordinator.

He ultimately determined the timing was off and stepped away for two reasons. First, Cosgrove wanted to help coach his younger son, Connor, at Edgewood High School in Madison, Wis., where the family returned after four years in Nebraska. Kevin's college coaching responsibilities had prevented him from attending practices and some games when his other son, Clint, played high school ball.

The second reason Cosgrove took a break will mean more to Minnesota fans, some of whom undoubtedly greeted Cosgrove's hiring as Gophers co-defensive coordinator with trepidation.

Cosgrove spent the year away researching defensive strategy, and he devoted much of his energy toward deciphering the ever-popular spread offense.

"That was my main area of research," Cosgrove said. "The teams that I visited with and spent a lot of time with, those teams have tremendous success defending it."

Cosgrove's ability to stop the spread, a scheme used in some degree by seven Big Ten teams, is the big question as he comes on board at Minnesota. Nebraska struggled mightily against the spread in 2007, finishing last in the Big 12 in both total defense (476.8 ypg) and scoring defense (37.9 ppg).

The Cornhuskers gave up 76 points to Kansas and 65 to Colorado and allowed 19 more touchdowns than the next worst defense in team history. Cosgrove doesn't downplay how poor the unit performed that fall, but he also notes his defense against the spread shouldn't be judged solely by 2007.

"Besides the last year we were at Nebraska, when it looked like a mess, we played it very well," Cosgrove said. "But I'm not going to say that's the right way exactly. That's the way a lot of people defended it back then. But there's different ways now to defend it."

Minnesota was not among Cosgrove's suitors last year, but after defensive coordinator Ted Roof left the Gophers for Auburn, head coach Tim Brewster picked up the phone.

Cosgrove quickly warmed to the job. He was already sold on the league, where he enjoyed his most success as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1990-2003. He's spent a total of 22 years in the Big Ten, working at Illinois from 1980-87.   

"I love the Big Ten," he said. "The league's changed since I've been in it in four years. The Big 12's a little bit different because they were more advanced as far as the spread offenses are concerned, but the Big Ten is doing very similar things right now. And I always kept my eye on the Big Ten, believe me.

"It's good to get back in it."

Cosgrove inherits a defense that struggled a bit down the stretch but still made major strides from 2007, when it managed to perform worse than Nebraska's unit. The Gophers return seven starters -- possibly eight, pending Tramaine Brock's situation -- from a group that tied for the league lead in sacks (34) and ranked second in takeaways (31).

"A lot of kids are coming back and they'll be a year older," Cosgrove said. "I like what I see."