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Tony Petersen is entering his seventh season on the Minnesota coaching staff and his first season as passing game coordinator. Petersen served as co-offensive coordinator the past five seasons as the Gophers rewrote the record book, took the nation by storm and established their brand of offense as one of the best in the NCAA. Petersen, who entered the coaching profession in 1990, also serves as quarterbacks coach.
Petersen has brought a perfect blend to the offense as witnessed by the fact that Minnesota is the only team over the past six seasons to both rush and pass for over 2,000 yards each year. The Gophers have also finished among the top 35 in total offense in the nation the past six seasons.
Last year proved to be another exceptional season as the offense extended its streak of consecutive games with at least 300 yards of total offense to 27 entering 2005. The Gophers also averaged 438.3 yards of total offense, 256.8 yards rushing, 6.3 yards per play, and scored 47 touchdowns, the second- highest averages in school history.
Under Petersen, the Gophers posted one of the most prolific offensive seasons in Big Ten history in 2003. Minnesota set a Big Ten record for total offense (6,430) and finished with the fourth-highest rushing total (3,759) and sixth-highest point total (503) in Big Ten history. On top of those marks, the Gophers also set new school records in several other categories including: touchdowns (66), rushing touchdowns (46), yards-per-play (6.6), completion percentage (61.3%), first downs (326) and 500-yard games (7). Minnesota led the Big Ten and finished among the NCAA leaders in rushing offense (3rd, 289.2 ypg), total offense (4th, 494.6 ypg) and scoring offense (7th, 38.7 ppg) last season.
Petersen played a key role in the development of quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq (2000-03), who rewrote the school record book at Minnesota during his four seasons. Under Petersen, Abdul-Khaliq became the school’s all-time total offense leader with 7,818 yards and also set school records for career touchdown passes (55) and season completion percentage (63%, 2003). He ranks second all-time in career passing yards (6,660) and career completions (481), and in 2003, he led the Big Ten and finished fifth in the nation in pass efficiency (162.3).
In 2000, Petersen helped Travis Cole become one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks as he posting a rating of 137.6, which ranked 16th in the nation. Prior to Petersen’s arrival in 1999, the Gophers hadn’t posted consecutive seasons with at least 16 touchdown passes in their history. Since that time, Petersen's quarterbacks have thrown for at least 16 touchdowns in five straight seasons, including 20 in 2000 and 21 in 2002.
Petersen was also instrumental in the success of Minnesota quarterback Billy Cockerham in 1999. Under Petersen’s guidance, Cockerham broke school records for rushing yards by a quarterback (831) and rushing touchdowns by a QB (10).
A 1988 graduate of Marshall University, where he charted a record-setting career of his own at quarterback for the Thundering Herd, Petersen came to the U of M after eight successful seasons (1991-98) in several different capacities as an assistant coach at his alma mater. During Petersen’s eight-year tenure at Marshall, the Thundering Herd made eight straight postseason appearances. In his final season at Marshall, Petersen served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as the Thundering Herd captured their second straight Mid-American Conference title and defeated Louisville in the 1998 Motor City Bowl.
Petersen was Marshall’s quarterbacks coach for five seasons (1993-95, 1997-98) and his signal-callers collected first-team all-league honors four times. Headlining that list was Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington, who earned first-team All-MAC honors in both 1997 and 1998 and was a finalist in 1998 for the Davey O’Brien Award, which annually honors the nation’s top quarterback. Pennington broke the NCAA record for touchdown passes by a sophomore with 39 and set a Mid-American Conference record with 3,480 yards passing. Petersen also coached Pennington to Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 1995.
Petersen also coached quarterback Todd Donnan to first-team All-Southern Conference honors in both 1993 and 1994. Donnan was named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1994. In 1992, Petersen handled Marshall’s receivers, where he worked with Troy Brown, an all-pro wideout for the NFL’s New England Patriots. Petersen, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kentucky in 1990, coached Marshall’s running backs in 1991.
As a player at Marshall, Petersen was named the 1988 Southern Conference Athlete of the Year and the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1987. A free agent signee of the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, Petersen set 16 Southern Conference single-season and career records in passing and total offense, to go along with six Marshall single-season school marks. That includes a record 35 touchdown passes in 1987. He also set NCAA records for most passes in a game without an interception (68) and for most regular season games (11) with more than 200 yards passing.
Petersen went to Marshall after a stellar career at Delta Community College in Stockton, Calif. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals after his first season at Delta C.C. Petersen also played three seasons for the Thundering Herd baseball program. A native of Lodi, Calif., Petersen earned his master’s degree in athlete administration from Marshall in 1995. His grandfather, Ike Petersen, played for the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Tony and his wife, Beth, have three children - Andy (11), Nikki Nelson (9) and Taylor (3).
Tony Petersen is entering his seventh season on the Minnesota coaching staff and his first season as passing game coordinator. Petersen served as co-offensive coordinator the past five seasons as the Gophers rewrote the record book, took the nation by storm and established their brand of offense as one of the best in the NCAA. Petersen, who entered the coaching profession in 1990, also serves as quarterbacks coach.
Petersen has brought a perfect blend to the offense as witnessed by the fact that Minnesota is the only team over the past six seasons to both rush and pass for over 2,000 yards each year. The Gophers have also finished among the top 35 in total offense in the nation the past six seasons.
Last year proved to be another exceptional season as the offense extended its streak of consecutive games with at least 300 yards of total offense to 27 entering 2005. The Gophers also averaged 438.3 yards of total offense, 256.8 yards rushing, 6.3 yards per play, and scored 47 touchdowns, the second- highest averages in school history.
Under Petersen, the Gophers posted one of the most prolific offensive seasons in Big Ten history in 2003. Minnesota set a Big Ten record for total offense (6,430) and finished with the fourth-highest rushing total (3,759) and sixth-highest point total (503) in Big Ten history. On top of those marks, the Gophers also set new school records in several other categories including: touchdowns (66), rushing touchdowns (46), yards-per-play (6.6), completion percentage (61.3%), first downs (326) and 500-yard games (7). Minnesota led the Big Ten and finished among the NCAA leaders in rushing offense (3rd, 289.2 ypg), total offense (4th, 494.6 ypg) and scoring offense (7th, 38.7 ppg) last season.
Petersen played a key role in the development of quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq (2000-03), who rewrote the school record book at Minnesota during his four seasons. Under Petersen, Abdul-Khaliq became the school’s all-time total offense leader with 7,818 yards and also set school records for career touchdown passes (55) and season completion percentage (63%, 2003). He ranks second all-time in career passing yards (6,660) and career completions (481), and in 2003, he led the Big Ten and finished fifth in the nation in pass efficiency (162.3).
In 2000, Petersen helped Travis Cole become one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks as he posting a rating of 137.6, which ranked 16th in the nation. Prior to Petersen’s arrival in 1999, the Gophers hadn’t posted consecutive seasons with at least 16 touchdown passes in their history. Since that time, Petersen's quarterbacks have thrown for at least 16 touchdowns in five straight seasons, including 20 in 2000 and 21 in 2002.
Petersen was also instrumental in the success of Minnesota quarterback Billy Cockerham in 1999. Under Petersen’s guidance, Cockerham broke school records for rushing yards by a quarterback (831) and rushing touchdowns by a QB (10).
A 1988 graduate of Marshall University, where he charted a record-setting career of his own at quarterback for the Thundering Herd, Petersen came to the U of M after eight successful seasons (1991-98) in several different capacities as an assistant coach at his alma mater. During Petersen’s eight-year tenure at Marshall, the Thundering Herd made eight straight postseason appearances. In his final season at Marshall, Petersen served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as the Thundering Herd captured their second straight Mid-American Conference title and defeated Louisville in the 1998 Motor City Bowl.
Petersen was Marshall’s quarterbacks coach for five seasons (1993-95, 1997-98) and his signal-callers collected first-team all-league honors four times. Headlining that list was Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington, who earned first-team All-MAC honors in both 1997 and 1998 and was a finalist in 1998 for the Davey O’Brien Award, which annually honors the nation’s top quarterback. Pennington broke the NCAA record for touchdown passes by a sophomore with 39 and set a Mid-American Conference record with 3,480 yards passing. Petersen also coached Pennington to Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 1995.
Petersen also coached quarterback Todd Donnan to first-team All-Southern Conference honors in both 1993 and 1994. Donnan was named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1994. In 1992, Petersen handled Marshall’s receivers, where he worked with Troy Brown, an all-pro wideout for the NFL’s New England Patriots. Petersen, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kentucky in 1990, coached Marshall’s running backs in 1991.
As a player at Marshall, Petersen was named the 1988 Southern Conference Athlete of the Year and the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1987. A free agent signee of the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, Petersen set 16 Southern Conference single-season and career records in passing and total offense, to go along with six Marshall single-season school marks. That includes a record 35 touchdown passes in 1987. He also set NCAA records for most passes in a game without an interception (68) and for most regular season games (11) with more than 200 yards passing.
Petersen went to Marshall after a stellar career at Delta Community College in Stockton, Calif. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals after his first season at Delta C.C. Petersen also played three seasons for the Thundering Herd baseball program. A native of Lodi, Calif., Petersen earned his master’s degree in athlete administration from Marshall in 1995. His grandfather, Ike Petersen, played for the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Tony and his wife, Beth, have three children - Andy (11), Nikki Nelson (9) and Taylor (3).
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