Mitch Browning is entering his eighth season at Minnesota and his 19th season serving under head coach Glen Mason. Browning has worked under Mason at Kent State, Kansas and Minnesota. He was named co-offensive coordinator in February of 2000 and will work with counterpart Tony Petersen on the record-breaking Minnesota offense for the fifth consecutive year.

Under Browning and 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 sixthhighest 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.

Browning was recognized for his work and the success of the Gophers' offense in 2003 as he was selected as a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award, given annually to the top football assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level.

During Browning's reign, the Gophers' offense has succeeded by finding a way to effectively mix the run with the pass. Minnesota joins Miami (FL) as the only teams over the past five 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 five seasons.

In 2002, the Gophers' offense reached new heights, tying a school record for touchdowns in a season with 45 and by moving the chains at an alarming rate, recording a single- season school record of 268 first downs. The Gophers also had two players (Terry Jackson II & Thomas Tapeh) each tally at least 900 yards rushing on their way to finishing with the third-highest rushing average in the ground-oriented Big Ten (209.8 ypg).

In 2001, the Gophers owned the second-best rushing attack in the Big Ten at 217.2 yards per game. Minnesota averaged a school record 429.1 yards per game in 2000 and posted the second-best passing attack in the BigT en (232.2 ypg). They also finished second in the conference and 11th in the nation in pass efficiency (140.7). In 1999, the Minnesota offensive unit ranked second in the Big Ten and 11th in the nation in rushing offense (227.2) and third in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation in total offense (410.2).

Along with his coordinator duties, Browning is also responsible for the tight ends and tackles, whom he has worked with since 1999. He had previously served as the tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator in both 1997 and 1998, in which the Gophers signed outstanding recruiting classes both years. A versatile coach, Browning has coached seven different positions during his 26-year coaching career.

Browning aided Ben Utecht (2000-03) in becoming a two-time All-Big Ten selection and one of the premier tight ends in the country. Utecht owns the career record for receptions (83) and receiving yards (1,211) by a tight end and is ranked among the top 15 all-time in school history in those categories. Browning, a Perrysville, Ohio, native, has also made the offensive tackle position one of prominence and stability at Minnesota. Last season, Gopher tackles helped limit the opposition to the fewest sacks (16) in the Big Ten and former tackles Jake Kuppe and Jeremiah Carter along with current tackle Rian Melander have all earned All-Big Ten recognition under Browning.

Browning was also the tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator on Mason's staff at Kansas from 1995-96. Prior to that, he was the Jayhawks' outside linebackers coach from 1991-94 and the school's defensive secondary coach from 1988-90. In addition, he served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/tight ends coach at Kent State from 1985-87 and the wide receivers/ quarterbacks coach for the Golden Flash from 1983-84.

In 1982, Browning was a graduate assistant wide receivers coach while Mason was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State when the Buckeyes averaged 425.1 yards per game and went 9-3 overall with a win in the Holiday Bowl.

Browning began his collegiate coaching career in 1979 as a graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio). He then became the wide receivers coach as a part-time assistant at North Carolina State in 1980-81 where he coached Mike Quick, who went on to become a first round draft pick of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and an eventual five-time NFL All-Pro selection.

Browning is a 1979 graduate of Capital (Ohio) University, where he was a four-year starter at linebacker during his collegiate career and an All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection as a senior.

Browning is married to the former Jane Grey Baldwin.