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Rutgers to hire Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca

Thus ends Ciarrocca's brief reunion with the Gophers

New Mexico State v Minnesota Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

ESPN is reporting that Rutgers is finalizing a deal to hire Minnesota offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Ciarrocca.

This will be the second time Ciarrocca has left Minnesota to join a Big Ten program on the East Coast, where he has family. He originally spent three seasons with the Gophers under head coach P.J. Fleck before leaving to coach at Penn State. He was fired after one season and reunited with Fleck at this time last year after a one-year stint as an offensive analyst with West Virginia.

Ciarrocca previously served as co-offensive coordinator at Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano from 2008-10. The Scarlet Knights are reportedly making a "substantial commitment" to hiring Ciarrocca, which suggests Schiano is eager to reunite with his former assistant coach.

Fleck now has three vacancies to fill on his coaching staff, with running backs coach Kenni Burns leaving to become the head coach at Kent State and cornerbacks coach Paul Haynes reuniting with Luke Fickell at Wisconsin. The open defensive line coach position has reportedly been filled by former player Winston DeLattiboudere.