A week ago, Minnesota wide receivers coach George McDonald left the Gophers for a position in the NFL.  Today, head coach Tim Brewster announced that the NFL would be supplying McDonald’s replacement.

Richard Hightower was named to the wide receivers coach post this morning; he comes to Minnesota from the Houston Texans where he served the last four years as a special teams assistant and a coaching administrative coordinator.

“I’m very pleased to add Richard Hightower to our staff,” Brewster said. “He’s a young man who I’ve known quite some time, going back to when he played at Texas. Richard has developed into an outstanding football coach. His experience as an assistant coach with the Houston Texans will be invaluable to him as he joins our staff. Richard is going to help our wide receivers be the best they can be.”

When Brewster calls Hightower young, he’s not just being courteous.  Hightower played as a walk-on for the Longhorns from 1999-2002.

Hightower is the third new hire Brewster has made this off-season, as offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar and defensive coordinator Ted Roof departed just days after the Gophers’ 42-21 loss to Kansas in the Insight Bowl and McDonald left for the Cleveland Browns on Feb. 10.