The Minnesota football team announced Monday that another staff member will be leaving the program – defensive coordinator Everett Withers.

The highest-paid assistant coach in Gophers history, Withers will forego the final two years of his Minnesota contract, worth almost $1 million, and take a similar position with North Carolina.

The Tar Heels are expected to give Withers a slight raise when he takes over for Baltimore Ravens-bound Chuck Pagano, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator under head coach Butch Davis.

Withers, who is originally from Charlotte, N.C., worked as an assistant alongside Minnesota coach Tim Brewster in Texas before becoming the defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2001-2006.

“I want to thank Tim Brewster for the opportunity he gave me at the University of Minnesota,” Withers said. “Though we were unable to accomplish all of our goals, the past year has been an incredibly positive experience overall. With the leadership of coach Brewster and the recruiting gains that were made this year, I think the future is very bright for Gopher football.”

Withers joins former Director of Football Operations Randy Taylor as the second member of Brewster’s coaching staff to leave after the program’s first season.

Four other Gophers coaches have turned down job offers, according to Brewster, who will begin his sophomore season at Minnesota this spring.

In a University press release, Brewster thanked his former defensive coordinator for the season he spent with the program.

“Everett is one of the brightest defensive minds in all of football,” said Brewster. “When you hire high-quality individuals they are always going to be in demand. It has always been a dream of Everett’s to coach at the University of North Carolina, and it would have been very difficult for him to not pursue this opportunity. Everett has truly been an asset to our program as both a coach and a recruiter and I am grateful for his contributions. I wish him nothing but the best.”

The Gophers found little success defensively under the guiding hand of Withers.

Minnesota ended the season winless in the Big Ten with a 1-11 overall record, allowing a Division I-A worst 6,224 yards over the season – all of which are unsolicited school records.

A nation-wide search for Withers’ replacement will begin immediately, Brewster said.