College Football

Football team will now play under vindicated coach

MANKATO, Minn. — A Minnesota State football player says the team is now going to unite behind reinstated coach Todd Hoffner.

A day after refusing to practice with Hoffner, the players met for nearly two hours Thursday morning with the coaching staff.

Afterward, senior tight end Darius Clare told KEYC-TV, “We’re going to move forward with Todd Hoffner as head coach.”

The football program plans a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Hoffner returned to campus Wednesday for the first time since an arbitrator ruled he was fired unfairly last year in the wake of a child porn investigation that ultimately cleared him.

Mavericks players came out for spring practice that afternoon but were not in uniform. They read a statement saying they wanted interim coach Aaron Keen to remain as head coach.