MINNEAPOLIS — A football coach who was dismissed from Minnesota State, Mankato, is returning to his job at the school after he was cleared of child pornography charges.

Todd Hoffner will leave his position at Minot State in North Dakota on Wednesday and return to his duties at Mankato.

Hoffner says the last two years have been a nightmare but that he always wanted to coach at Mankato, where he has roots and helped to foster the football program.

He was arrested in August 2012 after university staff found images of his naked children on his work cellphone. A judge later dismissed the pornography charges, saying they were innocent post-bath images of Hoffner’s children playing.

The university apologized to Hoffner and expressed regret for the difficulties he and his family have experienced.

Minot State defensive coordinator Byron Thomas will assume head coaching duties and lead the Beavers through the final two weeks of spring practice, the school said Tuesday night.

Thomas is a native of Palmdale, Calif., who played four seasons at the University of South Dakota, was hired in February by Hoffner, a former offensive coordinator at USD.