The University of Minnesota has named interim coach Tracy Claeys the new permanent head football coach, and he has signed a three-year contact through 2018, according to Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune.
Claeys took over as the interim head coach when Jerry Kill announced his immediate retirement due to medical concerns. Claeys has had two difficult games since taking over as head coach, and the Golden Gophers have fallen to 4-5 in the season after two consecutive losses. It doesn't look to get easier for Minnesota as they travel to Kinnick Stadium to face an undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes team this Saturday.
Claeys is scheduled to make $1.4 million next season, making him one of the lower-paid coaches in the Big Ten. "There was no back and forth on the contract, anything like that," Claeys said at the press conference Wednesday, via The Star Tribune. "I wanted the opportunity to be the football coach here. There was no need for an agent or anything."
Claeys looks to be committed to Minnesota, as he worked as an assistant for 21-years under Kill. He has been a defensive coordinator at Minnesota since 2011, and this is his first head coaching job. Claeys has experience leading this team in the past,and will look to have his team ready for a huge game against the Hawkeyes Saturday.
Minnesota interim athletics director Beth Goetz announced the three-year deal Wednesday morning. "I've gotten to know and respect Coach Claeys this past year and watched him work with our student athletes each and every day," said Goetz, via College Football 24/7. "I admire his dedication to their development on the field and in the classroom. Given the improvement of this program, both academically and athletically, and Coach Claeys' integral leadership role, we have great confidence that he is the right coach to lead this program and our student-athletes."
The Golden Gophers have three games remaining in their schedule and will likely need to win all three to make a bowl game this season. Claeys will look to have his team fired up for this weekend, as Minnesota would like nothing better than to hand Iowa their first loss of the season.
