Minnesota AD Mark Coyle has fired head coach Tracy Claeys after a highly publicized come-to-Jesus meeting, the program confirmed on Tuesday.
We have learned that Tracy Claeys has been fired as head coach of the Gophers
— Mark Rosen (@KFANRosen) January 3, 2017
Claeys actually excelled on the field this season, booking a better-than-expected 9-4 mark on the year.
But AD Mark Coyle, who arrived from Syracuse over the off-season and has embraced Claeys at arm’s length ever since, was never impressed with the direction of the Gophers’ program. The players’ highly-publicized threatened boycott of the Holiday Bowl did not help matters, a fact Claeys acknowledged when he told the club he’d be fired if the team did not make the trip to San Diego. (They did, and they won the game to boot.)
Coyle released a lengthy statement announcing the firing:
I made a difficult decision today on behalf of the University of Minnesota. With the support of Board of Regents’ leadership and President Eric Kaler, I have decided to take the Gophers football team in a different direction with new coaching leadership.
I determined that the football program must move in a new direction to address challenges in recruiting, ticket sales and the culture of the program. We need strong leadership to take Gopher football to the next level and address these challenges.
This decision is about the future of Minnesota football.
Moving forward, we need a leader who sets high expectations athletically, academically, and socially.
I also want to address the unfortunate blurring of the football suspension decision.
On December 13, 2016, Coach Claeys, Deputy Athletics Director John Cunningham and I met to discuss 10 student-athletes.
I informed Coach Claeys of my judgment that athletic suspensions were appropriate.
Without any objection, Coach Claeys said he understood that decision to bench student-athletes.
Coach Claeys, Deputy Athletics Director John Cunningham, and I met with the student-athletes to advise them of our decision. Coach Claeys subsequently informed me that he agreed with the suspension decision.
And let me be clear: this was the right thing to do.
Coach Claeys’ Tweet later that week was not helpful. I accept that Coach Claeys intended it to support the boycotting players. Understandably others did not see it that way. I hope you will appreciate I cannot say more about the athletic suspensions in this case.
I will say, as a general matter, athletic suspension decisions – essentially a decision to bench a player – are different from a prosecutor’s decision to charge someone with a crime.
Different standards, different policies.
An athletic suspension decision is also different from a panel decision whether there has been a student conduct code violation.
Different standards, different policies.
For example, we suspend student-athletes for attitude problems. We suspend student-athletes while criminal investigations are ongoing. We suspend student-athletes when University investigators present credible evidence of inappropriate conduct. What happens in a student conduct process is not for me to say. Like the U and all involved, I simply want a just and fair process. That is not determined by who prevails; if justice is done, then the University of Minnesota and the public win, no matter the outcome.
Again, this has been a difficult decision. I thank Coach Claeys and his staff for their years of service. Coaches Dan O’Brien and Mike Sherels have agreed to remain during the coaching transition to ensure that our student-athletes have strong and active leadership in the interim.
While Coyle defended the decision to remove Claeys, his players ripped it -- and him.
Minnesota QB Mitch Lender: “No one is happy w/administration right now. I don’t know who would want to be part of this program at this time"
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 3, 2017
Minnesota underclassman: “Doesn’t matter who coach is we don’t want to play for administration. Countless people will transfer if possible”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 3, 2017
Claeys took over the program in the middle of last season after Jerry Kill stepped down for health reasons. He led the Gophers to an 11-8 overall mark with wins in the Quick Lane and Holiday bowls.
But it’s clear Coyle wanted his own man to run the program, with speculation he could target Bryan Harsin for the role. The pair worked together at Boise State before Coyle left for Syracuse.
