ESPN: Minnesota season review (Coaching: B-) (Unsung Hero: Antonio Johnson)

BleedGopher

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per ESPN:

Grading the coaching: B-minus

It's difficult to accurately measure the coaching performance because the staff was thrust into a role it never expected. But when Kill announced his resignation in October, Claeys stepped in on an interim basis and admirably kept the program afloat. The win-loss record doesn't really capture his value to the Gophers, and he was rewarded with the head-coaching position. Certainly, Claeys has some improving to do, particularly in the clock management area -- see Minnesota's heartbreaking loss to Michigan. Minnesota underachieved with a 5-7 record, but the Gophers played well enough to be in games against Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa into the fourth quarter.

Best moment: Nobody wanted to see it happen the way it did, but Claeys taking over as the full-time head coach topped anything that happened on the field for Minnesota this season. For 21 years, he had spent his career in the background as an assistant while following Kill to Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. In November, he received a three-year contract that will take him through the 2018 season, and he'll finally be given an opportunity to prove himself on the big stage.

Unsung hero: It's usually not a good sign when a defensive back leads a team in tackles, but that's exactly what Antonio Johnson did for the Gophers. The senior from Cleveland, Ohio, recorded a team-high 99 tackles, including a career-best 14 tackles against Iowa. He also intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. His. 8.3 tackles per game rank 11th in the Big Ten.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/128507/minnesota-season-review-adversity-strikes-at-the-top

Go Gophers!!
 




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