Kansas coaching search: Les Miles and 5 candidates (5. Tracy Claeys)

[Dano564]

I can't recall why Claeys was fired anymore.

Perhaps we should have kept him and the 9* and 4 seasons annually.

 

[Dano564]

Are you for real? You are now justifying our lose at IL? Not as good as GWG’s posts explaining Purdue’s success away by age and completely abandoning the Talent Ranking drum he beat so hard last year - but still a true smh moment.

Never change FtF. You are precious.


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Glad you got a kick out of that one.
Tongue only half in cheek on that.

Losing to Illinois = embarrassing

Separate item = Having veteran players can help you win.
Separate item = Gophers seem to play better at home than road so far but that could change this weekend.


No need to draw massive conclusions that I'm justifying a loss.
Good thing is it was only one loss that hopefully soon will be forgotten.
If not, in 3 years we'll have a new head coach who I'll either like more or dislike more.

 

[leadpipegopher]

It's absolutely nothing like your example.
It's like a secretary who does a good job but then gets fired because she won't take a bribe. Tracy was right to stand by his players, what more proof do you need? The President who threw him under the bus was run out of town. The head of the EOAA was run out of town.
Tracy Claeys was right to stand by his players, the fact that you think standing up for what is right makes someone a "really really bad leader" says quite a bit about you.

As far as football, yeah, we agreed on something. He did a much better job than Fleck, so far.

+1

 

[Gophers_4life]

I think Frank Solich is a perfect fit here. What he does could work here and wouldnt have the nebraska pressure.

Or Craig Bohl for that matter. Former DC at Nebraska, so knew the Big 8 well enough at one time.

 

[hello-world]

It's absolutely nothing like your example.
It's like a secretary who does a good job but then gets fired because she won't take a bribe. Tracy was right to stand by his players, what more proof do you need? The President who threw him under the bus was run out of town. The head of the EOAA was run out of town.
Tracy Claeys was right to stand by his players, the fact that you think standing up for what is right makes someone a "really really bad leader" says quite a bit about you.

As far as football, yeah, we agreed on something. He did a much better job than Fleck, so far.

Have you ever seen Game of Thrones? You're like Ned Stark. There's a reason he ends up dead in the first five episodes.
Standing up for what is right strategically and doing what Claeys did are not the same thing.
Claeys could have supported his players. Instead he took a brash and very public stand against his own boss and lost his job because of it.
There was a right and a wrong way to handle that situation. Claeys choose the wrong way.

Claeys was an insider. He could have worked with Coyle to figure out what the hell was going on and tried to protect his players from the right side of the fence.
Instead, he Tweeted, that was absolutely the least tactful thing he could have done and he helped no one by doing it.
He lost his job and his players ended up getting smeared by local media.

That was't standing up for what is right, that's being a complete f*ing moron.

 

[leadpipegopher]

Have you ever seen Game of Thrones? You're like Ned Stark. There's a reason he ends up dead in the first five episodes.
Standing up for what is right strategically and doing what Claeys did are not the same thing.
Claeys could have supported his players. Instead he took a brash and very public stand against his own boss and lost his job because of it.
There was a right and a wrong way to handle that situation. Claeys choose the wrong way.

Claeys was an insider. He could have worked with Coyle to figure out what the hell was going on and tried to protect his players from the right side of the fence.
Instead, he Tweeted, that was absolutely the least tactful thing he could have done and he helped no one by doing it.
He lost his job and his players ended up getting smeared by local media.

That was't standing up for what is right, that's being a complete f*ing moron.

Absolutely incorrect, and completely ignoring the Title IX culture and politically correct weasels that were in charge.

 

[MrC]

per Berreman:

5. Tracy Claeys, Washington St. Defensive Coordinator

Claeys’ tenure as head coach at Minnesota ended badly and oddly, as he supported Gophers’ players who were accused of sexual assault and threatened to boycott a bowl game in 2016.

The players who threatened to boycott were NOT the players who were accused of sexual assault. That sentence is as awkward and ill-advised as Tracy’s tweet.

 

[hungan1]

I'd also think that Claeys might be happier as a DC anyways. Wazzu seems like a perfect spot for him- out of the limelight, plenty of autonomy to run the defense as he sees fit (with Leach's hands off approach), etc

They farm wheat up in Washington State. That was all it took to convince him it is like Kansas.

 

[Spoofin]

Have you ever seen Game of Thrones? You're like Ned Stark. There's a reason he ends up dead in the first five episodes.
Standing up for what is right strategically and doing what Claeys did are not the same thing.
Claeys could have supported his players. Instead he took a brash and very public stand against his own boss and lost his job because of it.
There was a right and a wrong way to handle that situation. Claeys choose the wrong way.

Claeys was an insider. He could have worked with Coyle to figure out what the hell was going on and tried to protect his players from the right side of the fence.
Instead, he Tweeted, that was absolutely the least tactful thing he could have done and he helped no one by doing it.
He lost his job and his players ended up getting smeared by local media.

That was't standing up for what is right, that's being a complete f*ing moron.

You almost had me until you suggest he could have “worked with Coyle”. You seem to have missed the role that MC had. He handled things worse than anyone else and he was gonna make sure someone else took the fall. How could have TC “worked with” Coyle? He would have had better cooperation from Satan.


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[HoustonTXGopher]

Actually it does. You don't have to believe it but Tracy will never be a P5 head coach again. He'll make good money being a successful defensive coordinator for the rest of his career. Maybe he could even end up in the NFL as a defensive coordinator.

You make this statement with such strong conviction, but in fact you have no idea what the future will bring. Oops, I get it now. You used to be a weather forecaster, predict whatever you want and get it right/wrong about 50% of the time with zero recourse.

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

Woah. He beat Illinois? Man, they're a juggernaut.

And how did we look against that juggernaut this year?

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

He got fired due to poor recruiting, awful ticket sales, and a scandal that spun out of control right under his nose.
That's not a "good job." He failed at everything except for football. It's like hiring a secretary that keeps the office in order, but turns around and embezzles all your money.

Keeping the office in order might be their core function, but when they **** up everything else then they're not still a good secretary.

I do think Tracy deserves another chance somewhere, but he needs a ton of grooming and someone to hold his hand while he figures out the whole 'leadership' aspect of coaching.

He's a good strategist and a really really bad leader.

He didn't even have time for us to see what kind of recruiter he was, not to mention that piddly contract he was given, it made damn sure that recruits knew the administration was not behind him. The scandal you mention only spun out of control because Coyle made sure it did to give him an excuse to fire him. Coyle is such a chicken **** piece of dung for the way he handled that episode.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

I think Claey's would make Kansas a winner. That said If I were Claey's I would not take that job. Kansas is a coaching graveyard like Minnesota is.

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[MNVCGUY]

At some point, hopefully in the not too distant future, we will reach a point where we get to stop having these stupid pissing matches about Claeys and Fleck. It seems like most have moved on past Kill, I think the Rutgers thing was the last straw for a lot of people and allowed them to finally let go of Kill. Maybe Claeys taking another head coaching job and either failing or succeeding will be needed to finally get some people to move on past him.

Just wish I could get myself not to stop reading once the thread goes down that same stupid rabbit hole but I can never seem to bring myself to look away

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

You make this statement with such strong conviction, but in fact you have no idea what the future will bring. Oops, I get it now. You used to be a weather forecaster, predict whatever you want and get it right/wrong about 50% of the time with zero recourse.

Easiest prediction I’ll ever make

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

At some point, hopefully in the not too distant future, we will reach a point where we get to stop having these stupid pissing matches about Claeys and Fleck. It seems like most have moved on past Kill, I think the Rutgers thing was the last straw for a lot of people and allowed them to finally let go of Kill. Maybe Claeys taking another head coaching job and either failing or succeeding will be needed to finally get some people to move on past him.

Just wish I could get myself not to stop reading once the thread goes down that same stupid rabbit hole but I can never seem to bring myself to look away

I don't think that what drives these conversations is some great love for Claeys, it is the comparison between Claeys'only full year at the helm vs the two under Fleck. If Fleck beats Claeys' 9 win total, I dont think you will see more than a few Claeys' devotees still clamoring for him.

 

[Treswell]

Tracy Claeys was right to stand by his players, the fact that you think standing up for what is right makes someone a "really really bad leader" says quite a bit about you.

1. Players announce boycott and demand all 10 players be reinstated or they won't play
2. Claeys tweets his support of players
3. Someone informs players that is a really stupid demand
4. Players water down demands to due process/campus discussion

If only Claeys had noticed how stupid the initial demand was and waited a few hours. Wouldn't have mattered to his job, but certainly to his reputation.

The President who threw him under the bus was run out of town.

2.5 years later would seem like a mosey out of town.

 

[Spoofin]

I don't think that what drives these conversations is some great love for Claeys, it is the comparison between Claeys'only full year at the helm vs the two under Fleck. If Fleck beats Claeys' 9 win total, I dont think you will see more than a few Claeys' devotees still clamoring for him.

I’m with you here. I’ve accepted TC being fired and don’t long for him to come back. The part that irks me to no end is the need some have to diminish the success he had in some misguided belief that makes them a better PJ supporter. Oh, and I’ll dig at Coyle and anyone that doesn’t recognize that clown show for what it is - including, but not limited to, that embarrassing press conference where TC was let go.


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[Zeppelin Gopher]

You make this statement with such strong conviction, but in fact you have no idea what the future will bring. Oops, I get it now. You used to be a weather forecaster, predict whatever you want and get it right/wrong about 50% of the time with zero recourse.

HAHAHA BOOM, ROASTED

 

[50PoundHead]

It's absolutely nothing like your example.
It's like a secretary who does a good job but then gets fired because she won't take a bribe. Tracy was right to stand by his players, what more proof do you need? The President who threw him under the bus was run out of town. The head of the EOAA was run out of town.
Tracy Claeys was right to stand by his players, the fact that you think standing up for what is right makes someone a "really really bad leader" says quite a bit about you.

As far as football, yeah, we agreed on something. He did a much better job than Fleck, so far.

To an extent yes. I've held off on this, but the minute Claeys heard about the potential walkout, he should have called the team together and said "Walk out if you want, but if you do, just keep walking." He made the mistake of thinking Drew Wolitarsky signed his paycheck. I wish Claeys nothing but the best, but his actions, or rather his inactions, in that matter, cooked his goose here. Coyle probably wanted to fire him anyway and maybe Claeys perceived that and simply wanted out of the situation. Who really knows? But the mishandling of the whole walkout issue was simply inexcusable. I actually thought Claeys handled everything up to that unfortunate incident by the book, but all that went away with the walkout episode.

 

[Iceland12]

To an extent yes. I've held off on this, but the minute Claeys heard about the potential walkout, he should have called the team together and said "Walk out if you want, but if you do, just keep walking." He made the mistake of thinking Drew Wolitarsky signed his paycheck. I wish Claeys nothing but the best, but his actions, or rather his inactions, in that matter, cooked his goose here. Coyle probably wanted to fire him anyway and maybe Claeys perceived that and simply wanted out of the situation. Who really knows? But the mishandling of the whole walkout issue was simply inexcusable. I actually thought Claeys handled everything up to that unfortunate incident by the book, but all that went away with the walkout episode.

It "fell apart" when at the Press Conference Coyle said that Claeys agreed with decision to suspend all 10 players for the Bowl Game. Claeys when asked about it said something along the lines of "if not responding when asked meant" that he agreed with the decision "than yeah, I guess I did".

Personally think that Claeys released that no matter what happened he was gonna get fired, so he decided to stand by the players who had nothing to do with the incident.

If anybody really wants to rehash all that damn stuff, and Lord knows why you'd want to, but here's a link to a page in the middle of it.

You should find plenty of threads discussing it:

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?2-7-National-Titles-Football-Forum/page151

 

[50PoundHead]

It "fell apart" when at the Press Conference Coyle said that Claeys agreed with decision to suspend all 10 players for the Bowl Game. Claeys when asked about it said something along the lines of "if not responding when asked meant" that he agreed with the decision "than yeah, I guess I did".

Personally think that Claeys released that no matter what happened he was gonna get fired, so he decided to stand by the players who had nothing to do with the incident.

If anybody really wants to rehash all that damn stuff, and Lord knows why you'd want to, but here's a link to a page in the middle of it.

You should find plenty of threads discussing it:

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?2-7-National-Titles-Football-Forum/page151

I just was responding to an earlier post. I certainly don't want to rehash it, but if anyone thinks the rest of college football wasn't watching Claeys handle that situation, they are fooling themselves. I'm not defending Coyle here and I think you're right that Claeys probably figured he was toast regardless of what happened. If my memory serves me correctly, Claeys wanted to suspend those guys earlier in the season, but was instructed by higher-ups not to. I could be wrong on that. But you're right. Enough rehashing.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Hindsight is 20/20. Have to remember at the time there was video evidence of the consensual threesome, extra guys dragged into the investigation and suspended seemingly randomly, and some of them had been jerked around earlier with restraining orders that at one time named a player completely unrelated to the incident. It was clear the guys thought it was all consensual, had a certain opinion of this person, and it turned out the accuser really was a very poor witness that changed stories, etc. The police didn’t find her credible. The school investigator did. Nobody at the time including Coyle seemed to understand the hearing and appeal process. Frustration and anger took hold.

I’m sure given a redo many people would act differently, all around.

 

[STPGopher]

I’m with you here. I’ve accepted TC being fired and don’t long for him to come back. The part that irks me to no end is the need some have to diminish the success he had in some misguided belief that makes them a better PJ supporter. Oh, and I’ll dig at Coyle and anyone that doesn’t recognize that clown show for what it is - including, but not limited to, that embarrassing press conference where TC was let go.



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By far my biggest gripe about this situation!

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

1. Players announce boycott and demand all 10 players be reinstated or they won't play
2. Claeys tweets his support of players
3. Someone informs players that is a really stupid demand
4. Players water down demands to due process/campus discussion

If only Claeys had noticed how stupid the initial demand was and waited a few hours. Wouldn't have mattered to his job, but certainly to his reputation.



2.5 years later would seem like a mosey out of town.

2.5 years?

Claeyes was fired in January of 2017, and Kaler announced he was *ahem "stepping down" in July of 2018. So 1.5 years.

Are you really arguing that Kaler just naturally drifted away from the position and it had nothing to do with his mismanagement of the situation?

Obviously you realize it's absurd, it's why you had to fib a bit on the timing.

 

[Spoofin]

2.5 years?

Claeyes was fired in January of 2017, and Kaler announced he was *ahem "stepping down" in July of 2018. So 1.5 years.

Are you really arguing that Kaler just naturally drifted away from the position and it had nothing to do with his mismanagement of the situation?

Obviously you realize it's absurd, it's why you had to fib a bit on the timing.

Let’s shorten that timeframe further.
June 2018 - Federal lawsuit Filed
July 2018 - Kaler announces he was *ahem “stepping down”.
1-month. Unrelated?


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[dpodoll68]

2.5 years?

Claeyes was fired in January of 2017, and Kaler announced he was *ahem "stepping down" in July of 2018. So 1.5 years.

Are you really arguing that Kaler just naturally drifted away from the position and it had nothing to do with his mismanagement of the situation?

Obviously you realize it's absurd, it's why you had to fib a bit on the timing.

Love ya Bob, but you are incredibly off base here. The original 2.5 years was correct. Claeys was fired in January 2017, and Kaler is stepping down as U of M President in July 2019. That's 2.5 years. He is voluntarily leaving a very demanding position, one that he will have held for 8 years by the time he steps down. In modern times, you will rarely find a major university president who lasts longer than 5-6 years in the position.

Moreover, he announced his planned departure from the position a year in advance. When is the last time you heard of someone who was fired for malfeasance and said, "Hey, is it cool if I stick around for another year?"

Additionally, he is not leaving the U. He is serving in an emeritus fundraising role for a year, then serving on the CSE faculty after a sabbatical. Again, when is the last time someone fired for malfeasance was allowed to stay on with the organization?

Your notions are silly and absurd. You're better than this.

 

[CharchyCharch]

I think most folks on the board (me included) would love to see Tracy get the head coaching job at Kansas. He could bring in Jay, and Mike and maybe Jim Carter would move to Lawrence.. Win/Win. I am on the side of he was a very good DC and part of a very good staff, I would like to see him get a chance, but I'm glad that he isn't our head coach. If Jerry didn't get sick, he would still be our head coach and Tracy would still be our DC. If he gets the job and does great, we will never hear the end of it from some folks on this board. If he gets the job is unable to sell the program to 18 year kids and the alumni, then the other half will feel vindicated in some way. The simple fact is that no matter what, he's never coming back here unless by some miracle we can schedule a game with Kansas and sell out the Bank..

The Johnson Claeys ship sailed when Claeys informed Johnson that the OC duties did not include anything surrounding the QB. dude was pi55ed.

 

[OddStack]

The Johnson Claeys ship sailed when Claeys informed Johnson that the OC duties did not include anything surrounding the QB. dude was pi55ed.

Why are there so many videos of that year of him coaching the QBs?

 

[tjgopher]

To an extent yes. I've held off on this, but the minute Claeys heard about the potential walkout, he should have called the team together and said "Walk out if you want, but if you do, just keep walking." He made the mistake of thinking Drew Wolitarsky signed his paycheck. I wish Claeys nothing but the best, but his actions, or rather his inactions, in that matter, cooked his goose here.

This is the correct answer. People may want to blame the tweet for the reason TC was fired and certainly that was part of it. But, the complete and utter lack of leadership was the problem. There is zero chance that a Jerry Kill or a Barry Alvarez or a Kirk Ferentz or even a PJ Fleck would let that boycott go public. No chance. It would have been stopped long before anyone left that locker room. To stand by and think he would lose the team if he stopped the boycott was his undoing, plain and simple. It is too bad, too. The players were always going to get due process, that was in the protocol. They got it and five were cleared. That was going to happen whether the team boycotted or not. Literally, the boycott had no effect on the situation other than to paint the U in a bad light and cost TC his job.

Players were given some horribly bad advice by some advisers who completely miscalculated the situation and TC stood by and let them walk the plank for him.