Statement from Athletics Director Mark Coyle regarding Tracy Claeys

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Shocking. . . an 8-4 football coach at the U of MN is NOT on the hot seat. What an absolute shocker!!!!!
 



I was hoping we would keep Claeys. However, I feel if you are going to retain him you almost have to extend his contact or it will hurt recruiting.
 



SamSquatch said:
No we weren't. This is the type of mindset that has left the Gophers in the middle to lower tier of the B1G for decades. Losing all four impact games isn't close to winning them. Our winning percentage against T25 teams and rivals tells you exactly what this program has been, and it's disingenuous to claim we're close now to winning those games. If we want that to change, we have to speak honestly about the fact that we've been losers, and it's time for the program to create change through hard decisions.

I agree that an 8-4 record is good out of context. That said, many Gopher fans are just exasperated at this program losing at every major opportunity, and losing to your main rival for 14 years in a row. Combining that with an extension for a buffoonish coach really ruffles some fans' jimmies.
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1. Penn St.: Leidner doesn't throw the pick in the end zone (sound familiar), Ayinde doesn't give up a TD on 3rd and long, or we stop them on 4th down with 40 seconds to go and we win.
2. Iowa: Wadley's 50 yard TD run in the 4th quarter.
3. Nebraska: Mitch dumps it off to Rodney instead of throwing the pick.
4. Wisky: Mitch doesn't throw the pick in the end zone.

See a common theme? 3 of our losses were directly related to a Mitch INT in the 2nd half. We were close in all 4. It's not worth a moral victory, but we weren't getting shelled.
 


This was the way to go and you have to take into account that recruits can finally see the athletes village and football facility coming out of the ground. If that doesn't help I am not sure what will.

Go Gophers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 



Long time lurker who decided that this topic is too interesting to not jump into the fray. Few things...hard core fan since I was 6 years old and got hooked on the team. This was in the 70's so I've seen a lot of bad football. Loved Holtz but you knew this was a quick stop before some helmet program and it was. Then there was Gutey, I find Claeys to be eariely similar to that hire. Now many of you wanted Mason to stay so you would probably have to say that the current level is where we were at with him. Many torched Brewster for being a used car salesman but I give him credit for talking Rose Bowls and getting a buzz in the program...I think he sincerely believed he could do it! So here we sit a divided camp that feels that Claeys could develop further into the right guy and want to give him some more time and that is a point of view that I think is not wrong at all. Some say get a more dynamic coach and start over and that point of view is also not wrong if you can get a home run hire. Having been around this program a long time and going up and down this roller coaster that is gophers football I personally am enjoying what we have right now. I honestly can't see the U turning into the power it once was unless the administration goes all in and we know how that has been. I see the U as a team that makes a run every few years and actually makes a title game and is competitive every year with bowl games. Is Claeys that guy? I'm not sure and no one knows for that matter right now.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Can you hear it? The sound of hearts breaking all over GopherHole. Guess you'll all have to put up with the fat, poorly dressed, inarticulate, accent-having, soft-spoken, 8-game-winning coach for another season.
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Man you've got problems
 

Good now that we have a coach the marketing dept. (Not the coach, he has nothing to do with that other than fielding a good team) can work on getting more butts in the seats.
 

John Galt said:
See a common theme? 3 of our losses were directly related to a Mitch INT in the 2nd half. We were close in all 4. It's not worth a moral victory, but we weren't getting shelled.
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Gopher football: Can't beat ranked teams or rivals, but hey we didn't get blown out. Contract extension.
 



Imagine Nick Saban leaves Alabama after the season. Bama makes the decision to promote Kiffin or their DC to head coach. In the new coach's 1st year, Alabama goes 8-4. What would happen? The new guy would get a 2nd year.
 


I have a hard time understanding how some of you actually believe there was a chance he wasn't coming back.
 

If this was going to be his decision following a loss to Wisconsin, he should have made this statement 9 days ago. Or even mid season.
 

John Galt said:
Imagine Nick Saban leaves Alabama after the season. Bama makes the decision to promote Kiffin or their DC to head coach. In the new coach's 1st year, Alabama goes 8-4. What would happen? The new guy would get a 2nd year.
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I would imagine if Claeys had multiple conference and national titles on his coordinator resume, people might be more patient.
 

John Galt said:
Imagine Nick Saban leaves Alabama after the season. Bama makes the decision to promote Kiffin or their DC to head coach. In the new coach's 1st year, Alabama goes 8-4. What would happen? The new guy would get a 2nd year.
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Coming of a National Championship season I'm not sure Alabama would keep a coach that went 8-4.
 

tikited said:
I have a hard time understanding how some of you actually believe there was a chance he wasn't coming back.
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Look man Mitch clearly had a concussion and Tracy ignored it... he's fired.

If he doesn't win this game he's fired.

I mean this game.....

Or this game.......

Ok this rumor will do it.......

The sun came up today..........
 

tikited said:
I have a hard time understanding how some of you actually believe there was a chance he wasn't coming back.
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I don't think many thought he would be gone. I didn't think he would be gone
 

John Galt said:
Imagine Nick Saban leaves Alabama after the season. Bama makes the decision to promote Kiffin or their DC to head coach. In the new coach's 1st year, Alabama goes 8-4. What would happen? The new guy would get a 2nd year.
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As has been stated before it was far from a typical hiring situation. If Coyle (or a non-drunk Flat and Mega Tongue) were here in the fall of 2015 it's very arguable whether Tracy would have been given the permanent job.

Most expected Coyle to extend but the argument has been whether he's the guy to take us forward and there are some positive things and some red flags from this past year that can be used to argue both sides.
 

tikited said:
I have a hard time understanding how some of you actually believe there was a chance he wasn't coming back.
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If it was guaranteed that Claeys was coming back, why would MC have waited so long to announce it? Pure speculation on my part, but I think he made some calls.
 

Some guy said:
I would imagine if Claeys had multiple conference and national titles on his coordinator resume, people might be more patient.
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My grandmother could have multiple national championships on her coordinator resume if she worked for Saban.
 


John Galt said:
If it was guaranteed that Claeys was coming back, why would MC have waited so long to announce it? Pure speculation on my part, but I think he made some calls.
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He could have called, but I don't think anyone of substance seriously was considering coming here.
 

John Galt said:
If it was guaranteed that Claeys was coming back, why would MC have waited so long to announce it? Pure speculation on my part, but I think he made some calls.
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Just maybe, Mark Coyle is a man if integrity and stuck with his promise, to evaluate things after the season. He may have made his mind up awhile ago, but stuck with that time line, before he made any annoucement.
 

I've lurked all day, but figure it's time to chime in: Tracy Claeys and this staff absolutely deserve extensions, and anyone who thinks otherwise is out of their minds in my opinion.

With some continuity, continued development of young players and slightly improved quarterback play this team could compete for the division title both next year and in 2018. Why on earth would you blow that all up now for an unknown quantity is beyond me.

Am I concerned about recruiting and do I think there is something to the "not the face of the program" argument? Sure maybe a little bit. But that is not a good enough reason to blow everything up and start over, especially given the number of returning starters we have.

Extending Claeys by 2 years and giving him a slight raise while maintaining a low buyout, which is what I expect will happen, is 100% the right move. And it's not even close.


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John Galt said:
My grandmother could have multiple national championships on her coordinator resume if she worked for Saban.
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Good point. How many times has your grandma been named his coordinator though?
 

Hollinsanity said:
I've lurked all day, but figure it's time to chime in: Tracy Claeys and this staff absolutely deserve extensions, and anyone who thinks otherwise is out of their minds in my opinion.

With some continuity, continued development of young players and slightly improved quarterback play this team could compete for the division title both next year and in 2018. Why on earth would you blow that all up now for an unknown quantity is beyond me.

Am I concerned about recruiting and do I think there is something to the "not the face of the program" argument? Sure maybe a little bit. But that is not a good enough reason to blow everything up and start over, especially given the number of returning starters we have.

Extending Claeys by 2 years and giving him a slight raise while maintaining a low buyout, which is what I expect will happen, is 100% the right move. And it's not even close.


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Calling a football coach average and thinking it is better to cut ties with an average coach now rather than waiting 5 years does not make someone out of their mind.

If someone said he was terrible, they might be out of their mind.
 

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