Minnesota Gophers: Tracy Claeys makes right, strong move in firing of offensive coordinator
The Minnesota Golden Gophers fired a couple long time assistants after a season that was putrid offensively.
The powers that be at the University of Minnesota decided that the football team’s offense was so offensive that the coaches heading up the department had to be let go. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and Jim Zebrowski were let go this weekend.
New head coach Tracy Claeys released this statement:
"“Matt and Jim are both terrific people and coaches, but I have decided to make a change that will better fit my offensive philosophy, which is to have one coordinator calling the plays. They have been great representatives for the university and always put our student-athletes first, and I thank them for their contributions to our program and wish them well in the future.”"
While the offensive was surely bad enough to have the coaches fired, it still came as somewhat of a shock that new head coach Tracy Claeys would pull the trigger on this. The public has been sold on the fact that Jerry Kill’s staff has been together longer than any married couple in the world, basically, and even though Kill is gone everyone assumed the gang would stay together.
Everything has changed. The Kill era has officially ended and the Claeys regime has begun.
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It would have been very easy for Claeys to keep the Limegrover/Zebrowski team in place even after the horrid offensive season. He had the excuses of being a new coach and coaching with these guys for years, but Claeys stood tall and made change for the program that is now under his watch.
It’s a wonderful move. It’s a powerful move for Claeys that shows that he is in charge and is going to do anything to better the program.
The school took a risk in hiring Claeys who has never held a head coaching gig in the college ranks and Claeys is starting show that he has the guts to hold the job and get out of the shadow that has been cast by Jerry Kill.
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