MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota signed coach Tracy Claeys to a three-year contract through the 2018 season Wednesday, dropping the interim tag from Jerry Kill's long-groomed sidekick Wednesday in favor of stability for the Gophers over a national search.
The widely expected decision came exactly two weeks after Kill tearfully announced his retirement due to the continued difficulty of managing his epilepsy and the demanding job.
The 46-year-old Claeys, who has been an assistant to Kill for 21 seasons, will make $1.4 million next year, $1.5 million in 2017 and $1.6 million in 2018. That will put him near the bottom of the Big Ten in terms of overall football coach compensation.