Tracy Claeys led the Minnesota Golden Gophers to a successful 9-4 season and a bowl game victory amidst a tumultuous season filled with scandal and controversy, but it was not enough for him to keep his job.
After 10 players were suspended amid a sexual assault investigation, the remaining team members threatened to boycott the Holiday Bowl in support of the suspended players. The boycott did not materialize and the remaining players played and won their bowl game despite being shorthanded, but it may have been this tweet in support of his players before the boycott that sealed Tracy Claeys’s fate:
Have never been more proud of our kids. I respect their rights & support their effort to make a better world! 〽️🏈
— Tracy Claeys (@t_claeys) December 16, 2016
This tweet along with the sexual assault investigation and boycott is why there was speculation that Claeys’s job was in jeopardy. After the news of Claeys firing reached his players, they reacted strongly on Twitter.
Freshman LB Carter Coughlin
https://twitter.com/Cmoe34/status/816403841776238595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Senior DB Jalen Myrick
Fire the coach that stick with his players .. it's sad how this administration doesn't care about the players at all
— Jalen Myrick (@5__On__It) January 3, 2017
Freshman Tyler Johnson
Smh 😒
— Tyler Johnson (@T_muhneyy10) January 3, 2017
In the wake of scandals at Baylor and Penn State, schools are taking sexual assault allegations very seriously and Claeys publicly backing his players may have factored in. Before his firing, Minnesotans started an online petition calling for his firing that accumulated nearly 3500 signatures, so there was public pressure for the school to take action.
Flip the pages for more player reactions.