October 16, 2018 1:27 AM PDT
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys will return next year, with an 8-4 season earning him the full support of the schools new athletic director. Ty Rattie Jersey .The Golden Gophers went 5-4 in the Big Ten in Claeys first full season running the program. He took over midway through last year after Jerry Kill was forced to retire due to health concerns.Claeys is 10-8 in one and half seasons with Minnesota. He was given a three-year deal last year by interim athletic director Beth Goetz during a tenuous time in the athletic department. The school was looking for a permanent athletic director to replace the disgraced Norwood Teague, so Goetz authored a contract that would give Claeys a little bit of stability to trumpet while recruiting but was also designed to give the new athletic director as much flexibility as possible in evaluating the football program.Mark Coyle took that post in May, and said Monday that he and Claeys have started to discuss this past season and the plan for our program moving forward.He is our head football coach, Coyle said in a statement issued by the school. As is the case with every one of our head coaches, he has my full support. I will do whatever I can to help him and our students achieve at the highest levels.Claeys made $1.4 million in total compensation during the first year of his new contract that runs through 2018. But the buyout for the university would have been only $500,000 had Coyle decided to replace him now.A soft schedule had the Gophers hoping to make a run at the Big Ten West title, but narrow losses to Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska hurt them, and they finished the season with a 31-17 loss at rival Wisconsin on Saturday.Athletic directors often like to make their own coaching hires rather than stay with people they inherited, especially at a high-profile program like football. But Coyle, who came to Minnesota from Syracuse and was also the athletic director at football stronghold Boise State, has decided to stick with Claeys in hopes that continuity will help.Our football program has now won eight games in the regular season three times in four seasons, Coyle said. We expect that our program will continue to grow and I am committed to putting us in a position to do so. This includes working with coach Claeys to evaluate where we need to improve and what each of us can do to ensure we meet our expectations.Coaches at power conference programs typically operate with more than two years remaining on their deals to help assure recruits of stability so it remains likely that Claeys will receive some sort of contract extension in the coming weeks.---AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.---For more college football coverage: http://www.collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL href="http://www.oilersauthority.com/authentic-adam-larsson-oilers-jersey/" target="_blank">Adam Larsson Jersey . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Andrew Ference Jersey .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. http://www.oilersauthority.com/authentic-jari-kurri-oilers-jersey/ ;. Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Leonard Floyd figures he will take a moment to scan the stadium, soak it all in. Then it will be time to show what he can do.The Chicago Bears are counting on big things from the outside linebacker after drafting him with the ninth overall pick. That starts with the preseason opener against the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos on Thursday night.I try to do a circle and look at all the fans and stuff, Floyd said. And I get locked in on focusing on the game.It will be a big moment for Floyd and the Bears. Chicago drafted the Georgia standout with the idea that his speed and athleticism would help jolt a defense that lacked playmakers a year ago.Not only will the Bears be getting their first look at Floyd, they will also be seeing receiver Kevin White in a game situation for the first time.The No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft, he was sidelined last season by a fractured shin. Instead of forming a fierce tandem with Alshon Jeffery, White was a spectator.The Bears, meanwhile, are trying to pick themselves up after going 6-10 and finishing last in the NFC North. With just 11 wins over the past two years, they come into their second season under general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox looking for much more.The development of Floyd and White could go a long way toward determining if they get it.Its all about that `exam, Fox said. Those exams are those preseason games and I cant think of a better test than the defending world champs Thursday night.The Bears are trying to build a strong young core under Pace and Fox after years of shaky drafting under former GMs Jerry Angelo and Phil Emery. It sure would help if White and Floyd thrived, and there are big expectations for both players.The 6-foot-4 Floyd is a key addition to a defense that made big strides last season under coordinator Vic Fangio yet still had some huge deficiencies. Chicago rosee from 30th to 14th in the rankings but tied for 22nd in sacks and was just 30th in interceptions. Kailer Yamamoto Jersey. The Bears addressed that by overhauling their front seven, adding 336-pound free agent defensive end Akiem Hicks and backing him with inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. With his speed and athleticism, Floyd brings a skillset that management believes will produce bigger numbers in the NFL than in college. Floyd had 4 1/2 sacks for Georgia last season, but he wont be dropping back in coverage the way he did in college.He will also be playing on both sides of the field and occasionally move inside, which could give him an edge over slower guards.It gives me an opportunity to make plays from different areas on the field, Floyd said. Pretty much all outside linebackers have the opportunity to play left, right and sometimes in the middle.The past two weeks have been eye opening for Floyd.Hes been soaking up as much as he can from the coaches as well as veterans such as Willie Young, Sam Acho and Pernell McPhee, trying to improve on his weaknesses. Hes trying to stay patient and focus on the big picture. But he also understands the pressure to make a quick impact.Ive got the highest expectations on myself, he said. I put the most on myself.Game notes Jeffery said no decision has been made about whether he will play on Thursday. The receiver practiced on a limited basis Monday and Tuesday after suffering a mild hamstring strain last week. Fox and quarterback Jay Cutler have said they hope Jeffery plays in the preseason, particularly after sat out the 2015 preseason and went on to miss seven games last season because of a variety of injuries.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL href="http://www.cheapjerseysncaaauthentic.com/">Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Youth NFL Jerseys China White NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Jerseys NFL Cheap Camo China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2020 Wholesale NFL White JerseysWholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap Jerseys 2020 NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Disocunt Football Jerseys China Womens NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Jerseys Online ' ' '
