Report: WSU goes with a familiar face to fill defensive coordinator spot

Alex Grinch officially left his post at Washington State Monday morning, but the Cougars may have already found his replacement.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, former Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys has been hired by Mike Leach to become the Cougars’ new defensive coordinator.

The Star Tribune report states that Claeys agreed to a two-year contract to join Leach in Pullman. Grinch, who held the DC title at WSU for the last three years, was hired by Ohio State as an assistant Monday morning.

WSU media relations didn’t immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment, but The Seattle Times also confirmed the Star Tribune report.

Claeys, a 24-year coaching veteran, is a face plenty familiar for WSU fans. In his final game as Minnesota’s coach, he led the Golden Gophers to a 17-12 win over the Cougars in the 2016 Holiday Bowl, holding Leach’s offense to just 303 yards and a single touchdown.

But the bowl win came amid sexual assualt allegations that resulted in the suspension of 10 Minnesota players. A number of other players boycotted team activities and threatened to skip the Holiday Bowl, but ended their protest in time to suit up for the game in San Diego.

Claeys, who was vocal in his support of the player protest, was fired on Jan. 3 despite leading the Golden Gophers to a 9-4 record. He then took a hiatus from college football during the 2017 season. In two seasons as a head coach/interim head coach, Claeys led Minnesota to an 11-8 record but won both of his bowl games –the 2016 Holiday Bowl vs. WSU and the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl against Central Michigan.

Before he was hired as the interim head coach at Minnesota in 2015, Claeys was the Golden Gophers’ defensive coordinator for four-plus seasons. He’s also been a DC at Northern Illinois (2008-10), Southern Illinois (2001-07) and Emporia State (1999-2000).

This isn’t the first time Leach has gone to the 2016 Minnesota staff for help on the defensive side of the ball. Weeks after the Holiday Bowl loss to the Golden Gophers, WSU hired ex-Minnesota defensive line coach Jeff Phelps to lead the same position group in Pullman. Phelps’ first season in charge of the Cougars’ D-line was a major success. WSU finished 20th in the FBS with 2.85 sacks per game and the Cougars were tied for ninth nationally with 7.9 tackles-for-loss per game. Phelps worked under Claeys for six years at Minnesota and was Claeys’ D-line coach at Northern Illinois for two years before that.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Report: WSU goes with a familiar face to fill defensive coordinator spot."