Report: Washington State to hire ex-Minnesota head coach Claeys as DC

It appears Washington State didn't wait long to name a replacement defensive coordinator, as a source told Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune the school will hire former Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys for the role.

The job became available when Alex Grinch left the Cougars to join the Ohio State staff last week, and head coach Mike Leach has jumped at the chance to hire Claeys.

Claeys took over as Golden Gophers head coach midway through the 2015 season after Jerry Kill retired due to health reasons. The 49-year-old posted an 11-8 record before being fired following the 2016 season in the middle of a team-led boycott in response to the suspension of 10 players accused of having a role in a sexual assault case.

The last game Claeys coached at Minnesota was a win over Washington State in the 2016 Holiday Bowl.