Tracy Claeys chose tight ends coach Rob Reeves to be the team's offensive coordinator for the Quick Lane Bowl. Claeys said over the weekend that there is "zero" chance he would hire a permanent replacement for Matt Limegrover, fired from OC duties on Nov. 29, before the Dec. 28 bowl game in Detroit.
Rob Reeves promoted to offensive coordinator for Gophers' bowl game
Tight end coach is a longtime Kill-Claeys assistant.
December 8, 2015 at 12:15AM
Offensive quality control Nate Griffin will coach the tight ends while Reeves runs the offense and calls the plays. Offensive graduate assistant Trevor Olson and special teams quality control Jay Nunez will coach the offensive line, and offensive graduate assistant Adam Weber will coach the quarterbacks. Former QB coach Jim Zebrowski was fired at the same time as Limegrover.
Defensive backs coach Jay Sawvel will serve as defensive coordinator in Detroit, while Dan O'Brien, who joined the staff on Nov. 30 as co-special teams coordinator, assistant defensive backs coach and assistant to the head coach, will make his Minnesota coaching debut.
Running backs coach Pat Poore will also begin working as co-special teams coordinator in the bowl.
Reeves has been a coach in the Claeys-Jerry Kill circle since Saginaw Valley State in 1996, when he was a graduate assistant. He's coach tight ends and H-backs at Minnesota since 2011. Reeves coached running backs at Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois prior to coming to Minnesota.
The Gophers face Central Michigan in the bowl game, a 4 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2.
Associate head coach Kristen Kelsay said it took a “dream come true” to get her to depart after two seasons with head coach Keegan Cook.
