(Minneapolis, MN) — The University of Minnesota has named Tracy Claeys (pictured) the permanent head coach. Claeys had been serving the interim head coach after the sudden retirement of Jerry Kill on October 28th. Claeys and the school have agreed to a three-year deal, which will begin next season. That leaves Claeys under contract with the Gophers through the 2018 season. Claeys has been the team’s defensive coordinator since his arrival with Kill in 2011. He has lost the two games he coached as interim, but they came against ranked opponents Michigan and Ohio State. Minnesota has been ravaged by injuries this season and sits at 4-and-5 on the season with a visit to eighth-ranked Iowa on Saturday night. The Hawkeyes are 9-and-0 and listed as sixth in the latest College Football Playoff ratings. The Minnesota-Iowa game is set to kickoff at 7 P-M on Saturday in Iowa City.