Tracy Claeys' interim tag has been removed.

Claeys signed a three year contract Wednesday morning to become Minnesota's head football coach, two weeks after Jerry Kill resigned due to concerns about his long-term health.

Claeys was previously the Gophers associate head coach and defensive coordinator under Kill. He spent 21 years as an assistant coach working for Kill before being elevated to interim head coach, and immediately made clear he hoped to become the full-time head coach.

Claeys is 0-2 as the Gophers' interim head coach this season, with losses to No. 15 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State. Claeys was 4-3 as the Gophers interim head coach in 2013 when Kill took a leave of abscence to focus on treating his epilepsy.

Terms of Claeys' contract are expected to be made available later in the day.

"The circumstances of the past few weeks have been unpredictable. This certainly is not the way anyone wants to become a head coach," Claeys said in a statement. "Coach Kill is one of my best friends and I am thankful that he took a chance on me 21 years ago. I am looking forward to continuing what we have built at Minnesota, but will do so in my own way."

The Minnesota Daily will have more on this story as the day progresses.