CHICAGO - Jerry Kill, Tracy Claeys and Matt Limegrover spent 16 years working alongside each other.

From Emporia State in 1999, through stops at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois and eventually Minnesota, the tight-knit group worked its way up the ranks of college football to great success. Only the abrupt end to Kill’s coaching career, forced by chronic seizures with worsening complications, would break that trajectory midway through the 2015 season.

In Kill’s absence defensive coordinator Claeys was moved to head coach, and by the time the year had ended, Minnesota’s sputtering offense prompted a change. The coordinator for the Gophers’ offense, Limegrover and quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski were let go by Claeys the day after the season’s end in November.

According to Minnesota Star-Tribune writer Michael Rand, Claey’s decision to part with Limegrover was “almost Shakespearean in nature.” The dust having settled, Claeys preparing for his first season in charge in Minneapolis and Limegrover set to lead the Nittany Lions’ offensive line this fall, Claeys offered a different perspective earlier this week at the Big Ten Media Days.

“I will tell you this. I've been brought up with Coach Kill and Matt. I think we worked together 16 years and Coach has always been about loyalty. I'm usually a guy who sleeps really good, and that was tough,” said Claeys. “And here's all it came down to. It had nothing to do with Matt's ability to coach or anything like that. It's that Coach had the offense set up to where there were basically two coordinators. I just didn't feel comfortable with that situation.”

Having always been the defensive coordinator by himself under Kill’s direction, Claeys said he felt strongly that although other ideas would be listened to throughout the staff, “When it comes game day, one guy’s gotta be in charge; that’s my belief.”

Noting a challenge Limegrover himself acknowledged this offseason, Claeys also cited the split-responsibility of having an offensive coordinator also handle the line as creating a level of discomfort for him moving forward.

“I think it's hard (for the offensive line coach) to be the coordinator. Matt spent time in the box. I think you need to be down in the trenches with your guys,” said Claeys. “All the crap you're seeing on defense now with the slanting and blitzing and being there with those guys in battle and helping them through it, I think that's a key.

“So it was more of a structural issue on offense, getting to where I was comfortable; not at all Matt's coaching ability. Sixteen years, he's worked his ass off and given it everything he's got. He's a good football coach. I hated to see it end that way, but I just felt like to restructure it, that's what was best.”

Claeys and Limegrover will face each other in October when Minnesota travels to Happy Valley.

Asked whether or not he’ll have some added intrigue to the game since the split, Claeys suggested the matchup will be a tough one.

“I think it being the opening Big Ten game of the year is enough intrigue to it,” he said. “You never like to compete against friends, that's for sure, unless it's in a big game at the end of the year when you know you both had good seasons.

“But, we wish nothing but the best for Matt. He's a good person and he gave everything he had while he was at Minnesota.”