Brandon Eggum had a key word removed from his title — interim — on Thursday by the University of Minnesota, becoming the eighth head coach of the Gophers wrestling program. Eggum had served as the team's interim coach since September, when J Robinson was fired.

"Brandon Eggum has been an incredible leader for our wrestling program since he became the interim head coach prior to this season," athletic director Mark Coyle said in a statement. "Anyone who knows Brandon understands his competitive spirit and his unquestionable passion not only for the sport, but for our program here at Minnesota. I have great confidence that Brandon and his staff will lead our wrestling program to success at the highest level."

Eggum joined Minnesota's coaching staff in 2001 immediately after finishing his wrestling career with the Gophers. He was on the coaching staff for each of the program's three national titles, as well as five Big Ten team championships.

The 40-year-old Montana native has the challenge of stabilizing a program that was rocked by a drug scandal last May, roiled by the firing of longtime coach Robinson in September, and depleted by the suspension of four wrestlers in October. Eggum was hastily handed the reins and given the interim title.

Eggum told the Star Tribune last month that he had made his ambitions clear with Coyle.

"I feel supported by [Coyle]. We've had conversations. He knows what my plans and ideas are," Eggum said last month. "I've had kids ask me about [his future], and I tell them, from my standpoint, from my conversations, I'm comfortable that I'll be the guy moving forward. But we tell the wrestlers every day — just worry about what you can control. Focus on reaching your own potential, on doing the best you possibly can, and don't worry about the score. … I'm trying to live by that, too."

In his statement on Thursday, Eggum pointed toward the future: "Anyone who knows me knows this is my dream job and I'm thankful for the opportunity to live out that dream. It's an exciting day, no question, but today's announcement doesn't change what we're focused on doing every day with our wrestling program. My staff and I work with our wrestlers every day to help them achieve their goals on and off the mat, and I'm happy that we will be able to continue that work for years to come."

The Gophers are ranked 13th in the latest USA Today poll.