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UM coaches sad about Jerry Kill’s retirement

Former players and state leaders are speaking out Wednesday after Jerry Kill announced that he is retiring as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota.

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Here is a look at five incredible videos during Kill’s head coaching career at Minnesota.

One of the nicest and most well-respected coaches in America, Kill leaves Minnesota with a 29-29 mark, which included three bowl games in four seasons.

USA Today Sports noted that Kill broke the news during an emotional press conference Wednesday and stated that his decision was based on the advice of his doctor.

“This is not the way I wanted to go out”, he said.

We’re guessing the next group of campers will hear from Coach Kill, and they’ll be inspired by a man who has accomplished so much despite adversity that forced him to step aside from one part of his life’s work, but not to lose his passion for life-changing community service. Claeys has worked with Kill for 21 years and was previously Minnesota’s Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

The two recent head coaches Harbaugh has observed – his father, Jim, at Michigan and his uncle John with the Baltimore Ravens – have found release via time with their families and exercise.

The contract would terminate automatically if he’s unable to coach for 70 consecutive days during the season, although Kill would remain a university employee and could seek disability benefits.

“He was and is the ultimate giver”, Minnesota Football Coaches Association executive director Ron Stolski said of Kill in a statement. “People are going to ask, ‘What are you going to do now?'” Kill said. Having been a part of the University of Minnesota medical world for treatment, I’m well aware of the great things Kill has done for the school and the example he’s set. He said his seizures recently returned and he hasn’t had more than three hours a sleep in a night for the past three weeks. “We’re going to see what they really are, they’re a running team”. I said from the day that I came in that I would not steal from the university, and I have not. He took over in 2011 after previous coach Tim Brewster’s disastrous run gutted the program of most of its talent and left it directionless and at the bottom of the Big Ten. At Big Ten Media Day last summer, Kill lounged at his table while taking questions from reporters. He also was named Region 3 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association for the second straight year.

“Maybe the best credit to him is that they would play like their hair’s on fire, regardless”, Harbaugh said.

The Gophers’ on-campus stadium that opened in 2009 surely has had a positive impact on the program, and the go-ahead a year ago to build a $70 million football complex would only have been a big asset for Kill in luring players from all over America to the cold of Minnesota. Minnesota’s on-field play has been anything but championship-level so far this season, with the Gophers sitting at 4-3.

Kill, 54, overcame kidney cancer in 2005, but his struggles with epilepsy continue.

Kill fought through the 2014 season after he had a seizure on the sidelines September 14 at halftime while facing Western Illinois. “I aint done anything else”. He has been on the record saying he would like to launch (and keep) the Toledo football program in the national spotlight for years and years to come. I’ve never cheated and I didn’t steal. “I thank God for giving me the opportunity to coach this game”.

“The Foundation is proud of Coach Kill and stands with him in his quest to rise above seizures”.

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“But walking off the field, I think, ‘Tracy and our staff can do a better job than I can'”.

Former Gopher's Coach Jerry Kill who retired from coaching this morning citing health issues 10/28/15