Former Northern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill abruptly retired from his head coaching job at Minnesota on Wednesday, ending his efforts to rebuild the Golden Gopher football program during a tenure that included a series of game-day seizures.
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The 54-year-old Kill’s issue with seizures and epilepsy, as well as a battle with cancer, were well-documented, as was his love for his players, coaches and the game of football.
“I went through a bad situation two years ago, and I’m headed right back there, ” Kill said. “I don’t want somebody to have to worry that I’ll drop on the field”. “I have tremendous respect for the coaching job he has done at Minnesota and even more so for the manner in which he has done it”, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that prior to yesterday, Kill said he hadn’t had a seizure in more than a year. Kill then worked with a team of doctors to get his epilepsy under control, and whenever anyone would ask him about his health in the past two years, he would invariably brush it off with a quick, “I’m good”.
After a 3-9 campaign with the Gophers in Kill’s first season, they made a bowl game the last three years and are 4-3 so far this year. “That’s the scary part”.
Claeys said he found out Tuesday night of Kill’s decision to retire.
“The Foundation is proud of Coach Kill and stands with him in his quest to rise above seizures”, the organization said in a statement released Wednesday. I don’t know about liability, but it sounds like watching that press conference, it sounds just (like it was) time….
Martin said he believes Wednesday’s news made the group stronger as a whole. University President Eric Kaler and interim athletic director Beth Goetz will soon discuss a search process for a permanent replacement, though Kill naturally expressed confidence in Claeys to be his successor. I love this game.
“My doctor told me it was in my best interest for my family, my kids, hopefully grandkids someday, that if I didn’t move on with my life, that I may be a guy who doesn’t think too good down the road, and I want to be able to think”.
“I had like 20, 15 missed text messages at 7:30 in the morning”, said Epping, who earned a degree in business and marketing education from Minnesota and finished his playing eligibility last season.
Kill says his wife, his children and hopefully future grandchildren will need him in the future more than football does. “But I’m going to listen this time”. “It’s always an education for a young head coach when you hear somebody speak up and you watch the older head coaches listen”. Kill’s defensive coordinator, Tracy Claeys, will take over on an interim basis.
Kill signed a contract extension in August that raised his annual salary to $2.5 million. Claeys won’t get almost as long, and he has a brutal schedule to finish the season, with games against Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa next plus the annual season-finale against Wisconsin.
Kill, 54, said this July he hadn’t suffered a seizure in over a year and a half.
More here from the Star Tribune of Minneapolis.
Like Kill, Boyum has epilepsy.
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Kill was 29-29 at the helm for four-plus seasons with the Golden Gophers.
