Kill said he was at practice Tuesday after two seizures.
Advertisement
In 2005, he suffered a series of seizures, including one on the sideline in October of that season against Illinois State.
In his time at Minnesota, Kill has established himself as one of the most well-liked, highly respected and genuine coaches in the game.
Coaching is what Kill loves and knows, he has been doing it for 32 years, and now he can’t do it. The fact that he’s making the right move for his health and his family didn’t make this any easier to watch.
An opportunity Kill earned through a MapQuestable tour of coaching stops at Pittsburg State, Webb City High School, Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State and Southern Illinois before he even got a shot as a head coach in the FBS at Northern Illinois and later in the Power 5 at Minnesota.
Last season, while the Gophers were on their way to an 8-5 finish, their best Big Ten record in 11 years and their first New Year’s Day bowl game since 1962, Kill looked as relaxed and fit as ever.
Kill told reporters he hasn’t slept for more than three hours in the past three weeks. He admitted that he has not heeded that advice in the past though.
Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, who has worked alongside Kill for 21 years, was named interim head coach. The Gophers now hold a 4-3 record, and their upcoming schedule is grueling with dates against Michigan and Ohio State. The deal included language covering the university in case of health-related absences and allows Kill to “transition” to another position in the athletic department at a substantially reduced salary.
Yes, it’s been over a half-century since Minnesota last played in a bowl that America cares about.
Kill says his wife, his children and hopefully future grandchildren will need him in the future more than football does.
Kill’s passion for football is unwavering, but concerns about his own epilepsy simply became too much. “I’ve never stole from anybody, and I’m not gonna steal now”. With Minnesota now opening, it appears to be a particularly busy coaching search season in the Big Ten, meaning there will be a lot of competition for similar types of coaching candidates. I will tell you that they are the finest coaches in the country. I probably wasn’t supposed to go there, either, but I didn’t give up. The Golden Gophers were still reeling from the failed Tim Brewster experiment when he took over, and they went just 3-9 in Kill’s first season. I want to coach the way I’ve coached for my whole life.
“I’m deeply saddened by Coach Kill’s resignation”. I thank him for his leadership in rebuilding the University of Minnesota’s football program. “The youngster, full of energy”, he said, “I mean amusing”.
Campbell is the head coach for the undefeated Toledo Rockets. I remember coming home after the two-day event and replaying all the interviews in my head. “So with that being said, I knew I would still be in great hands”.
In 2014, Kill coached the Gophers to resounding wins against rivals Michigan (30-14) and Iowa (51-14) to claim the Little Brown Jug and Floyd of Rosedale.
Advertisement
“I stood by him through his episode two years ago and through a few pretty harsh criticism and I thought it was the right thing to do then and it’s the right thing to support him now”, Kaler said.
