Minnesota’s Kill Resigns Due to Health Issues

But I did what it took. Kill was named Big Ten Coach of the Year last season as the Gophers went 8-5 (5-3 in the Big Ten) and played in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, the program’s first New Year’s Day bowl since 1962.

Interim head coach Tracy Claeys, put in charge of the team on the heels of Jerry Kill’s sudden retirement, clearly stated his position on Wednesday.

“As my doctor says, ‘You’re insane for not taking stuff before a game, ‘” he said. “But it’s a serious thing”. Claeys has worked with Kill for 21 years and was previously Minnesota’s Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. “Everybody has so much respect for Jerry Kill”, Harbaugh said.

In August, Kill received a one-year contract extension through the 2019 season and a $300,000 raise.

“It’s just kind of a kick in the gut”.

Kill said he had two seizures this week and went to practice Tuesday anyway, hoping he could still make things work, and added that he had not slept more than three hours on any night over the last three weeks. When he left, he came to a stark realization.

Claeys served as the Gophers’ acting head coach for 7 games of the 2013 season when Kill took a leave of absence to focus on his epilepsy treatment.

Kill was 29-29 at Minnesota since he took over as head coach before the 2011 season. “And I still want to coach”.

Former Huskies went to social media to express their gratitude toward their former coach. “I don’t want somebody to have to worry that I’ll drop on the field”.

“None of them were big-time schools”, he said. “But that’s a good question”. If you watched the press conference, he was tearing up the whole time. “None. I’ve gave it all to the great state of Minnesota and I have no regrets”. We’re very competitive with anybody that we play.

Shortly before kickoff at Michigan Stadium, I posted the news that Kill would miss the game. “Sometimes we live in a selfish society, and if we could get back to the “we” and caring about each other, we’d have a better country”.

Jackson said he offers players advice on handling the rigors of playing and coaching. I think it’s a distraction for Penn State, and I have no idea where it’s coming from, ” Franklin said at his weekly news conference. Minnesota’s situation is a little different – this is a change that no one on the Gophers’ staff or team wanted to see. i’m not sure there’s any way of knowing how they’ll react – maybe they’ll use Kill’s retirement as motivational fuel (“win one for Jerry!”). I thank him for his leadership in rebuilding the University of Minnesota’s football program.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald told the Chicago Tribune, “It’s sad. Not a P.T. Barnum-type guy who is concerned about branding”. Before jumping to the FBS level, Kill was head coach at Saginaw State (1994-98), Emporia State (1999-2000) and Southern Illinois (2001-07), where he led the Salukis to five straight FCS playoff appearances, including a semifinal, and three Gateway Conference championships. “His strength and courage will guide him in his next great venture”. “The real truth of epilepsy is that it sometimes, many times, can not be fully controlled by medication and that there are times like this when you have to step back and reevaluate what you are doing and how you are going about doing it”.