Gophers sign Kill to 7-year contract

[SkunkedAgain]

Quote:

The University of Minnesota formalized the hiring of Jerry Kill as its football coach, announcing Tuesday that the two have agreed on a seven-year contract.

Kill, whose first season has yielded just one victory, succeeded Tim Brewster as the Gophers' 27th head football coach on Dec. 6.

"Rebecca and I, along with our family and staff, are very thankful to the university and certainly to our administration, including director of athletics Joel Maturi and president Eric Kaler," Kill said in a statement released by the school. "I'm glad it's now settled and we can move on from here. We are excited about the future of our program." The contract runs through February 2018 and supplants a "memorandum of agreement" that he had been working under since taking the job.

Along with a difficult start on the field (0-3 in the Big Ten and 1-6 overall), Kill has been battling seizures that have kept him from practices but not from taking the sidelines during games this season.

I may be the lone one, but I like this deal. I'm sure that like any professional sports contract these days there are several outs for both parties and the full contract will likely never play out. However, this program needs a nuts and bolts guy to work on a long-term solution. Giving him short-term goals (win in 2-3 years) is nice but rarely benefits the program in the long run. I'm happy to see this deal announced.

[Dylan33]

Will he be healthy enough to continue coaching beyond the next 4 years?

To me, he hasn't done anythng that warrants the long term deal. Sign him up for 4 years and if progress is being made, then sign him up long term at that point.

So let me ask, "what has he done to warrant getting a long term deal"?

just to clarify, I like coach Kill, but this just seems strange to me.

[ted4887]

I like this move as well also. As an outsider looking in, one thing that the Gophers really need is stability in the program. This will definitely help them with that. The Big 10 needs the Gophers to get stronger, and I think that in the long run this will help.

[PurpleFloyd]

They must feel he is the perfect candidate to continue their legacy of losing.

[SkunkedAgain]

Well when everything you've tried has failed, try something else!

[creepworm]

Everywhere he has went he built a winning program. There is no reason to believe he can't do it here. When you inherit absolute garbage it is hard to win many games.

[CJH]

Everywhere he has went he built a winning program. There is no reason to believe he can't do it here. When you inherit absolute garbage it is hard to win many games.

Due to his track record (unlike Brewsters nonexistant one), I think you have to give him a solid chance. The length (7 years) is more for recruiting purposes - recruits don't like uncertainty when they have to commit somewhere for 4-5 years. I am sure both sides have "outs" built into the contract anyway.

I am more worried about his health for the term of the contract rather than his ability to coach.

[zamboni]

To me, sign him to just a few year deal, then reward him with a long term deal if he pans out. You guys realize if he doesn't make it the 7 years and gets canned the U will have to buy him out, and that is never cheap. There should be a clause in every contract if so and so doesn't perform and gets fired, no buy out will take place. Some buy outs are more than I will ever see in my lifetime of work, and that makes me sick

[rundrave]

I think the deal is this long because its the only way they could get a coach to come to gophers. With the programs current status, the only way they could bring in a coach was to offer a long term deal.

I bet this was in the works well into last year, its just now getting finalized and all the legalities that go with it.

I hope he can turn it around.

[RumRiverRat]

Why?

The guy is lucky to have a job.

The Gophers Football program should just shut down.

Talk about 4 decades of absolutely putrid football.

[rundrave]

The guy is lucky to have a job.

The gophers were lucky to even get a coach go there.

I bet the length of the deal is the only reason he came considering the condition the program was in upon his arrival.

[CJH]

Why?

The guy is lucky to have a job.

Based on a track record of winning programs?? You can criticize him for this year, but his record is what it is, and its better than anybody else we could have gotten.

[JIvers]

I don't know if the seven-year contract for Kill was the right thing, and neither will anyone else for a few years.

What I do know is that Kill's team just beat Iowa, which no one expected or dared hope for. As a Gopher fan living in Iowa City, I would happily give Kill a lifetime contract right now if it was in my power to do so.

[Big Tom]

Smart move in my opinion. Mason was an adequate coach and Brewster a smake oil salesman. This University couldn't get a big name coach with a new stadium and a boat load of money. Kill has an impressive record at the schools he's been at and at least has the High School coaches impressed. He'll have a much better chance of keeping some of the good ones at home.

[CJH]

I wasn't able to watch the game, but I was shocked when I saw the score!!! Was it really that close of a game?? Maybe the new coaches/system are starting to sink in.

[james_walleye]

They were ahead heading into the 4th.

[james_walleye]

Why?

The guy is lucky to have a job.

The Gophers Football program should just shut down.

Talk about 4 decades of absolutely putrid football.

We get it rum, everything Wisconsin is great and everything Minnesota is garbage.

[james_walleye]

...and i apologize if i've confused you with someone else...i see so much packer self absorption i might have confused your screen name with someone else.....

[so haaad]

GOPHERS WIN!!! 27-7!!!

I wasn't able to watch the game but it sounds like the Gophers were able to pull everything together for their last game of the season. A very nice way to roll into next year.

[RiverFish]

A nice win for the gophs. They still need a lot of work though. Hopefully Kill had a great recruiting season.

[CJH]

I was at the game and man was it cold!!!! First time there, and it is a great stadium.

They started to show flashes towards the end of the season, and although Ill wasn't a great team, the Gophs looked like the superior team. The D was dominant, which was great to see after some of the blowouts earlier in the year.

Love it that after the game Coach Kill said that although the season is over, everybody has to report to work on Monday with the goal of getting bigger/stronger/faster, and nobody gets a pass. The U needs somebody to drive this program, and it looks like he can do it.

[SkunkedAgain]

My 40-week pregnant wife and I were there as well and I'll say this...I'm glad that I picked my seats on the visitor's side since the cold north winds blow over us instead of into our faces!

Great game. Nobody around me could remember a 20-0 halftime lead since the Glen Mason days at the Dome. The defense was inspired from start to finish and the offense eventually found its groove. I'm still not sold on Marquis Grey. He's figuring things out but he's still painfully slow on his runs. He makes decent cuts but usually only when the line has opened holes. I really hope that Max Shortell challenges for the starting job next spring.

[CJH]

I agree on Gray, I am just not seeing it. He got better as the season went on, but as you said, everything is slow. You can tell he can't make the right quick decision, and his accuracy is awful.

Maybe this kid will push Gray next year:

Gophers recruit Philip Nelson is AP prep football player of year

Associated Press

Updated: 11/29/2011 10:48:31 PM CST

Philip Nelson would prefer not to be the featured attraction. When asked about his greatest strength, he simply describes himself as a team player.

But he's going to have to get used to the attention.

Nelson was named the Minnesota Associated Press football player of the year on Tuesday, culminating a remarkable career as Mankato West's quarterback. He finished his senior season with 2,784 yards and 35 touchdowns passing in just 12 games, plus 1,243 yards and 20 more scores rushing for a team that averaged nearly 50 points per game.

"I'm the type of guy that likes to stay out of the spotlight. I'll admit it," Nelson said.

Nelson will have to learn even more how to handle that. He's going to graduate early and enroll at the University of Minnesota in January so he can get an early start on his college career.

Nelson set the state career record with 135 total touchdowns. He helped lead the Scarlets to the Class 4A semifinals, where they lost to Bemidji and finished 11-1.

Nelson's father played at Wisconsin, and the family settled in Madison. But a move to Mankato in 2005 turned Nelson into a Minnesotan, sowing the seed for his eventual commitment to wear maroon and gold for his college career instead of the red and white he always envisioned.

"At the beginning of the recruiting process, I said there was no way I'd be a Gopher," Nelson said.

But that was when Tim Brewster was the coach. When Jerry Kill was hired to replace him a year ago, he and his staff reached out to Nelson right away.

"I really hit it off with those guys. They're so honest. They're one of the most friendly coaching staffs I've ever met," Nelson said.

[so haaad]

Nelson and Leidner both look like they have some talent. Although I bet both will redshirt next year. Gray, Shortell, Alipate, Parrish and a couple other young guys are already on the roster as QB's.

[SkunkedAgain]

"I really hit it off with those guys. They're so honest. They're one of the most friendly coaching staffs I've ever met," Nelson said.

'

You don't need to say much more than this to illustrate why Kill is the right person to turn things around. Of course, whether he can actually do it under Maturi's watch is the real question!