Jerry Kill - Dunkers

There is an article in the Pioneer Press with a lot more background on the situation.

1st - Dunkers is a group of businessmen who are interested in local sports. No official connection with the U of MN that I am aware of. basically a bunch of older fat cats. I presume many of them are or have been long-time season-ticket holders.

Dave Mona - former Gopher radio broadcaster and former co-host of "The Sports Huddle" is one of the big-wigs with Dunkers. Mona is the person who invited Kill. in the article, Mona says he would have moderated the discussion. Mona said he was planning to ask Kill about the challenge of returning as a head coach at New Mexico State. Also was planning to discuss NIL, the transfer rule and conference realignment.

Mona said he was not planning to bring up any 'controversial' topics.

the invitation to Kill was withdrawn after all the flack, including the tweets from Justin Gaard.
 

I guess I don't recall the times Kill talked about how hot is wife was. When was this?

Of course, many subscribe to the College Coach "Hot Wife" Theory, which suggests that if a coach can't sway the interests of a lovely co-ed, how are you goin to be able to recruit a 17-year old primadonna constantly told by everybody how great they are to choose your school?
 


There is an article in the Pioneer Press with a lot more background on the situation.

1st - Dunkers is a group of businessmen who are interested in local sports. No official connection with the U of MN that I am aware of. basically a bunch of older fat cats. I presume many of them are or have been long-time season-ticket holders.

Dave Mona - former Gopher radio broadcaster and former co-host of "The Sports Huddle" is one of the big-wigs with Dunkers. Mona is the person who invited Kill. in the article, Mona says he would have moderated the discussion. Mona said he was planning to ask Kill about the challenge of returning as a head coach at New Mexico State. Also was planning to discuss NIL, the transfer rule and conference realignment.

Mona said he was not planning to bring up any 'controversial' topics.

the invitation to Kill was withdrawn after all the flack, including the tweets from Justin Gaard.
Still a really dumb idea. Mona especially should know better.
 

Still a really dumb idea. Mona especially should know better.
Agreed. Was he on the search committee for the U of MN when Kill was hired? Or was that the Brewster hire? He was definitely involved in one of those. I suppose I could google it but nah... someone here will know.
 



I would assume Mona ran the idea of inviting Jerry Kill past the some of the leader guys in the group? He wouldn't just do it and post it with no internal discussion...right? So, because people who are not in the Dunkers complain...(they ain't joining, they ain't buying tickets)...why cancel? That seems very chicken silly to me.

The successful guys who comprise the Dunkers didn't make their money cowering when somebody tells them they shouldn't do something....if they think it has value....they do it.

More bugged by them canceling than I was that they invited him.
 


I would assume Mona ran the idea of inviting Jerry Kill past the some of the leader guys in the group? He wouldn't just do it and post it with no internal discussion...right? So, because people who are not in the Dunkers complain...(they ain't joining, they ain't buying tickets)...why cancel? That seems very chicken silly to me.

The successful guys who comprise the Dunkers didn't make their money cowering when somebody tells them they shouldn't do something....if they think it has value....they do it.

More bugged by them canceling than I was that they invited him.
I agree. On the scale of real world controversies, this doesn't register at all. First world problem that people get spun up on something this inconsequential. So maybe 100 people show up to hear Kill talk for 45 minutes and have breakfast, who really cares that much if he does?
 



I forgot about the shot at Fleck for being divorced. That would be quite ironic if Kill is now divorced himself.
Wasn't that shot that fleck was sleeping with the wife of a booster and thus got divorced. Not that he was divorced in general
 

I agree. On the scale of real world controversies, this doesn't register at all. First world problem that people get spun up on something this inconsequential. So maybe 100 people show up to hear Kill talk for 45 minutes and have breakfast, who really cares that much if he does?
Here's why this whole thing bugged me. I really want the state of MN, which includes the Twin Cities, to be passionately behind the Gophers. I knew of Dunkers vaguely as a bunch of rich, connected business guys in the Twin Cities. I want them passionately behind the Gophers too. And I have always felt like Minnesotans don't quite have that. We have things like live newscasts of recruits picking some school over the U. We have well-publicized support parties for well-known women's basketball players (Paige B) who grew up here, but who chose not to play for the Gophers. We get all worked up about Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs. Again... not Gophers. And them, we have the OPPOSING COACH address one of our self-designated leaders' groups in the Twin Cities ON GAME DAY! Is it going to ruin my life,, or even my day? No. But is it annoying? Yes. I want this state to belong to the Gophers and I want the general populace to do whatever it takes to help them be successful. It's our state, our university, and our team. Maybe it's too much to hope for but this stuff would not happen in Columbus, Lincoln, Iowa City, Madison, or even West Lafayette. Only here. And that is annoying.
 


You could be right
Here's the quote from Kill:

"He coached with me, but after that, he changed a lot. I’ll just be honest with you guys. People that have known him before — When he got with Schiano, his personality changed a lot. And I knew his first wife, and he just changed a bunch. And then once he became a head coach, I mean, I helped him get the job at Western Michigan, and I just think sometimes, ego gets carried away."

From https://collegefootball.nbcsports.c...-jerry-kill-takes-pointed-shots-at-p-j-fleck/
 



What's sad about this whole deal is it shows how out of touch Dave Mona was (and anyone associated with this decision).

Sure, you could still have a luncheon with Kill at some point. You can still interview him. But based on the difficult past between Kill in his dealings with Fleck, this is a mind-numbingly ridiculous decision to make to have him speak the day of a game where the two face each other head-to-head.

This is a scenario where you are creating optics which look worse than the reality, and to give any signal that you have support for the old coach who has a very strong dislike for your current coach. it reeks of ignorance, and the idea that there are business leaders in this community that are that un-aware of the social situation in the year 2022, it's just ridiculous.

I thought Jerry was a very good coach, but his inability to apologize (or even be aware of) his own shortcomings in this pitiful feud is reason enough for fans to put forgiveness on hold until Jerry shows just one gram of contrition.
 

Agreed. Was he on the search committee for the U of MN when Kill was hired? Or was that the Brewster hire? He was definitely involved in one of those. I suppose I could google it but nah... someone here will know.
I think you're right. I seem to remember--and at my age I "seem" to remember or misremember a lot of things--that Mona was on the plane to San Diego with Maturi to pitch Brady Hoke on the Gophers' job.
 

I guess I don't recall the times Kill talked about how hot is wife was. When was this?

Of course, many subscribe to the College Coach "Hot Wife" Theory, which suggests that if a coach can't sway the interests of a lovely co-ed, how are you goin to be able to recruit a 17-year old primadonna constantly told by everybody how great they are to choose your school?
Be careful. James Franklin once had to issue an apology for saying that



 

Mona probably believed Jerry draws interest which is obviously true given this thread. I don’t think Kill or Fleck are as good or as bad as their public images... Kill has reached grumpy old man status but personally I enjoy the entertainment aspect of sports so more opportunities to hear interviews and discussions and potentially controversial statements are ok by me. The decision to cancel just adds to Jerry’s woe is me routine. The cameras will find him.
 

Kill still has plenty of his former staff in town. They’re still very loyal but will also confirm concerns a disappointment in his decision making.
 

Is Rebecca still Jerry's better half? I've seen vague references that insinuate they are no longer together.
I’m far from a relationship expert but he didn’t mention her at his press conference and on the NMSU official site it mentions his daughters and granddaughter.
 

Kill still has plenty of his former staff in town. They’re still very loyal but will also confirm concerns a disappointment in his decision making.
Not sure I follow....concerns a disappointment in his decision making...."what decision making?"
 




Here's why this whole thing bugged me. I really want the state of MN, which includes the Twin Cities, to be passionately behind the Gophers. I knew of Dunkers vaguely as a bunch of rich, connected business guys in the Twin Cities. I want them passionately behind the Gophers too. And I have always felt like Minnesotans don't quite have that. We have things like live newscasts of recruits picking some school over the U. We have well-publicized support parties for well-known women's basketball players (Paige B) who grew up here, but who chose not to play for the Gophers. We get all worked up about Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs. Again... not Gophers. And them, we have the OPPOSING COACH address one of our self-designated leaders' groups in the Twin Cities ON GAME DAY! Is it going to ruin my life,, or even my day? No. But is it annoying? Yes. I want this state to belong to the Gophers and I want the general populace to do whatever it takes to help them be successful. It's our state, our university, and our team. Maybe it's too much to hope for but this stuff would not happen in Columbus, Lincoln, Iowa City, Madison, or even West Lafayette. Only here. And that is annoying.
Kill speaking at a Dunkers breakfast won't impact anything you are worried about. Period.
 

Kill speaking at a Dunkers breakfast won't impact anything you are worried about. Period.
It demonstrates a certain attitude, well described in my post, which I find disturbing, weird and unique to MN. Period.
 





Twin Cities Pioneer Press
Twin Cities Pioneer Press

FollowView Profile

Jerry Kill’s game day speaking engagement dunked after criticism​

Andy Greder, Pioneer Press - Yesterday 12:50 PM
React2 Comments|

The idea of Jerry Kill speaking to a Twin Cities group on the morning of the Gophers football team’s season opener has been dunked on.
Minnesota Gophers Head Coach Jerry Kill during the fourth quarter against Ohio State at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 15 2014.
© Sherri LaRose-Chiglo/Pioneer Press/TNSMinnesota Gophers Head Coach Jerry Kill during the fourth quarter against Ohio State at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 15 2014.
Shortly after it became known that leaders of Twin Cities Dunkers had invited Kill to be its speaker on Sept. 1 — the day his new team, New Mexico State, plays his old one at Huntington Bank Stadium — the engagement was canceled.


“Some people thought it was maybe inappropriate or causing discomfort, one way or the other. That was never the intent,” said Dave Mona, a member of the Dunkers group that comprises nearly 350 business leaders and regularly invites sports newsmakers for breakfast chats.
Mona, a retired public relations executive, had the idea of inviting the ex-Gophers coach and while former Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi made the call to Kill roughly three weeks ago. His appearance hadn’t yet been made official.
On Monday, KFXN-FM producer and Gophers sideline reporter Justin Gaard tweeted news of Kill’s invite, putting it in the “only in Minnesota” category. The replies weren’t Minnesota nice.
On Tuesday, Dunkers spiked the plan.
“We decided, let’s pull the plug on it.” Mona said. “(Kill) was fine with it. He wanted to say hello to people that morning and see them again, maybe one last time.”
But, Mona added, “No harm, no foul.”
Before the speech was given the kibosh, former U men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino, now at New Mexico, tweeted: “So you’re saying my dream of being invited back to speak to the Twin Cities Dunkers isn’t dead??”
When first contacted, Kill expressed doubts to the idea of him speaking to Gophers fans. The response was that Kill had “a lot of friends” in Minnesota.
Mona, a former reporter and host on WCCO-AM, said he would have emceed the event and planned to talk about Kill’s return to head coaching at New Mexico State — a challenging place to win as an FBS independent in small Las Cruces — as well as the new challenges in college football, primarily name, image and likeness (NIL) and the NCAA transfer portal.
Mona said he did not plan to ask about Kill’s critical comments of current Gophers coach P.J. Fleck. “I was hoping we could keep it in other things,” he said.
But it was Kill’s comments about Fleck that drove backlash.
Fleck coached under Kill at Northern Illinois in 2008-09. In a radio interview in 2019, Kill said Fleck had “changed a lot” and “I just think sometimes ego gets carried away.” Kill even mentioned Fleck’s first wife in the criticisms.

Kill also said he “took it personal” that Fleck said he had to change the culture of the U program when he was hired in 2017. Kill stepped down due to health reasons midway through the 2015 season and his longtime assistant, Tracy Claeys, was promoted. After the 2016 season, Claeys was fired, in part, due to his response to a group of players being implicated in a sexual assault.
Four of those players were expelled after a university investigation.
After Kill’s comments in 2019, Fleck responded on KTLK-AM: “I’ve got a lot of respect for Jerry Kill; I always will. … I’m not sure where that came from.”
Fleck spoke for a sixth time at Dunkers in June. Other recent speakers include Twins front-office leaders Derek Falvey and Thad Levine in April, and Vikings general manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell in May. MLS Commissioner Don Garber met with Dunkers ahead of the MLS All-Star Game in St. Paul on Wednesday.
The Gophers are a whopping 37.5-point betting favorite against New Mexico State. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Sept. 1.
 




Top Bottom