Mike Max filled in for Dave Mona on today’s Sports Huddle. Responses and comments by Coach Jerry Kill on yesterday’s practice and the annual Minnesota Coaches Clinic:
1) Max opened the questioning with a query about the large crowd at yesterday’s scrimmage: Kill replied, “It was like having the spring game indoors.” He also said the large crowd in tight quarters is helpful, “Kids give better effort.” They concentrate better and don’t want to embarrass themselves.
2) Sid wanted to know what players stood out in yesterday’s practice: “Both sides of the ball had their moments,” said Kill.
Coach Kill cited a number of players that have had good practices:
a) “Mitch Leidner playing at a high level.” He also cited the play of Chris Streveler, Dominic McKinzy and Conor Rhoda. He sounded pleased with the three backup quarterbacks, however, Kill sounded very pleased with Mitch’s play at the important position.
b) Redshirt freshman wide receiver “Eric Carter is doing good things,” said Kill.
c) “Jonah Pirsig is Healthy!” said Kill. Again, he used the phrase “doing good things” when describing Pirsig’s workouts.
d) “Duke Anyanu is playing tight end and wide receiver.”
e) “Roderick Williams has played physical!”
Defensive players mentioned by Coach Kill as having good effort and output:
a) Theiren Cockran, defensive end
b) Damius Peppers, defensive lineman
c) Da’Vondre Campbell, linebacker
d) Rayfield Dixon, redshirt linebacker
Kill did not single out any defensive backs; however, he did say, “They’re all athletic . . . feel good (about secondary).”
Overall, Kill sounded very pleased with the play of the listed players and the team in general.
3) Mike Max made a comment about Kill’s relationships with the state high school football coaches. There were 1,300 coaches at yesterday’s clinic and many were at the spring practice: Kill answered, “You are who you are . . . I started off in high school coaching . . . coaching is teaching.” He said Minnesota’s high school football coaches have been very helpful. He commented that he enjoyed visiting with the “old timers” at yesterday’s practice – some of the high school coaches (old timers) have won 350-360 games.
As far as the clinic went, Kill said the coaches enjoyed it, and the event is getting bigger and bigger. He said they had good college football speakers and cited Matt Birk’s presentation. Again, the clinic had 1,300 coaches in attendance.
4) Sid made a complimentary comment about Kill’s public relations skills, and he said the high school coaches that he had talked to had praised Coach Kill: “They’ve been good . . . we have to do our part and keep plugging along,” commented Kill.
Coach Kill then made some remarks about the importance high school coaches, “Teachers and coaches are most influential at the high school level . . . they can save kids at an early age.” Kill said besides his father, his high school coaches had the biggest influence in his life.
5) Max asked what a high school athletic director showed look for when hiring a coach: “Look at his character, teaching, can the coach relate to the kids, does he care about kids?” said Kill in answering the question. He went onto say, “Lead the kids in the right direction.” He also mentioned the importance of doing what you do with passion.
Again, he spoke about the importance of high school coaches and the influence they have on the players that they lead. He said high school coaches do a lot work but don’t receive a lot of money for the important duties that they perform.
He closed the question stressing the importance of teaching, and he talked about his daughter that is an assistant basketball coach at Edison High School. She’s a teacher and has a passion for the game and the players that she guides and directs.
6) Sid asked for an appraisal of the team at yesterday’s scrimmage: “I thought both sides of the ball encouraging . . . head coaches are never happy going against yourself,” said Kill. He said when you correct a deficiency, you’re not happy when the opposition has difficulty attacking the improved unit. He said that’s why it’s much more fun playing against an opposing team than it is going against one another in scrimmages.
7) Sid made a final comment in the Coach Kill segment saying that Minnesota football is big because of Coach Jerry Kill. And then he said he didn’t see Kill’s wife, Rebecca, at yesterday’s scrimmage: Kill said she was there with flip charts. Kill then went onto say the coaches’ families were at the scrimmage and they play an integral part in their recruiting: “Family oriented group in recruiting.” (There were recruits at yesterday’s scrimmage, but, of course, no names given.)
Go Gophers!!
1) Max opened the questioning with a query about the large crowd at yesterday’s scrimmage: Kill replied, “It was like having the spring game indoors.” He also said the large crowd in tight quarters is helpful, “Kids give better effort.” They concentrate better and don’t want to embarrass themselves.
2) Sid wanted to know what players stood out in yesterday’s practice: “Both sides of the ball had their moments,” said Kill.
Coach Kill cited a number of players that have had good practices:
a) “Mitch Leidner playing at a high level.” He also cited the play of Chris Streveler, Dominic McKinzy and Conor Rhoda. He sounded pleased with the three backup quarterbacks, however, Kill sounded very pleased with Mitch’s play at the important position.
b) Redshirt freshman wide receiver “Eric Carter is doing good things,” said Kill.
c) “Jonah Pirsig is Healthy!” said Kill. Again, he used the phrase “doing good things” when describing Pirsig’s workouts.
d) “Duke Anyanu is playing tight end and wide receiver.”
e) “Roderick Williams has played physical!”
Defensive players mentioned by Coach Kill as having good effort and output:
a) Theiren Cockran, defensive end
b) Damius Peppers, defensive lineman
c) Da’Vondre Campbell, linebacker
d) Rayfield Dixon, redshirt linebacker
Kill did not single out any defensive backs; however, he did say, “They’re all athletic . . . feel good (about secondary).”
Overall, Kill sounded very pleased with the play of the listed players and the team in general.
3) Mike Max made a comment about Kill’s relationships with the state high school football coaches. There were 1,300 coaches at yesterday’s clinic and many were at the spring practice: Kill answered, “You are who you are . . . I started off in high school coaching . . . coaching is teaching.” He said Minnesota’s high school football coaches have been very helpful. He commented that he enjoyed visiting with the “old timers” at yesterday’s practice – some of the high school coaches (old timers) have won 350-360 games.
As far as the clinic went, Kill said the coaches enjoyed it, and the event is getting bigger and bigger. He said they had good college football speakers and cited Matt Birk’s presentation. Again, the clinic had 1,300 coaches in attendance.
4) Sid made a complimentary comment about Kill’s public relations skills, and he said the high school coaches that he had talked to had praised Coach Kill: “They’ve been good . . . we have to do our part and keep plugging along,” commented Kill.
Coach Kill then made some remarks about the importance high school coaches, “Teachers and coaches are most influential at the high school level . . . they can save kids at an early age.” Kill said besides his father, his high school coaches had the biggest influence in his life.
5) Max asked what a high school athletic director showed look for when hiring a coach: “Look at his character, teaching, can the coach relate to the kids, does he care about kids?” said Kill in answering the question. He went onto say, “Lead the kids in the right direction.” He also mentioned the importance of doing what you do with passion.
Again, he spoke about the importance of high school coaches and the influence they have on the players that they lead. He said high school coaches do a lot work but don’t receive a lot of money for the important duties that they perform.
He closed the question stressing the importance of teaching, and he talked about his daughter that is an assistant basketball coach at Edison High School. She’s a teacher and has a passion for the game and the players that she guides and directs.
6) Sid asked for an appraisal of the team at yesterday’s scrimmage: “I thought both sides of the ball encouraging . . . head coaches are never happy going against yourself,” said Kill. He said when you correct a deficiency, you’re not happy when the opposition has difficulty attacking the improved unit. He said that’s why it’s much more fun playing against an opposing team than it is going against one another in scrimmages.
7) Sid made a final comment in the Coach Kill segment saying that Minnesota football is big because of Coach Jerry Kill. And then he said he didn’t see Kill’s wife, Rebecca, at yesterday’s scrimmage: Kill said she was there with flip charts. Kill then went onto say the coaches’ families were at the scrimmage and they play an integral part in their recruiting: “Family oriented group in recruiting.” (There were recruits at yesterday’s scrimmage, but, of course, no names given.)
Go Gophers!!
