How will you best remember Coach Jerry Kill as Gophers HC?

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He's one of my favorite coaches ever at the U, any sport. I'll remember the 100% class he always had. The way he dealt with his epilepsy, the way he cleaned up the academic issues, the way he beat Nebraska twice and kicked the snot out of Iowa.
 


I agree...nothing but respect for Kill. He really was a great leader who helped our program.
 

Stroke the Post, boys. Stroke the post.
 

So many good memories, but the one that will always stick out was when I was walking home from class near the football complex last fall the week after the Iowa win. I noticed Coach Kill walking right past me, so I simply said "Congrats on the big win." Instead of just saying thanks and walking by, he stopped and talked for a couple of minutes about the season, recruiting, and thanked me for supporting the team. He didn't need to do that, but it just proved once again that he was just a normal guy who got to become the face of our program.
 


I guess I'll remember and appreciate the energy he brought to the program.
 

This man put the program back on the map, and put the players back in the classroom.
I really believe in his program.

I hope Tracy gets handed the reins permanently.
 

I will always remember his tireless energy, the passion that he put into making the football team & university athletics better, the compassion for others, his integrity, his commitment to his football players - an all around genuinely good person.

He will be greatly missed.
 


Nebraska 2013. Watching the players celebrate and Kill's speech is heartbreaking, but it shows the type of coach that he was and the love and respect his players had for him.

"I'm going to enjoy today, and I hope you do too."
 




I remember meeting him at his first National Signing Day event. He sat there and shook hands and talked to EVERYBODY that stood in line to meet him. And not just "thanks for supporting us", talked to us all. I don't know how long he stayed in line, but it seemed like forever. But he was bound and determined to meet everyone that wanted to meet him.

I remember when he had the seizure during the New Mexico State game. We were flying back from spending an extra week in California after the USC game and I called a buddy of mine who had been at the game to come pick us up at the airport and he told me. I was so stunned and just didn't know what to think.

I remember asshat Souhan and the vile disgusting article he wrote and the HUGE outpouring of support for Coach Kill. I still hope I see Souhan in a dark alley some night...

I remember being in Nebraska last year and watching the team come back and thinking I can't remember a Gopher team that would have made that comeback in years past. That was Coach Kill's passion and heart showing through in the players.

This year has been a little tough. I keep hoping the team turns it around not only for my selfish reasons as a fan but because I truly like and respect Coach Kill and I wanted him to succeed. It was fair to ask if he was the right guy for the job and to question whether he could truly take the team to the next level. But anyone who met him could not question his passion, his sincerity, his pride at being the Minnesota Head Football Coach.

I will truly miss you, Coach Kill. I wish you nothing but the best.
 

A couple days after he got hired he and Rebecca were in the St. Paul Winter Carnival Torchlight Parade. Nobody really knew who he was at the time but there's me, in my Gopher jacket, hat, gloves yelling "JERRY!!! JERRY!!! WELCOME TO MINNESOTA!!!!" and he just gave me a thumbs up and yelled "Thank you".
 

I met him at Joe Sensors in Roseville. Walked over to his table and said I know you are eating with other people and I am sorry to interrupt but there's no way I wasn't going to come shake your hand. He shook my hand, had a huge smile (didn't care at all that I interrupted his meal) and said thanks for stopping over.
 




I have to think that this is one of Jerry's favorite moments of his coaching career. Wish I could go back to that day in Lincoln and experience it all again.

MINNESOTA1-master675.jpg
 

Vandy said:
This man put the program back on the map, and put the players back in the classroom.
I really believe in his program.

I hope Tracy gets handed the reins permanently.
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seriously---cmon, with all due respect, he certainly did not "put the program back on the map" He was average at best---500 record, let's keep this in perspective.
 


He took time for everyone, big or small. My daughter was 7 yrs old and we were at the spring scrimmage a couple of years ago and i was ready to leave afterwards, but she wanted to stay and say hi to Coach Kill again. We had met him previously, when he was recruiting one of "my kids". She waited her turn and Coach was taking a minute with her, bending down to be at her head level, and the media was waiting and there was a U rep trying to get Jerry to go talk to the media, and i was even telling Sophia that he had to go, and Coach just told us to wait and make the media wait because he was busy talking with Sophia. Classy guy, as genuine as can be and Rebecca too. I think all coaches talk about family, but they really meant it.
 

the_chucker said:
seriously---cmon, with all due respect, he certainly did not "put the program back on the map" He was average at best---500 record, let's keep this in perspective.
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Did you just start following MN football yesterday? From where it had been, this is back on the map for the program.
 


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the_chucker said:
seriously---cmon, with all due respect, he certainly did not "put the program back on the map" He was average at best---500 record, let's keep this in perspective.
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Keeping it in perspective remember the state of the program when he took over after Brewster. We weren't close to 500 and losing to South Dakota. Jerry did "Put this program back on the map".
 

West Fargo Gopher Fan said:
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Keeping it in perspective remember the state of the program when he took over after Brewster. We weren't close to 500 and losing to South Dakota. Jerry did "Put this program back on the map".
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I agree. He made one proud to be a Gopher fan. Not so much when Brew was coach. We all like wins but a the way he made men out of boys was far more important. I have been a fan for 50 + years and this is worse than any loss, which were many over the years. Good luck Coach Kill.

Go Gophers
 

West Fargo Gopher Fan said:
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Keeping it in perspective remember the state of the program when he took over after Brewster. We weren't close to 500 and losing to South Dakota. Jerry did "Put this program back on the map".
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perhaps, we should set our standards a bit higher, then. Brewster, Mason, Kill, all similar--again no disrespect to Kill and his health, but he did not improve the program substantially, if at all, I would argue no improvement
 

the_chucker said:
perhaps, we should set our standards a bit higher, then. Brewster, Mason, Kill, all similar--again no disrespect to Kill and his health, but he did not improve the program substantially, if at all, I would argue no improvement
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I think you just have a different definition of "back on the map" then. No one said the program is a powerhouse or anything.

No improvement over his time as a head coach? Thanks, I needed a laugh this morning.
 

the_chucker said:
perhaps, we should set our standards a bit higher, then. Brewster, Mason, Kill, all similar--again no disrespect to Kill and his health, but he did not improve the program substantially, if at all, I would argue no improvement
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Are you serious. Have you been to any games or practices. You need to get on the Purdue site. That the kind of program you would love.

Go Gophers
 

GophersInIowa said:
I think you just have a different definition of "back on the map" then. No one said the program is a powerhouse or anything.

No improvement over his time as a head coach? Thanks, I needed a laugh this morning.
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I will agree to that, again no disrespect to JK and his health, may he live a happy healthy life going forward
 

My son, who was 8, running around at practice and Kill came up to him and told him how fast he looked and that he should recruit him. Made my Son's day/week/year.
 

I'll never forget the few times I had the pleasure of meeting Kill. Every time we met he would shake my hand and comment on my hair (which was quite long at the time). He would tell me how he use to have hair like me and that this (gesturing to his own head) was what I had to look forward to. Always a class act and a genuine person. The big wins were nice, but jerks can win football games. Coach Kill is a great man and shows that no matter who he talked to.
 

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