If Jerry Kill can't rebuild Gopher football...nobody will!!!

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froggopher

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Hello fellow Gopherholers, I usually put in my 2 cents worth twice a year on this board and have come to the conclusion that our "last chance" at really turning the corner with this program is Jerry Kill and company. We have seen many head coaches, AD's, U of M presidents, etc., and none of them brought the program to a level of permanent respectability. At this time we have a pretty cool U of M president in Eric Kaler, Norwood will do a great job at AD, (sorry Maturi, you didn't) and the Kill coaching staff have rebuilt past programs at other schools. So, this is our "last hurrah" in my book. My season tickets are purchased and along with many other die-hard Gopher football fans, I will follow them to my grave. I just want to win a Big Ten title before I croak! Go Gophers! Am I right with my thoughts? :clap::clap::clap::clap::cool::)
 

Absolutely! I know the sun don't shine on the same dogs ass twice, but Gopher football hasn't seen a ray of sunshine for 50 some years. We are also one of the unluckiest teams I've ever seen. We don't get the bounces or tips. The last tip that that turned out well for us was the Sun Bowl against the Ducks Lloyd's winning FG was tipped at the LOS and just got over the crossbar.
 

froggopher said:
Hello fellow Gopherholers, I usually put in my 2 cents worth twice a year on this board and have come to the conclusion that our "last chance" at really turning the corner with this program is Jerry Kill and company. We have seen many head coaches, AD's, U of M presidents, etc., and none of them brought the program to a level of permanent respectability. At this time we have a pretty cool U of M president in Eric Kaler, Norwood will do a great job at AD, (sorry Maturi, you didn't) and the Kill coaching staff have rebuilt past programs at other schools. So, this is our "last hurrah" in my book. My season tickets are purchased and along with many other die-hard Gopher football fans, I will follow them to my grave. I just want to win a Big Ten title before I croak! Go Gophers! Am I right with my thoughts? :clap::clap::clap::clap::cool::)
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Agree....this is our big shot with this coach at finally turning it all around. Everything is looking up...record is improving, recruits are starting to look our way and I have a feeling attendance will start climbing. Hope we don't do anything stupid to screw this all up....just going by stupid things that have happened in the past.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
Absolutely! I know the sun don't shine on the same dogs ass twice, but Gopher football hasn't seen a ray of sunshine for 50 some years. We are also one of the unluckiest teams I've ever seen. We don't get the bounces or tips. The last tip that that turned out well for us was the Sun Bowl against the Ducks Lloyd's winning FG was tipped at the LOS and just got over the crossbar.
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the tow-arnett duane bennett at the michigan state game was pretty good
 

I was pleased when Coach Kill was hired due to his track record and still am. Coach Kill has the nads to get it done but he needs help, lots of help.

Sure an Urban Meyer type would stand a much better shot at elevating the program. But that isn't going to happen if Coach Kill fails.
 


Sorry, but I don't like absolutes. Saying that Jerry Kill is the last hope for Gopher FB is way overstating the case.

Nobody here can tell the future. Kill could go on to lead the program to new heights of glory, or he could plateau out at 6 or 7 wins a year.

And, if Kill doesn't make it - or leaves for another job, for all we know, the next coach they hire could turn out be the "the one." (and no, I don't mean Keanu Reaves).

Basically, If someone adopts the premise that it's Kill or nothing, then, if Kill doesn't get it done, you're saying that there is no reason to ever watch another Gopher game or care about the team ever again. Sorry, but I refuse to doom the program to some metaphorical purgatory just because you're tired of waiting for a team that meets your standards.

Until I die, I will follow the team and hope for that glorious season that takes us to the promised land.
(my new fantasy - Gophers play National Championship game against Arkansas and beat Bielema so badly he resigns after the game......). Without hope, there is no reason for living. I will hope until I die that the Gophs will win a Rose Bowl, that Springsteen will put out one more really great album, and that Robert De Niro will make one more really great movie. (and that I will finish remodeling my house - but that might be too much to ask for........)
 

I love Jerry Kill, but to say he's the "last chance" is utterly ridiculous. There might be some 5 year old at day care right now who will be Minnesota's Woody Hayes.
 

I forgot to mention that beating Nebraska just once in my lifetime would do wonders as well!! Maybe this season? Thanks for the interesting replies to my thread so far. Go Gophers!
 

This is adorable!

In all seriousness though, I hope Jerry Kill is successful. Would love to see significance return to Badger/Gopher series in particular.

The upcoming schedules in the next few years for the Gophers is quite brutal, so I'm not going to be holding my breath for ol' Kountry Jer, but I do believe he is good football coach. Whether that label applies to a big-time operation like B1G football is yet to be determined in my opinion, but he seems to have "climbed the ladder" pretty well at his previous stops. We'll find out in the next few years, I suppose. This year is particularly huge to set up for success in the following brutal years. If he has a bad season this year, I put his survival rate at about 4%. If he does well this season- beats Wisconsin, beats Iowa and wins his non-conference games and his bowl game to get any where between 8-10 wins, I'd say he's the real deal. Like I said though, I think that is yet to be determined.

If he doesn't work out, I also don't think it's some kind of last straw. You'll find a new coach and carry on, and eventually you'll snag someone who can turn the sails into the wind Whether that happens with Kountry Jer or in 50 years or 100 years, who knows. B1G football is way too big of an asset and money maker for any school to ever really consider shutting down. UChicago did a long time ago, but that was a much different time than what we live in the present. The conference and the BTN will keep your program alive no matter how long it stays crappy. Worry not.
 



I do know ,that Coach Kill is the type of coach Minnesotans understand, work hard, keep getting better in all aspects of the game, keep the kids in school, and see how far we can go. That is the Minnesota work ethic in a nutshell and the reason most of the fans will give Kill the time he needs.
 

Yes, clearly if a coach who has all of one MAC title on his D-1 resume and ZERO prior experience at a BCS school can't rebuild Minnesota, nobody can. Hopefully, Jerry Kill is the guy, but the time is now for more than 2 Big Ten wins. It will be interesting to see where the state of public opinion on Coach Kiill sits at the end of next season.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Sorry, but I don't like absolutes. Saying that Jerry Kill is the last hope for Gopher FB is way overstating the case.

Nobody here can tell the future. Kill could go on to lead the program to new heights of glory, or he could plateau out at 6 or 7 wins a year.

And, if Kill doesn't make it - or leaves for another job, for all we know, the next coach they hire could turn out be the "the one." (and no, I don't mean Keanu Reaves).

Basically, If someone adopts the premise that it's Kill or nothing, then, if Kill doesn't get it done, you're saying that there is no reason to ever watch another Gopher game or care about the team ever again. Sorry, but I refuse to doom the program to some metaphorical purgatory just because you're tired of waiting for a team that meets your standards.

Until I die, I will follow the team and hope for that glorious season that takes us to the promised land.
(my new fantasy - Gophers play National Championship game against Arkansas and beat Bielema so badly he resigns after the game......). Without hope, there is no reason for living. I will hope until I die that the Gophs will win a Rose Bowl, that Springsteen will put out one more really great album, and that Robert De Niro will make one more really great movie. (and that I will finish remodeling my house - but that might be too much to ask for........)
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i kind of feel/felt that way with the big 3 that if we don't get any of them then gopher basketball will never ever be where i would like to see them be which is winning big ten and national championships and i should just give up on the program, its not like the state will ever have a class that good,at least not for 30-40, maybe 50 or more years
 

Keep building that offensive line with big hogs, recruit speed from the South, keep our top players in the state, build a walk-on program that will built on players with FBS/FCS offers, and run a clean program with enough focus on academices to keep players eligible. Tough to do, but Kill has proven he has done it in the past and has the program plan to do it with Minnesota. I am amazed with the tenure of Kill's coaching staff. That in itself says quite a bit about the man and his team to turn Minnesota around.
 



Don't see Kill being here any longer than 3 more years, but he's not the last hope. Things can always change.
 



I feel like all the things being said about Kill could've been said about every gopher coach heading into their third year. One day we will get it right, I was hoping it would be Mason, I was hoping it would be Brewster and now I hope it's Kill and no matter how well Kill does I'll root for my gophs and when the day comes that we have a new coach I'll hope he has success too.
Also, Morning calm you must have one heck of a social life to post on a rival teams fan board as much as you do, it will be adorable to watch the gophers sprint to your sideline and take back the axe.
 

I was going to say that our recruiting budget is a hindrance for Kill. But that's just not the case. We're not getting much for the money.

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Not sure if Kill is our last chance, but I do think he turns it around and I think that turn around is already well underway. Should be some fun years to be a Gopher fan!
 

Coach Kill is my favorite football coach right now. I am cheering like heck for him. If he moves on for one reason or another, the new coach will be my new favorite football coach and I'll cheer like heck for that coach. Coach Kill is not our last chance, he's our current chance. I'm supporting him 100% and can't wait for the season opener!

Go Gophers!!
 

NateDawgUM said:
I love Jerry Kill, but to say he's the "last chance" is utterly ridiculous. There might be some 5 year old at day care right now who will be Minnesota's Woody Hayes.
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My son is 5 and just finished day care. I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'...

Go Gophers!!
 

I like Jerry Kill and I think he's the right guy to turn this around, but if he doesn't, I hope it lights a fire under the administration to start investing in athletics more seriously. Look at what Nebraska's doing in basketball. Tim Miles might be the guy to turn that program around and with the money they are pouring into basketball, it should be successful.
 

Iowa is already in a down cycle. Player problems, coaching changes, and poor evaluation in recruiting. All the National rags pick us over Iowa in the standings. I expect a win at TCF. The next chink in the armor will be at Wisconsin. Anderson is the second coming of Don Morton. The skunks have an extremely easy schedule except for Arizona State. If we stay healthy I think our chances against the skunks at TCF is pretty good.
 

I'm confident that the Gophers will continue to improve, however, I don't see any reason to think that Kill is our last hope. They do keep making decent coaches, after all.
 

BleedGopher said:
My son is 5 and just finished day care. I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'...

Go Gophers!!
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Start working on those temper tantrums. He doesn't get the job unless he gets an "A" in shredding the first-down chains and decks an opposing player attempting to score a point.

As per the original post, I am optimistic about Kill, but I don't see him as a last chance for anything. Without hesitation, I believe that Kill will improve this program or die trying (figuratively I hope) and he is organized and committed. I hope it works, but am ready for the next guy if after 5 years we aren't consistently on a higher plateau.

I'm old. The Gophers have beaten Nebraska twice in my lifetime. We didn't have a television in 1954 (and the game probably wouldn't have been on then), so it didn't matter much when I was one.
 

Also, by beating Nebraska this season would be a huge step for Kill and staff regarding the programs progression upwards. Go Gophers!!
 

ruppertflywheel said:
The next chink in the armor will be at Wisconsin. Anderson is the second coming of Don Morton. The skunks have an extremely easy schedule except for Arizona State. If we stay healthy I think our chances against the skunks at TCF is pretty good.
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Ruppie logic at its finest. Gotta love it!

It's got to be the 3rd coming though, right? I could have SWORN that you proclaimed our annual Don Morton Doom once before...

Or maybe it's the 4th or 5th or 7th... I've frankly lost track of how many times Wisconsin has been pronounced dead or a sinking ship in the last 20 years. Especially by the wise CFB sages from UMN.

Here's to hoping your greatest wish comes true though, lol.
 

MorningCalmBadger said:
Ruppie logic at its finest. Gotta love it!

It's got to be the 3rd coming though, right? I could have SWORN that you proclaimed our annual Don Morton Doom once before...

Or maybe it's the 4th or 5th or 7th... I've frankly lost track of how many times Wisconsin has been pronounced dead or a sinking ship in the last 20 years. Especially by the wise CFB sages from UMN.

Here's to hoping your greatest wish comes true though, lol.
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He does tend to predict the Badgers failing, but you have to admit it will be interesting to see what happens with Wisconsin with their first major change since pre-Barry.
 

1. Last years recruits had lots of D1 offers. Not all are in the right divisions, but 2 of those kids turned down Miami (not Ohio).
2. This years class has the beginnings of being better than last years recruits. If that turns out to be the case, the budget is proving its worth.
3. I like the fact that Kill will recruit the D-Line every year until it is flat out better.
4. Kill already recruits the secondary about as well as any of our contemporary coaches have recruited.
5. The linebackers are still a question mark, but there appears to be at least modest hope.
6. If we win 3 B!G games this year, I'll take a 50% increase any year.
7. The staff needs 10 years to really make a difference. That is my new mantra. Not 1 year. 10 years. This is a complete 180 from what I have said in the past. Why? This isn't like building the Panama Canal. This is like building a canal on the moon, creating the water and then building the commercial centers on both end of that new infrastructure. 10 years. Seems more reasonable than 1,2 or 3 years. (Okay, my example is a bit of an exaggeration, just calm down Shirley!)
8. The staff is recruiting not just football talent, but academic talent. So, to accomplish getting to a successful offense, you have to give away half the scholarships to defense and special teams. Not many 4 star athletes are going to qualify under this scenario, which stretches out the development timeline quite a ways out. 3 star athletes in better than average academic standing would seem the route to go. Last years class was therefore a perfect example of what a recruiting class should look like.
9. Kill and company seem to understand how to work through change with commitment, clarity of purpose and good communication going for them.
10. Kill deserves more time for raising both academic and field victories.
 

Dean S said:
1. Last years recruits had lots of D1 offers. Not all are in the right divisions, but 2 of those kids turned down Miami (not Ohio).
2. This years class has the beginnings of being better than last years recruits. If that turns out to be the case, the budget is proving its worth.
3. I like the fact that Kill will recruit the D-Line every year until it is flat out better.
4. Kill already recruits the secondary about as well as any of our contemporary coaches have recruited.
5. The linebackers are still a question mark, but there appears to be at least modest hope.
6. If we win 3 B!G games this year, I'll take a 50% increase any year.
7. The staff needs 10 years to really make a difference. That is my new mantra. Not 1 year. 10 years. This is a complete 180 from what I have said in the past. Why? This isn't like building the Panama Canal. This is like building a canal on the moon, creating the water and then building the commercial centers on both end of that new infrastructure. 10 years. Seems more reasonable than 1,2 or 3 years. (Okay, my example is a bit of an exaggeration, just calm down Shirley!)
8. The staff is recruiting not just football talent, but academic talent. So, to accomplish getting to a successful offense, you have to give away half the scholarships to defense and special teams. Not many 4 star athletes are going to qualify under this scenario, which stretches out the development timeline quite a ways out. 3 star athletes in better than average academic standing would seem the route to go. Last years class was therefore a perfect example of what a recruiting class should look like.
9. Kill and company seem to understand how to work through change with commitment, clarity of purpose and good communication going for them.
10. Kill deserves more time for raising both academic and field victories.
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Maybe I am misunderstanding but saying not many of the 4 star athletes are in as good of academic standing as a 3 star athlete seems pretty unfair and stereotyping in my view.
 

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