Jerry Kill B1G Presser: We've got a team that's hungry to play, & starving right now

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Jerry Kill B1G Presser: We've got a team that's hungry to play, & starving right now

Here are the notes from Jerry Kill's Big 10 Media day press conference (in case you actually had to work instead of watching, lol). These are my notes I typed live while he spoke...I will post the actual transcript when they send it shortly.

• We're excited about the upcoming season. We've been very fortunate, after our bowl game, we had a team meeting and I told our kids, you should be "starving".
• I told all of our players that Mitch Leidner is the guy in charge.
• This summer went well, our kids have gotten stronger, and I believe we've gotten faster. I think the biggest example, is that we've had a lot of players stay in May, they stayed and worked. I've been really impressed with Mitch and Cedric. By the 3rd year, you have kids that can run your football team. Mitch has basically done that through the summer. He's handled the discipline. From a coach's standpoint when you get your kids to buy in and do those kind of things, that's a good thing.
• I feel like on the defensive side, I think we can be better, and we're better on the offensive side of the ball.
• If you don't have a mission to with the Big 10, why play? We have to build on what we did a year ago. We've got a team that's hungry to play, and starving right now. We don't have a lot of mottos, just work hard.
• I think Cedric came in as a freshman, you could tell he was going to be a good player. To be a leader, you have to be a good football player. He's a great communicator. After the season, he said "hey coach, I want to be that guy, I want to have that pressure." To be honest, I thought he'd be a good leader, but I had no idea how good he'd be. As Tony Dungy says, you have to be Uncommon. He understands every element of life. He can be hard on a player, I can see him get after guys on the workouts, and they respond.
• We played more physical last year, we got better at stopping the run, from a physical standpoint our recruiting has been better. But we have to give credit to Eric Klein. We look at the top 5 programs in the nation, and take tips from them. We're a much stronger/faster team than we were a year ago. Plus, our coaching staff has done a good job of recruiting.
• You're never too proud to get better, all of us coaches in the Big 10, we're visiting with other college teams and pro teams.
• We've always made a decision on QB, and I don't think we did that last year. When you know you're the guy, it's a little bit different. We also have improved our receiving core. Our older guys have gotten better.
• On losing 10 straight against the Badgers - I think what our job is as coaches there were a lot of things that haven't been done for a while. For us to be successful and win the Big 10, you have to beat the border schools. We're well aware of that situation. WI/IA are very well coached, but we have to step our game up. We know what we have to do, we just have to go out and do it.
• On David Cobb - I think competition makes everyone better. When you have some of the kids he's got in the backfield, he can't rest. David was prepared for his opportunity and took it and ran with it. I know he'll do well. We are deep in the backfield. His work ethic has been very good, and he's got a lot of high goals. We've had an outstanding spring and summer, the best we've had at the U. David is a part of that.

The game is about the kids, it's not about the coaches, anytime we can improve to help our players from an academic and athletic situation, we're going to do it. I always get a kick out of people that are teaching, when people say "what are we going to do with these kids?" Guess what, the kids are the reason we all have jobs.
 




Here's the official transcript:
An Interview With:
MINNESOTA COACH
JERRY KILL
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by
Coach Jerry Kill.
COACH KILL: This is a great opportunity,
and we appreciate the opportunity. We're
fortunate to have three young men here who have
done outstanding job for us -- Mitch Leidner,
Cedric Thompson, and David Cobb -- of
representing the University of Minnesota. We're
excited as all coaches are about the upcoming
season.
We've been very fortunate. When we
came back from our bowl game and we had a
team meeting, I shared with our kids: Right now
you should be starving. We made some great
strides last year. We did some good things.
We've done some things that hadn't been done for
a while. I think we kind of set the tone where in our
third year where we've been before we start the
turnaround process, and now we have to take it
another step.
With that being said, you know, I watched
our kids in the offseason when we did come back,
we said: Mitch Leidner, you're our quarterback.
And I told all our players he's the guy in charge.
Cedric Thompson emerged on the
defensive side of the ball, and I can't say enough
of what they've done in the offseason. Our session
in the spring and through the offseason I thought
went very well. We knew there's some things that
we needed to work on, and we spent a lot of time
on them. Certainly from the offensive side
throwing the football, getting better in the red zone
offensively and defensively, and, you know,
working a lot on situations that we didn't do very
well. And also teams that beat us. You have to
find a way to beat those teams, and we tried to
concentrate on some of their strengths.
So the summer went well. Our kids have
gotten stronger. I believe we've gotten faster. And
we've kind of done that each year.
And so they're excited about what's going
on. I think the biggest example that I can tell you,
we had a lot of players stay in May, which has
been unusual in our program, stayed and worked.
And then the thing that I really have been
impressed with is Mitch and Cedric here in the
summertime. Where I've been before usually that
third year your kids can kind of run your football
team, and that's what's happened at the University
of Minnesota.
Our kids, this summer, have worked just
like everybody has in the Big Ten, but for us, the
step they took forward they could actually go out
and run a practice, and Mitch has basically done
that through the summer process.
And the neat thing about that is they've
handled the discipline, and when kids weren't on
time and so forth, and they've kind of done it on
their own and they've taken great ownership. And
from a head coach's standpoint, when you get your
kids to buy in and do those kind of things, it's
exciting to see.
And our team last year set the tone of
where we need to go and where we need to be.
However, that's in the past. Now we're in the
future. New team, new situation, with some
veterans coming back.
I feel like on the defensive side of the ball,
I think we can be better. And I think we'll be better
on the offensive side of the ball. So that's what
you're always striving for, but at the same time
you've got to go out and prove that. We have a
very tough schedule, but competition makes you
better and we're looking forward to it.
So with that being said, certainly take any
questions at this time.
Q. You talk about taking the next step
with this program after getting eight wins. In
your mind, what is that next step? Is it to win a
bowl game? Win the West? What is realistic in
year four?
COACH KILL: I think there's no question
we want to continue to improve on what we did last
year. And we won eight games, and I think
July 28, 2014
visit our archives at asapsports.com
Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill 2
anytime you go into the Big Ten and if you don't
have a mission to win the Big Ten, then why play?
And I think our kids, they're like anybody
else. It's a new season and that's our mission
statement, and the same way last year, but we
have to build on what we did a year ago and
continue to make progress.
And that's part of having a team that is
hungry to play, and as I said starving right now.
And I think in the offseason -- we don't have a lot
of mottos. Some places, you go all over, they have
a whole bunch of mottos. But my whole life, and
anybody I've ever coached, is work hard. That's
the key to success, work hard.
And where I was at when I was at Northern
Illinois, we talked about it and we're talking about it
now, is that we have to do it the hard way. But
that's the way that our coaching staff, that's the
culture that we've created, our whole coaching
careers, and we know we've gotta do it the hard
way and we look forward to it.
That's kind of, so to speak, our team
image right now.
Q. When Cedric Thompson first got to
campus, you guys knew he had a unique story
from Bombay Beach and everything. But when
was the first sense you got that this was a
potential leader of your team?
COACH KILL: I think Cedric came in as a
freshman and you could tell he was going to be a
very, very good player. And to be a leader you
have to be a good football player. And as his
maturity grew in our program and each year, I think
that he has improved in that area, a great
communicator.
But I think where I've seen it the most, he
came up and after the season and said: Hey,
Coach, I want to be that guy. I want to have that
pressure. It's my time to lead.
And to be honest with you, I thought he'd
be a good leader but I had no idea that he was
going to do the job, what he's done, since he
stepped up. And when you're a leader, you have
to be different. As Tony Dungy said: You've got to
be uncommon. And you're not always one of the
players' best friends. You gotta do what's best for
the program and the team.
And both him and Mitch have been
extended coaches. And I think when you get that
and you have strong leadership -- and Cedric is --
his upbringing and how he survived things and
what he stands for, he understands every element
of life. And when you have a kid that understands
that, and our players know that, he's got great
respect. He can be hard on a player. I've seen
him in the workouts; he'll get after somebody, and
they respond to it.
I think when you can get kids to respond to
the leadership, then you've got a chance to be
pretty good.
Q. What did you guys change last year
to get your team to play with such physicality?
COACH KILL: I think we played more
physical. I think that we always say you gotta be
able to run the ball and gotta stop the run.
And we got better at it. And I think from a
physical standpoint, I think our recruiting continues
to be better, but Eric Klein is the critical piece in
our strength staff. Eric's been with me 21 years.
He's always following the great programs. We
always look at the top five programs in the country
and find out what they're doing.
But we've had a good philosophy through
our coaching career and kind of stuck to it. And we
take kids that we bring in and we know that they
have length and speed and we build them in the
weight room.
He's done a great job of that everywhere
we've been, and he continues to do that, because
we're a much stronger, faster team than I believe
we were a year ago. And we look better.
But you still gotta go play. But a lot of it
has to do with the strength staff and what they've
done, plus our coaching staff's done a good job of
recruiting to what we need and what we do.
Sometimes we get caught up in the
recruiting process and so forth, who is recruiting
who, but we've tried to do what's best for us and
recruit to the system that we run.
Q. You obviously have a pretty solid
running game, but how critical is it for you in
order to take that next step to get more
production through the year?
COACH KILL: We've got some depth at
running back and we have done a good job of that.
But we've worked hard in offseason. We brought
some people in to -- you are never too proud to get
better. And I think all the coaches here in the Big
Ten, we're always visiting with other programs,
whether it's NFL teams or great college teams, and
I think as a coaching staff we gotta do a better job.
And I don't think there's any question that we've
improved ourselves in that area. visit our archives at asapsports.com
Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill 3
The other thing is I think through the past
we've always made decision on a quarterback, and
probably didn't do that enough a year ago. And we
said: Hey, Mitch is going to be our quarterback.
And where we're at, Chris Streveler is going to be
a guy that's a backup and ready to go. And we
established that. And I think when you know
you're going to be the guy, it's a little bit different.
So we've spent a lot of time -- Mitch has
spent a lot of time with the receivers. And we
know we've gotta do a good job we start seeing
eight, nine people in the box and you've got to be
able to throw the ball downfield and make some
catches. But we also have improved our receiving
corps. And sometimes the receiver can make a
quarterback look good.
So I think we've helped ourselves through
recruiting. I think our older guys have gotten
better. And we put a lot of emphasis in it in the
spring.
And usually what you emphasize is what
you get. And I think we emphasized it much more.
Q. You guys have lost 10 straight now
against Wisconsin, meaning 10 straight games,
without Paul Bunyan's axe. How important is
that obviously to get back on that winning
track, not just obviously from a record
standpoint, but from a recruiting standpoint
and just for school pride, especially with it
being the border battle?
COACH KILL: Absolutely. And, you know,
I think what our job is as coaches and most
programs that we've taken over, there's a lot of
things that hadn't been done for a while, and you
take steps at doing that.
I think we understand for us to be
successful and win the Big Ten and take our
strides farther along in our program, you know, you
have to beat the border schools. So there's
certainly focus on that. But we focus on
everybody.
But we're well aware of that situation. And
as you take steps, those are games you gotta win.
And they're both -- Wisconsin, Iowa are very well
coached and got good players. But we have to
step our game up, and I think our kids are excited
about that.
And I think we know what we need to do.
We just gotta go out and do it. But, you know,
there's a lot of things that we haven't done in a
while, and we've done a lot of those things a year
ago. But we have to continue to make strides to
take care of that, because when you do, you're
going to be successful because of the programs
that are our border schools.
When you get that done, you've got a
chance to compete for the Big Ten title.
Q. How do you think David Cobb
handled the success he had last year,
especially like at the end in the way he took
what happened in the bowl game and kind of
pushed him through the offseason?
COACH KILL: Well, I think competition
makes everybody better. And David is an awful
good football player and had a great season for us
and has worked very hard in the offseason.
But when you have some of the kids that
he's got in that backfield, you have no time to rest.
Early in the year, David wasn't playing for us. We
had two other guys that got injuries. But the thing
about it, David was prepared for his opportunity
and took it and ran with it and had just had a great
year.
And his hard work and preparation for this
coming year, I know he'll do well. And he's excited
about that. And we are deep in the backfield and
we've got to find a way to utilize our backs, but in
the past, where we've been, you know, we've been
able to get three backs on the field and do a lot of
different things.
But his work ethic has been very good.
And he's got a lot of high goals like every player
that's here in the Big Ten. He wants to reach
those goals. He's put in the work and effort and
really all our kids have. We have had an
outstanding spring and summer, the best we've
had at the University of Minnesota, and also
maybe one of the better ones we've been
anywhere.
So David's a part of that, and he knows he
wants to continue to get better. And I look forward
to watching him play this year.
Q. Can you just talk about maybe some
discussions you've had with the team about
some of the changes that are going to go on in
college football moving forward and if you've
addressed that at all with your players?
COACH KILL: We've talked a little bit
about it, but I think the concentration's been on our
season and going forward with the season. But we
certainly talked some about it with all the changes
that have happened and some of the ones that are
going forward. And I think it's a great opportunity visit our archives at asapsports.com
Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill 4
for our kids. The game's about the kids. I always
say it's not about the coaches, it's not about all
that, it's about the players and the kids.
I think anytime we can improve to help our
players from an academic and athletic situation, we
need to do that. And I think all the changes are
here to help the players, and the game's about the
players.
I always get a kick out of people that are
teaching and so forth, they go: Boy, these darned
kids, what are we going to do with them? Guess
what? That's why we've all got jobs. So we need
to make sure we take care of them.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you
 




JK has always said, we have got to get better. We have to do better. Now he says, we are better. I believe him. :)
 





If you get a chance listen to coach Gerry DiNardo's comments after the press conference. I agree 100%. Basically he feels if we get away from our formula at all this year we will all be disappointed.
 

I like how the a-hole dink from Bucky's 5th Quarter asked the Axe question. It was asked purely to embarrass Kill. Coach is a better man that I.
 

It's real. It's raw. At time's it's real raw.

If you're going bear hunting, you better be prepared to go get the bear.
 



Too bad Kill didn't fly to the podium in a helicopter.
 


I happened to see Ferenz's presser and I couldn't help but wonder why the BTN can't make this event more efficient. Someone raises their hand to ask a question and it takes 5 minutes to get a mike to the guy. How about spreading a few mikes around the room???
 

husker70 said:
Gopher Lady are you in Chicago?
Click to expand...

No, I am not. Would love the day when GH flew me to these things and away games!!! :)

highwayman said:
I like how the a-hole dink from Bucky's 5th Quarter asked the Axe question. It was asked purely to embarrass Kill. Coach is a better man that I.
Click to expand...

It was so stupid. What's Kill going to say, "we love getting our asses handed to us by the Badgers?" Of course he wants to beat them, we all do.
 

I wish I had a first year picture of Coach Kill and the Current Picture. I remember Coach with rosy cheeks almost capillary busting red. Today thinner, no trace of cheek pinkness. He looked great. I think his doctors have more than a few things under control. All Good. Seven questions, and not one question about his health.
 

husker70 said:
I wish I had a first year picture of Coach Kill and the Current Picture. I remember Coach with rosy cheeks almost capillary busting red. Today thinner, no trace of cheek pinkness. He looked great. I think his doctors have more than a few things under control. All Good. Seven questions, and not one question about his health.
Click to expand...

20101206_jerry_kill_33.jpg


20120724_jel_sl8_331.0_standard_730.0.jpg
 

Good pictures, Nate. Jerry looks much improved. I would guess the job seems much more manageable to him after the progress he has made with the program. Seems quietly confident vs we have a long way to go.
 


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