Jerry Kill Slams PJ

Here's my take on the situation. Kill was a HC for a long-time, and he expected absolute loyalty from his assistants. The assistants didn't question Jerry, and he showed loyalty to them and brought them with him to every new destination. At Northern Illinois, he does a favor in his mind for a kid called PJ who should owe him big time. PJ, unlike all of his other coaches, is disloyal to Jerry and goes to Rutgers after a year. Kill is pissed because that's not how "his" staff operates. Later on, he watches this same disloyal assistant get his dream job at a much younger age. The kid doesn't publicly talk about how great Kill was, and Jerry can't understand why he doesn't respect the coaches that helped him along the way (Jerry). Not only does the disloyal assistant get the job Jerry worked for his entire life at a much younger age, but he is making significant more money with better facilities than Jerry had. And now Jerry has to spend the rest of his life in Carbondale Illinois at a school that's irrelevant.

Carbondale feels more southern than midwest. Not a pleasant place. Have fun Jer
 


STrib: Fleck responds to Jerry Kill's harsh words: 'I'm really sorry he feels that way'

Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck took the high road Thursday, two days after getting criticized in a national radio interview by former coach Jerry Kill.

“Listen, I’ve got a lot of respect for Jerry Kill, I always will,” Fleck said on AM-1130 radio during halftime of the Gophers men’s basketball game. “I’ve learned so much from him. … I’m really sorry that he feels that way. I’m not sure where that came from.

“But I do know this: We’re focused on our team. I wish him all the best in the next journey of his life being an athletic director, and I hope he’s OK.”

“But this isn’t a profession just about feelings,” Fleck said. “The one thing that’s really important to me is our players. Always has been, always will be. ... That’s been my focus from day one since I’ve been the head football coach here and always will be.”

http://www.startribune.com/p-j-fleck-on-jierry-kill-i-m-really-sorry-he-feels-that-way/506197212/

Go Gophers!!
 

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Go Gophers!!
 

I don't know why people suddenly feel differently about Kill. He's been whining for years about this and previously stated he would never step foot again in the stadium. And all this coming from a guy who shouldn't really have a bone to pick - he quit on his own due to health reasons despite the U sticking by him for years...

It's almost like he had the expectation that his assistant (Claeys) was owed a long-term contract. The same assistant who immediately fired two of his other long-term coaches after he got the job.

You really don't think this article was a change?

It's years later. He should have his own thing going on and he went out of his way to blast PJ Fleck.

What does Claeys firing Limegrover have anything to do with Claeys being fired? I really think you are pretending on some of your takes lately.
 



You really don't think this article was a change?

It's years later. He should have his own thing going on and he went out of his way to blast PJ Fleck.

What does Claeys firing Limegrover have anything to do with Claeys being fired? I really think you are pretending on some of your takes lately.

Chances are real good that SIU won’t be on any Gopher schedule in the near future. MC will see to that.
 

You really don't think this article was a change?

It's years later. He should have his own thing going on and he went out of his way to blast PJ Fleck.

What does Claeys firing Limegrover have anything to do with Claeys being fired? I really think you are pretending on some of your takes lately.

The change was how vocal Kill was in a public setting about his dislike for PJ. I think it's been pretty obvious for a while that Kill and Fleck weren't exchanging notes and phone calls on how to be a successful coach at the U. Kill previously said he wouldn't step foot on the U campus again - it was obvious he's been pissed about what went down. Are you surprised that Kill feels the way he does about Fleck? Or surprised that he said it? For most it's the latter.

I think the general assumption is that part of the reason Kill is pissed at the U is because Claeys was let go. This is independent (or should be) from his dislike of PJ and resulted in his comments years ago about not returning to the U. So why is Kill pissed at the U and Coyle for firing Claeys, yet not equally pissed at Claeys for firing his buddy and long-time assistants Limegrover and Zebrowski?
 

Good response by Fleck. Kill has got to stop being so pissed, not a way to live life...only a way to "piss" it away.
 



Chances are real good that SIU won’t be on any Gopher schedule in the near future. MC will see to that.

Probably so.
But, on a somewhat related note, I had a dream the other night that Minnesota and Washington St. were playing in a bowl game. I don't know how the game turned out though because one of my friends walked by with a pan of some kind of food or bars and said the crappies were biting and we should go now.
 


Speaking only for myself, I would largely say that what Kill actually intended was largely misunderstood, and, perhaps purposefully (actually, I'd say that is almost certainly the case), mis-characterized and mis-framed.

He didn't attack Fleck for getting a divorce. He didn't say that Fleck doesn't care about his players.

The main thrust of the comments was that he thinks Fleck has a big ego, and that his ego got way bigger after he was no longer an assistant coach of Kill's and got the W Michigan job. That part, I actually believe is probably true.

And many people have already agreed that they really aren't bothered that Fleck has a big ego, and in fact even expect a P5 head coach to have one.
 

Good response by Fleck. Kill has got to stop being so pissed, not a way to live life...only a way to "piss" it away.

Sadly I think Kill has lived the HC life so long, I'm not sure he knows another way.
 



He didn't say that Fleck doesn't care about his players.

"Do I think he's about the players? No. He's about himself."

In the strictest technical sense, I suppose you are correct, but seems pretty logical to me that is what Kill is implying.
 


STrib: Fleck responds to Jerry Kill's harsh words: 'I'm really sorry he feels that way'

http://www.startribune.com/p-j-fleck-on-jierry-kill-i-m-really-sorry-he-feels-that-way/506197212/

Go Gophers!!

I know my opinion is in the minority here, but I think this is BS. Fleck knows exactly why Kill is pissed at him. As soon as Fleck was hired he made some disrespectful statements about the culture of the team that Jerry built and he made things difficult for a lot of Jerry's recruits. Also, Flecks' behavior on the field makes coaches like Jerry sick. One of many examples mentioned is from KFAN's Meatsauce, where he questions why Fleck wears bright yellow or white in contrast to the color of the teams' jerseys on game days. --- Easy answer IMO. Camera attention and self promotion.
 

I know my opinion is in the minority here, but I think this is BS. Fleck knows exactly why Kill is pissed at him. As soon as Fleck was hired he made some disrespectful statements about the culture of the team that Jerry built and he made things difficult for a lot of Jerry's recruits. Also, Flecks' behavior on the field makes coaches like Jerry sick. One of many examples mentioned is from KFAN's Meatsauce, where he questions why Fleck wears bright yellow or white in contrast to the color of the teams' jerseys on game days. --- Easy answer IMO. Camera attention and self promotion.

Jerry hadn't been coaching for 1.5 years when Fleck took over. Why would he take any remarks personally? Claeys should be the one pissed if anyone should.
 


Jerry hadn't been coaching for 1.5 years when Fleck took over. Why would he take any remarks personally? Claeys should be the one pissed if anyone should.

Gee, I don't know, maybe because Kill recruited every single upperclassman on the team?

Do you think this is cute when you keep playing dumb and asking this question over and over and over?
 

Jerry hadn't been coaching for 1.5 years when Fleck took over. Why would he take any remarks personally? Claeys should be the one pissed if anyone should.

This is a fair point. It's really just another way of saying, it's been years now, why even make any statement about your old school, at all?

It's fair. Kill wanted to say something about Fleck. That much is obvious. He got it off his chest now, that's for sure.
 

"Do I think he's about the players? No. He's about himself."

In the strictest technical sense, I suppose you are correct, but seems pretty logical to me that is what Kill is implying.

It was referring to the flashy, gimmick stuff that Fleck does, like running up and down the sidelines. Or like another poster just pointed out, why does he wear those ridiculous outfits on the sidelines?

Kill was saying that Fleck doesn't do all that stuff for the players. He does it to stroke his own ego.

That's specific what that comment was addressing.


It wasn't anything even remotely close to making the claim that Fleck doesn't care about his players. He clearly does.
 

It was referring to the flashy, gimmick stuff that Fleck does, like running up and down the sidelines. Or like another poster just pointed out, why does he wear those ridiculous outfits on the sidelines?

Kill was saying that Fleck doesn't do all that stuff for the players. He does it to stroke his own ego.

That's specific what that comment was addressing.


It wasn't anything even remotely close to making the claim that Fleck doesn't care about his players. He clearly does.

I realize you are quoting someone else, but wearing ridiculous outfits? I have no problem with how he dresses for games - seems like pretty standard coach garb.
 

Speaking only for myself, I would largely say that what Kill actually intended was largely misunderstood, and, perhaps purposefully (actually, I'd say that is almost certainly the case), mis-characterized and mis-framed.

He didn't attack Fleck for getting a divorce. He didn't say that Fleck doesn't care about his players.

The main thrust of the comments was that he thinks Fleck has a big ego, and that his ego got way bigger after he was no longer an assistant coach of Kill's and got the W Michigan job. That part, I actually believe is probably true.

And many people have already agreed that they really aren't bothered that Fleck has a big ego, and in fact even expect a P5 head coach to have one.

That's called being passive-aggressive. Bringing up the first wife but not explicitly making a comment about divorce/first child and pretty much the entire interview was passive-aggressive bitterness. The intent is to be indirect.
 

I realize you are quoting someone else, but wearing ridiculous outfits? I have no problem with how he dresses for games - seems like pretty standard coach garb.

I've never given any thought to what Fleck wears during games either.
 

Or like another poster just pointed out, why does he wear those ridiculous outfits on the sidelines?

Ridiculous outfits? He typically wears a shirt and tie along with a Gopher zip-up. What, do you think he's wearing a red Ronald McDonald wig and Groucho Marx nose and eyeglasses?
 

That's called being passive-aggressive. Bringing up the first wife but not explicitly making a comment about divorce/first child and pretty much the entire interview was passive-aggressive bitterness. The intent is to be indirect.

I think you're seeing what you want to see. That's my take.

I doubt I'll convince you. It seems you WANT it to be the case the Kill is insulting Fleck for having a divorce. Even though he didn't do any such thing.


You have to listen to it, in context. He was explaining why he thought Fleck changed after getting the WMU job. It was an off-hand comment.
 

Ridiculous outfits?

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I agree with the other poster that he wears the above in order to stand out, and call attention to himself.
 

Gee, I don't know, maybe because Kill recruited every single upperclassman on the team?

Do you think this is cute when you keep playing dumb and asking this question over and over and over?

So are you saying the culture was still Kill’s after Tracy had been the coach for 1.5 years? If so that’s funny, because you’ve been adamant for years that Claeys was a first year coach and the team was fully his.

After Fleck had been here for 1.5 years, there is no question whose culture it was.
 

I realize you are quoting someone else, but wearing ridiculous outfits? I have no problem with how he dresses for games - seems like pretty standard coach garb.

Not to mention the fact that coaches often don't wear the same color clothing as the uniforms to make it easy for the players to find them on the sideline. But for those that don't like Fleck it is easy to assume the only reason he does it is in order to be seen by the TV camera.

As for the running up and down on the sideline, this new wave of younger coaches is much more high energy then the old farts. Sean Mcvay has a get back coach that follows him around and pulls him back from the officials path or when he gets too far out on the field. I see these guys celebrating with players and getting really into the action of the game and have zero problem with it. And in general the players seem to love it even if some of the old guard can't stand them dang kids running around out there.
 

I think you're seeing what you want to see. That's my take.

I doubt I'll convince you. It seems you WANT it to be the case the Kill is insulting Fleck for having a divorce. Even though he didn't do any such thing.


You have to listen to it, in context. He was explaining why he thought Fleck changed after getting the WMU job. It was an off-hand comment.

I listened to it.

I never said that he was insulting him for having a divorce. I said he brought up the divorce in a passive-aggressive way. He shouldn't have brought it up at all. It's incredibly tacky to bring up someone's marriage in those terms. However, if I had to guess, I think Kill was saying that Fleck has changed a lot and used the divorce as an example of how much/proof he's changed - - like his change helped lead to the divorce. That's not saying that he was insulting him for a divorce. He was insulting him for changing (which to Kill was a change for the worse).

That said, I just heard what I heard. I wasn't wanting to hear things. I've probably been accused of being a JK/Claeys apologist on this board, so if I "wanted" to hear anything, it'd be more likely that I heard something less petty from Kill. I was a big Kill fan. I'm not so much a fan of his after that interview.

The context of the interview from my perspective was that he was going out of his way to talk about and insult someone and in the process of insulting someone decided to bring up their divorce. I don't think it's a passing reference.
 




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