Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys is now the Gophers acting head coach.
They were talking fast, it’s not verbatim, but this is what I got:
Norwood Teague:
• I wanted to update everyone, Jerry Kill is taking time to focus on his treatment and treat his epilepsy. He will remain close to the program, and will stay in close contact with Claeys.
• They want the health matter to remain private.
• It was Kill’s decision. It’s a good time for him to focus on it and look deeper into it as it’s a bye week
• Jerry Kill put this team and staff together, and Claeys can step right in.
• This is private medical matter (when asked about the arrangements being made)
• This is not a black and white condition. Over a period of time, he’s said, I need to look into this deeper.
• I am personally, extremely happy with the program under these guys. They are turning a major project around, and that takes time. Games are won during the week.
• We were talking and he was considering taking a leave, and decided today. IT was time to look deeper into it, there was no red flag out there.
• Jerry is one of the toughest and most relentless human beings I’ve ever been around. This is a good step for him personally.
• As it stands right now, we have all of our assistants on the road, except for the coordinators. These guys recruit in a different way, kids that will fit in here, I feel like it’s going very well, kids are inspired by Jerry’s story.
• I don’t know. I’m telling you, the more I’m around Jerry and learn, it is not a static condition. I’ve gotten support from all around the country. He is going after this hard. It’s a big time step in the right direction.
• The team loves Jerry, they are concerned with him, and want to play hard for him. It’s a tricky deal that he’s got to deal with.
• The way that I see it and read it with Jerry, we’ve had a lot of conversations, they are trying new things all the time, and trying to come up with the right formula. Nothing radicle. Just new approaches because it’s a radical condition.
• It’s an intense job, Jerry manages it pretty well. We all have stress that effects us. I don’t mean to be vague and not answering questions, it’s just a tricky condition.
• He wouldn’t comment if he was staying her in MN.
• I don’t want to put percentages on his return, he could be here for NU, or he could miss that. When he’s got a staff that’s been with him longer than any other school it makes a huge difference. They don’t miss a beat, they’re like a machine.
• I don’t know what staying in contact means, he’ll talk with Tracy on the phone. They are like a machine. Jerry doesn’t email much, trust me, he’s not as computer savvy as some people, I give him a hard time about that.
• I hope he doesn’t try to coach from afar too much, I hope he stays focused on his condition.
• It’s never been overwhelming, the only thing that has been is the attention it gets. As far as the program goes, it’s not overwhelming. They are cohesive, and professionalism is an understatement. These guys are family, and it takes a lot of the stress away from something like this.
Tracy Claeys:
• I think all of us are very comfortable, we’ll do this as a staff. We’ve talked to the players, and they’re all comfortable.
• A little bit on the history, he says he’s going to do this, feel better, and not go do this. It’s a huge step for him and his family, rather than putting his health off until later on. He feels good about the decision. I know one of his concerns is he’s had a lot of people write him, all the thoughts prayers, messages, all mean a lot to him. He doesn’t have time to return all of them, but he appreciates all the support he’s got.
• He would like his privacy as he deals with this
• He’ll be missed the most because he is our biggest fan. If a kid makes a mistakes, he goes up to them and tells them it’s ok and to move on. He’ll miss the camaraderie.
• Not concerned it’s going to effect the team, we’re already out there so we’re not losing ground. We’ve been open with the situation.
• We don’t know how long it’s going to take. The good thing is, he’s going to leave it up to the doctor. He’s tried this before and left early (treatment).
• He’s at home, they’re making the final arrangements.
• The team is concerned about him, but they have always known things 1st. They have been texting him. Players will always come 1st when it comes to Jerry Kill, between him and Rebecca they’ll do a good job communicating with the players.
• For the 1st time in his career, he didn’t make it to game day. I know he doesn’t want that to happen.
• He’s made this decision before, but as he’s gotten better, he’s put it off. He loves the state of MN. By him missing that game, he felt that it was time to look into this, as he plans to be here long term. We support him 100%, and we will represent him well as the kids will, and the staff.
• In the 19 years, Kill has never taken this time for himself. Trying to get him to go on vacation for 2 days is hard!
• Think they made a decision as a family.
I think that the longevity of how long we’ve been together, his comfort level as a staff and how long we’ve been together made him be able to make this decision.