Look for negotiations to begin soon regarding Jerry Kill’s annual compensation as Gophers head football coach.
Kill is the lowest paid head coach in the Big Ten Conference, according to multiple sources including USA Today. He earns $1.2 million per season as stated in a November 7 USA Today article listing the earnings of major college football coaches throughout the country.
Kill finished his third regular season as Minnesota coach last Saturday. His present compensation was influenced by what he earned as head coach at Northern Illinois. His salary with the Huskies was reported at $381,000, according to Internet reports. USA Today’s article said current Huskies coach Rod Carey earns $375,000 from the school.
The salaries of major college coaches are determined by not only their previous contracts at other schools but also the competition for their services and what athletic departments can afford to pay. Kill came from Northern Illinois and the Mid-American Conference where salaries are dramatically lower than in power leagues like the Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12.
But after three seasons of success in rebuilding the Gophers, it’s a sore spot with Kill boosters that the coach has the most minimal pay in the Big Ten. A source in the athletic department told Sports Headliners earlier this month school officials would wait until season’s end before addressing a change in Kill’s compensation.
That time is here after Kill coached the Gophers to eight total wins, the most since 2003, and four victories in the conference, the most since 2005. The Gophers’ highlights included their first victory over Nebraska since 1960 and a four-game win streak in the Big Ten. And it wasn’t just the wins, but also how competitively the Gophers often played that encouraged program followers.
Former Gophers coach Glen Mason knew Kill was an exceptional coach even before Minnesota hired him. “I am somewhat surprised they won eight games,” Mason said. “It’s a tremendous credit to the coaches.”
Multiple sources will attest to the affection University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler has for Kill. Kaler admires his coach for more than wins and losses. Kill has made a dramatic impact on the academic work of his players and the coach’s struggles with epilepsy have inspired even non-football fans. So, too, has Kill’s good deeds in the community and the way he represents the University.
Increasing Kill’s compensation would be both a reward for his work and indication the Gophers are serious about discouraging other schools from pursuing him. His $1.2 million pay is almost embarrassing. Purdue coach Darrell Hazell — who a year ago was hired from MAC member Kent State and in 2013 led the Boilermakers to a winless season in the Big Ten — earns $2.1 million, according to USA Today. Dave Doeren, who took over for Kill at Northern Illinois in 2011, left the Huskies after last season to become head coach at North Carolina State where he reportedly earns $2.5 million per season.
The Big Ten’s highest paid coaches are Ohio State’s Urban Meyer at $4.6 million and Michigan’s Brady Hoke at $4.1 million, according to the USA Today listings. The average compensation paid per school to the league’s 12 coaches is $2.6 million. It seems reasonable to think the Gophers will offer to increase Kill’s earnings to about $1.8 million. That would be a 50 percent increase and move him ahead of Kevin Wilson from Indiana and Tim Beckman of Illinois. Kill would be the 10th best paid coach in the Big Ten but close to Hazel, Gary Andersen from Wisconsin at $2 million and Mark Dantonio from Michigan State at $1.9 million.
In any contract negotiations involving Kill, a couple of things are assumed by those who know the coach. One is that Kill is interested in remaining at Minnesota, having expressed a liking for the job and working here. Another is any negotiations he does for himself will also include looking out for assistant coaches. And Kill will want assurances the school is committed to improving practice facilities for the football program.
The athletic department has budget issues but football is the bell cow for revenues. Interest in the Gophers is growing among fans and so too is money coming into the department. Kill has leverage in forthcoming discussions because of his “brick-by-brick” results and comparative compensation versus his peers.
It doesn’t hurt to have a president who admires him.
Worth Noting
Washburn running back Jeff Jones has yet to schedule official college visits but his coach expects favored destinations will be Michigan State, Minnesota and Missouri. “I think if he had to choose today he would be a Gopher,” coach Giovan Jenkins told Sports Headliners on Friday.
Jenkins said Jones, who has received scholarship offers from all three schools, has a GPA of about 2.1 and the Rivals.com four-star running back is awaiting the result of his second ACT test. Jenkins expects Jones to have no problem in academically qualifying for a college athletic scholarship.
The Eden Prairie High School football program has seven teams, three freshmen, two sophomore, one junior varsity and one varsity. The Eagles, who won their third consecutive state title on Friday, celebrated with a banquet last night at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.
When the Vikings found themselves playing in overtime yesterday against the Bears for a second consecutive week they weren’t interested in another tie like they experienced with the Packers. “It’s been two long weeks for us, there’s no doubt about it,” quarterback Matt Cassel said after Minnesota’s 23-20 win. “…Our mentalities were we have to get out of this thing with a win no matter what it takes.”
Groundbreaking for the new Vikings stadium will be at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) in the east parking lot of the Metrodome. Governor Mark Dayton, mayor R.T. Rybak and Vikings owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf will participate.
Count former Gophers All-American Lou Nanne among those who is just “okay” with the new Big Ten hockey league. He misses Minnesota’s historical ties to programs like North Dakota and even Denver, but expects the new Big Ten grouping to become more appealing as teams are added. The six team Big Ten hockey league was all driven by the Big Ten Network, he said.
The Wild have some “good young kids” but will have to “battle to make the playoffs,” according to Nanne. Injuries have limited the availability of the team’s top two goalies, Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. “That is surprising to me,” the former North Stars president said.