The more optimistic program followers base much of their five, six and seven win projections on confidence about Kill and his staff. The coaches have a national reputation for teaching excellence, and improved fundamentals by the players and overall better program administration including training and conditioning will make a difference this fall.
So, too, will effort by the players. Expect the Gophers to play hard and be a united group. The mental approach could produce a surprise win or two.
But Kill has delivered the message that it won’t be a “quick fix” turning this program around. That can be interpreted as code for saying better players must be recruited and put into his system. That takes time.
Go ahead and document a Sports Headliners prediction of a 4-8 season. For his part, Kill isn’t about to go on the public record with specific numbers.
Asked recently how he will define a successful season, he answered: “Get better everyday. We’re starting from the ground up. …”
Kill said before August training camp opened that months of hard work, including spring practice, produced encouraging results. “I would tell you right now, we’re better than what we were when we came in, and that’s a credit to the kids, not me, and the other people around the program,” he said.