University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler staunchly expressed support for football coach Jerry Kill at a fundraising event earlier this week at the Calhoun Beach Club. Addressing influential University supporters and donors, Kaler made clear how highly he regards his third year coach who suffered another game day seizure last Saturday.
Among those in attendance at the event on Monday night was Rebecca Kill, the coach’s wife. Kaler’s message was certainly reassuring to the Kills and would draw approval from thousands of Minnesotans who want to see Jerry Kill continue coaching. Kill has left no doubt in the past or this week that he doesn’t plan to let seizures drive him out of coaching, but some friends are less worried about his health and more concerned that another school will entice him to coach elsewhere.
Additional resources are needed to make the Gophers football program more competitive and on a par with the quality programs in the Big Ten Conference. Kill knows a better indoor practice facility, state-of-the-art weight room, upgraded training table facility and a better academic center can help attract recruits. Another issue is improving salaries for his assistant coaches, and that’s not to mention Kill’s salary ranks at the bottom of the Big Ten among head football coaches.
Kaler’s message the other night and statements by athletic director Norwood Teague this summer that the Gophers need a $190 million upgrade in facilities (for football and other sports) are messages that register positively with Kill. But eventually the talk will need to turn into action to retain Kill who has dramatically improved the classroom attendance and performance of his players while sending a more competitive football team out on the field each season.
The support for Kill among the public seems to have grown this week as talk shows, online messages and newspaper letters have encouraged Kill to keep coaching while praising him for his persistence and values. Even the Star Tribune lead editorial on Tuesday had a supportive article headlined: “Epilepsy does not define the Kill era.”
What the public has learned since Kill was hired in December of 2010 is he is a good football coach with rock solid values who thousands of Minnesotans can identify with. His work in the community, including on behalf of epilepsy, could one day become legendary and already he deserves a place among Minnesota’s most active and effective high profile volunteers.
“What he does is fairly remarkable,” Dave Mona said. “He is a poster child for what people are capable of.”
Mona assisted then athletic director Joel Maturi with the Gophers’ head coaching search that led to Kill’s hiring. The two asked Kill about his health during the interview process and found the coach welcoming questions. He talked about his experiences with losing consciousness and also his cancer.
That openness is who Kill is. He wouldn’t want the Gophers job if he didn’t believe he was fully capable of doing it. He might label it “stealing money” if he wasn’t able to work almost 24-7 like he does.
Mona and others see a coach who is doing all kinds of good things for the football program, University and community. The buy in is strong and probably gained momentum during the difficult days since last Saturday. “I think he’s on the path that made him attractive to us in the first place,” Mona said.
Worth Noting
Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague told the CORES luncheon group last week he is “bullish” on football coach Jerry Kill and his assistants. “I am thrilled with where we’re at,” Teague said last Thursday.
Teague said former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez told him walk-ons were the key to rebuilding the Badgers football program.
Teague expects North Dakota to eventually return to the Gophers hockey schedule. He said the atmosphere for a Gophers-North Dakota game is the best he’s experienced for hockey.
CORES emcee and funnyman Dick Jonckowski opened the luncheon with a story about a guy who shot a loon and later was questioned by a game warden. The warden was curious about what a loon tasted like. “Kind of a cross between a trumpeter swan and bald eagle,” the hunter answered.
San Jose State has won 14 of its last 17 games including a 1-1 record this season. Starting quarterback David Fales, who will face the Gophers tomorrow at TCF Bank Stadium, is 12-3 in the last 15 games.
“We’re going to play a quarterback that most people who come through here from the NFL feel like is going to be a first round draft pick,” Kill said. “He throws the back shoulder throw as good as anybody in the country.”
The Gophers’ depth chart released this morning had Mitch Leidner listed as the No. 1 quarterback, and either Philip Nelson or Chris Streveler at No. 2.
David Benedict, the Gophers’ deputy athletic director, said fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for Minnesota’s home Big Ten opener with Iowa on September 28. The Nebraska game at TCF Bank Stadium on October 26 is sold out. Benedict said attendance for tomorrow’s game with San Jose State will easily exceed last Saturday’s announced attendance of 42,127 for the Western Michigan game. Stadium capacity is 50,805.
The Vikings’ John Sullivan is one of four NFL centers endorsing Dollar Shave Club’s One Wipe Charlies, “a flushable wet toilet-paper product launched in June,” according to a September 16 article on Adage.com. The website reported the players will endorse the product in radio commercials with the tag line: “Every great play starts with a clean snap.”
The Vikings are trying to avoid an 0-3 start to the season Sunday against the Browns, also 0-2. The Vikings lost their first three games in 2011 when the eventual final record was 3-13. In 2008 the Vikings made the playoffs despite a 0-2 start.
Former Vikings coach Bud Grant signs copies of his new book I Did It My Way starting at noon today at Barnes & Noble downtown, 801 Nicollet Avenue.
Highly sought Brooklyn, New York prep shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead, who had interest in the Gophers, announced yesterday he will attend Seton Hall next year.
Hamline honors its 1988 football team at halftime tomorrow night at Klas Field. That team tied for the MIAC championship with Concordia and was led by coach Dick Tressel, the Pipers’ all-time winningest football coach. Tressel is now an assistant with Carleton, Hamline’s opponent tomorrow night. Hamline’s head coach is Chad Rogosheske who played for Tressel. Also on the Piper staff is Luke Tressel who is Dick’s son.
Ken Norton, the heavyweight boxer who died this week, is best known in this area for his 1979 draw with Minnesota native Scott LeDoux at Met Center. It was one of Norton’s last fights.
The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul will declare next Thursday Roy Griak Day in the two cities. There will be a 50 year celebration of Griak’s service to the Gophers that day and Governor Mark Dayton will issue a certificate of recognition. More than 500 Griak admirers are expected at an on-campus celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. next Thursday. More information is available at GoldenGopherFund.com.
Griak was the Gophers’ men’s cross country and track and field coach for 33 years from 1963 to 1996. He is now an administrative assistant for those programs. He said remaining in athletics and staying active beats the alternative of “playing bridge with old ladies.”
Griak exercises most days with activities that include biking, 60 modified pushups and 80 modified sit-ups. Griak will be 90 years old on October 5.