The Case for Kill
by Buck Bravo on Dec 7, 2010 4:00 AM CST
in Gopher Football
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Rumors are swirling that several candidates declined to coach the Gophers. Many Gopher fans were expecting a flashy, fancy, polished, expensive coach to ride into town with Hollywood-style hype.
Enter Jerry Kill.
Fans, sportswriters, and bandwagon hopefuls were in such shock that they didn't take time to evaluate the entire situation.
What do we know about Jerry Kill?
First, he's a real football coach who has proven for 17 years that he can coach winning teams and maintain a winning program. He didn't have just one or two good years due to lucky breaks or somebody else's recruits.
Second, Jerry Kill survived a battle with kidney cancer in 2005. It is doubtful that he takes anything for granted, or that he feels entitled to anything. He knows what it means to persevere when faced with adversity. My guess is that he's tough as nails, and will coach his players with that same level of determination and relentless focus.
Third, he used to be a high school coach. In particular, he should know how to relate to Minnesota coaches and high school level athletes. Is there anybody else tired of seeing Minnesota athletes find success elsewhere? He may not land all the recruits with delusions of 5-star grandeur, but will those guys ever stay in Minnesota when the smarmy plastic people of win-at-all-cost programs come calling?
Why might Jerry Kill win at Minnesota?
Let's face it. Minnesota will need at least several years of program building before recruiting alongside the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, USC, or SEC powerhouses. Minnesota's best chance of winning is to pick up as many three and four star recruits as possible, and to pursue guys with the right mentality. No primadonnas. Tough, smart, hard-working players. Teams such as Northwestern and Boise State have proven that you can out-coach and outsmart superior talent with the right group of middle-to-upper-tier recruits.
If anyone was going to consistently bring in 5-star recruiting classes to Minnesota, it was Tim Brewster. Nobody worked harder at recruiting than Brewster and his staff. Brewster was a master recruiter, and will probably remain so if his next job is at the college level. Brewster upgraded the talent level and brought in several potential stars, but he couldn't bring in enough talent to compensate for a lack of coaching experience. If Jerry Kill can bring in recruiting classes at least similar in ranking to those of Brewster, he may be able to mold them into an upper-tier Big Ten team within a few years.
Why do I like Jerry Kill, so far?
Minnesota is hungry for a winner. Kill has been a winner. So, why all the discontent? Take an unbiased look at the last few weeks. Twitter-crazed fans. Numerous false leads. False hope that a "Tubby Smith of football" considered Minnesota to be a dream job. Talk of $5 million salaries. In many ways, a win-at-all costs frenzy. Is that what Minnesota is all about?
Minnesota football has a history of tough, hard-working winners like Bronco Nagurski. It has a history of diversity for the right reasons, not just for winning games and making money. Minnesotans embrace tough blue-collar coaches like Bud Grant and Ron Gardenhire, and traditionally don't buy snake oil from fast-talkers with slick hair, fake tans, and white veneer teeth.
Maybe I'm wrong, but from what I've read and seen about Jerry Kill he should fit right in up here. He's tough, determined, hard-working, and he tells jokes. He doesn't need his ego stroked. He coaches smart football, and all indications are that he does things the right way.
I'm sick and tired of hearing about other programs with their revoked Heisman Trophies, allegations of payoffs, and sleaze-bag coaches who use negative recruiting tactics. Jerry Kill may be the best chance Minnesota has to not just win, but win the right way. There will always be programs that prefer bling over brains, and silicone over testosterone. But they're just not, nor will they ever understand, Minnesota. Jerry Kill just might be the guy who puts together a team that kicks their primadonna asses.
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Thought I'd remind you fans why you needed a coach in the first place.
So when you talking about bashing a MAC team, maybe next time you can actually beat one. Then again Miami of Ohio is on next year’s schedule and Mike Haywood has Kill’s number.
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=302680135
Toodles.
by projectmayhem011 on Dec 7, 2010 8:14 AM CST reply actions
great bit here, at about 4:45, about how when he walked in the room for 1st meeting, Marqueis Gray was the first guy he saw, and he figured the whole team would be like that, hehe…
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
i would not want to be Miami (OH)
Next fall. No shot against us. Kill will be over-prepared for that game. Though out of respect, I can see him not running up the score with his new weapons.
Just had a daydream…imagine if the Gophers are able to win at USC to start the season…
by jimipig on Dec 7, 2010 9:22 AM CST via mobile reply actions
You also said you wouldn't lose to a MAC team if you go back to the beginning of the yea a reason why you were 3-9.r... There's
You can put lipstick on that Floyd of Rosedale (SP?) but it doesn’t make it any less ugly.
by projectmayhem011 on Dec 7, 2010 11:03 AM CST up reply actions
Players Transferring...
Any specifics other than crybaby Staudermire and his ill-advised Facebook posts?
Read Tweet about players considering transfers, as is common with new regime. Any buzz about who?
I would think it’s guys who wanted out anyway and are using this as a shot out. I would think to know you are getting such an upgrade in coaching ability would make most good players excited…but then again, they all thought Brewster was a great coach, so what do they know. They are kids who don’t know shit. Somebody (I was hoping Horton) needs to counsel the players and make sure they make the right decisions…
by jimipig on Dec 7, 2010 9:40 AM CST via mobile reply actions
That last paragraph, Buck,
made me give you a standing ovation.
I could almost see Coach Kill saying that before the big game to rile up the guys, and we all know from the news conference that the guy knows quite well how to refer to himself in the 3rd person :)
"He was the only man I ever saw who ran his own interference."
-Steve Owen, about Bronko Nagurski
Suppose it would sound better that way if we replaced the "Jerry Kill"s with "we"s, though
"He was the only man I ever saw who ran his own interference."
-Steve Owen, about Bronko Nagurski
Very well written.
Absolutely fantastic article. I wasn’t totally sold but I also was not one of the Gopher fans who was upset by this hiring. I just didn’t really know much about it. After reading this article and watching his press conference I’m a bit fired up. Brewster, although personable, always just seemed like a used-car salesman to me. Kill seems like a real genuine guy. And has nobody pointed out that finally we have a head coach with a mustache. C’mon now. Mustache and southern accent!? This guy’s going to be fun to listen to over the next few years.
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let's make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." -Harmon Killebrew
understand what you are saying about Brewster...
He came into a discussion blasting 100mph, but I felt if I asked him specifics he would have fallen apart beyond “we are going to recruit more talent than has ever been here”.
I feel like if you come back in one month’s time, Jerry Kill and his staff will break down every player’s tendancies, habits, potential, with a rough gameplan for next year’s team.
What I like about Kill is that he is confident enough in his skills and his staff to make fun of himself. He doesn’t hide anything due to insecurities. In business, I have found the best leaders to display this same quality…humble, yet strong as a rock. Not afraid to admit they aren’t perfect or don’t know everything. Even mocking mistakes they have made. Loved when Kill referenced changing his name to Harbaugh so people couldn’t use the “no-name” argument against him.
This is leadership.
I close with this…not a single team, at the time of hire, knew they hired a big winner (except Alabama with Saban!!). Paterno, Tressel, Alvarez, freaking John Wooden, Bowden, it is always a lottery. Brewster was a losing ticket. I think we at least have 4 or 5 numbers on Kill’s ticket, with the potential for it to be the Powerball winner. We will see. I know this, I wouldn’t stop buying season tickets right now…not because of this hire.
by jimipig on Dec 7, 2010 11:22 AM CST via mobile reply actions
New monikers
GP, if you can find a way to insert ‘Mustache’ into your handle, I will most certainly change mine to “Stroke the Post.” That’s about the best damn football term I’ve ever heard. Somehow, it’s cliche, but still fresh, and a little mysterious all at the same time.
Journalism. Enhanced.
What jumps out to me...
Is that he has had the same staff (at least coordinators) for about 10 years. We might have believed what Brewster was selling intially, but I think it is safe to say that just about everyone started to see his true colors after the first season when we switched from a spread to a pro style offense, for what appeared to be be no reason.
Glen Mason proved that if you consistently do something really well you can have a decent amount of success in college football. Getting over the hump is tougher, and typically requires high end talent, and a little luck, but to win consistently it is imperative that you teams figure out what they do well and stick with it.
In my mind that Kill having the same staff for as long as he has gives me the sense that they are very confident in what they do, and understand how to do it.
Petersen such a sure thing....
One thing I’d love to ask everybody who is angry about Petersen and Leach not coming here is this. How the hell are they such sure things? Why the level of angst and anger and hatred and dropping season ticket talk from hiring Kill?
How do you think Colorado felt when Hawkins signed on there a few years ago? Like they had hit a home fu*&ing run…..there was no way that this guy who had some outrageous record at Boise (55-11 or something?) could POSSIBLY fail at Colorado….FAIL.
Well…Petersen is the new Hawkins, isn’t he? Sure, maybe a bit better….maybe not…but my point is, coaching is a total lottery/mystery. Urban Mayer out of the MAC? Success. Charlie Weiss, no way he could POSSIBLY fail at Notre Dame….not coming from the world champion Patriots and having the recruiting classes he had, right? FAIL. Jerry Kill? We’ll see….
The stats point to a 7-10 pts advantage
for Boise on their blue field. I know it seems wierd, but it can be disorienting for away teams and allows for you to get up on the board first in most instances and play the game the way you want to. No one ever talks about what happens to a team when you lose that advantage. For any boise coach you need to look at what their record is away from home and the level of competition.
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Dec 7, 2010 2:43 PM CST up reply actions
Golden Field
that is the answer..if BSU gets 7-10 points per game because of their blue field…let’s change the turf in TCF to Gold with Maroon lines and numbers.
all about it.
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Dec 8, 2010 8:08 AM CST up reply actions
I don’t think anyone’s saying winning games is a “sure thing.” But someone like Leach, for example, brought 4 sure things to the table that Kill doesn’t have: 1. BCS conference recruiting experience 2. lots of HS players likely very excited at prospect of playing for him 3. BCS conference winning record (at Texas Tech!) 4. would fire up fan base, season tickets, etc.
You’re right, Leach may very well have lost games when he actually arrived. But given those 4 sure things, I’d say he’d be less likely to do so than Kill.
(This isn’t to say Kill will fail. I’ll be rooting for the guy as hard as anyone.)
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Dec 7, 2010 8:45 PM CST up reply actions
Sure things?
Your #2 is purely opinion/speculation. Not a “sure thing”. #4 is also based on what, a handful of blogs and angry posts? Of the 50,000 fans in the stadium on a given Saturday, say 5,000 are fans of the other school, so now we’re at 45,000 fans give or take. I am not sure that by the time Kill’s done with his PR/Recruiting work that he will be in any worse shape from a ticket perspective than Leach. But that’s my speculation.
I then go back to this, Leach still isn’t a coach. Will one of these schools pick him up (Miami, Florida, Pitt, etc.)? Maybe…but as of today he’s still unemployed and reaching out to everybody to hire him. Our coach is out recruiting and building his team for next season. I’m just saying…I think we’re in a good place.
you kidding?
You seriously telling me there’s a single available coach out there who would get HS players more excited than Leach? You really telling me that hiring Leach wouldn’t have raised the level of excitement around the Gophers about tenfold?
Not saying Kill won’t work out just fine, and as I said, I’ll be rooting as hard as anyone. But if you had to put money on who – Leach or Kill – would be more likely to have success with the Gophers for the next few years, are you really telling me it would be a tough choice?
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Dec 9, 2010 6:04 PM CST up reply actions
Yes, essentially
that is what I’m saying. I do not know for certain that Leach would have done better in the next few years than Kill. I have no idea. I do know Leach is still unemployed. I don’t know who Leach would have hired for coaches. I’m not sure what his flexibility for changing schemes is.
You’re talking to a “Leach 1, Kill 2” guy….I had them both about the same on my wish list…very close….so I’m not crapping on Leach. The longer he’s unemployed, the less thrilled I am about him.
Kill might win 3 games next season…I have no idea. Leach may still only be employed by his own radio show. Or, Leach may be at Pitt or Miami or Florida and playing in BCS games. I have no idea.
I’m pleased with where we are today. I have absolutely NO regrets about any of it other than the way Maturi went about it. Meaning, if he went after Kill and interviewed him in the first couple weeks, measured him up against everybody and picked him, I’d be happier than I am today where it seems Maturi failed miserably at everything else he was trying to do and ended up defaulting to Kill.
Kill is better than that.
Petersen such a sure thing....
One thing I’d love to ask everybody who is angry about Petersen and Leach not coming here is this. How the hell are they such sure things? Why the level of angst and anger and hatred and dropping season ticket talk from hiring Kill?
How do you think Colorado felt when Hawkins signed on there a few years ago? Like they had hit a home fu*&ing run…..there was no way that this guy who had some outrageous record at Boise (55-11 or something?) could POSSIBLY fail at Colorado….FAIL.
Well…Petersen is the new Hawkins, isn’t he? Sure, maybe a bit better….maybe not…but my point is, coaching is a total lottery/mystery. Urban Mayer out of the MAC? Success. Charlie Weiss, no way he could POSSIBLY fail at Notre Dame….not coming from the world champion Patriots and having the recruiting classes he had, right? FAIL. Jerry Kill? We’ll see….
You felt so strongly about this you posted it twice?
Hahaha just kidding jimipig. This IS an excellent point. There’s no assurances Leach, Petersen, Gary Patterson or Dan Mullen would have been successful here, or anymore successful than Kill could be. I think people just like the idea of a “big name” better because it makes them THINK success is right around the corner…even if, as you said, that’s far from guaranteed.
Just Win
I don’t mean to come off as too Kiffinesque but, this is supposed to be a Division I Big Ten football program. As a lifelong Minnesotan I can say I am thoroughly sick of hearing about “winning the right way”. Minnesota sports haven’t done anything of worth since winning the world series in 1991….it’s been nearly 20 years of irrelevance now. I, for one, am no longer concerned with “winning the right way”. How about we JUST WIN. Of course it would be nice to win with a bunch of “great young men” like over in Boise State, but I’d rather have the program embroiled in scandal as a winner than to endlessly drown in mediocrity as our state continues to try to be the moral compass of competitive sports. USC, Auburn, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami, and Alabama are just a few of the major programs to have been “tarnished” by scandal of late. Do we look at those programs and say “boy I’m sure glad we’re not where those programs are?” or do we look at them and say “wow it sure would be nice to be half as relevant on the national landscape as even one of those programs” ? I’m going to have to go with the latter, but that’s just me.
I will say that I prefer my degree to be from Minnesota versus Florida, Alabama, or Auburn. It all ties together.
Buck Bravo
by Buck Bravo on Dec 7, 2010 3:43 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Clem Haskins opened a wound
that still has not healed. That JUST WIN mentality can end in embarrassment.
Why are college sports fans so much more passionate that pro sports fans? Because the school is a representation of self. We all relate to the players and their experiences on campus. Once they turn pro, they play just for the money and not for the passion.
I hated having to go through the Clem Haskins scandal. It certainly did not make me proud to say I was a student there at that time.
2 NCAA men's hockey championships.
If you’re a Minnesotan with whom that doesn’t qualify as “of worth”, get out of my state.
You’re the only one. I’d like to be proud of my alma mater and I’d like my degree to be worth something.
His use of “program” vs “school” is telling. Are you actually a graduate of the University of Minnesota?
I am
Don’t know about him though.
But either way, I never cheer for the school itself, I cheer for the teams. I don’t go around like “Rah, rah, rah. Goooooo Carlson School of Management!”.
Irrelevance?
Lack of championship trophies does not necessarily equal irrelevance. Were the Vikings irrelevant last season? Have the Twins, despite the postseason/Yankees mental midget thing, been irrelevant over the last decade? Of course not. You want irrelevance? Go talk to Kansas City or Milwaukee or Buffalo or Seattle.
As to the primary point, is winning a game played by 18-22 year-olds really that important? People in Oklahoma or Alabama don’t have the diversions of professional sports to fall back on, so I don’t begrudge their inflated sense of the importance of collegiate sports, but I don’t think there’s any reason for Minnesotans to have the same perspective.
It’s perhaps easier for me as a Minnesota ex-pat who’s an alum of another school with a consistent power in a revenue sport, but I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum. The U is a significant part of the state’s identity elsewhere, and I prefer it not reflect poorly on the state. Mediocrity in sports is, to me at least, regrettable, but a better projection than being known cheaters or corner cutters like some SEC school. We should aim for sporting success, but it should be success attained the way other schools (god, I can’t believe I’m going to say this) like Wisconsin have attained it. Not win at all costs.
Most “lifelong Minnesotans” have little to no appreciation of what shame Gopher basketball brought to the University and State of Minnesota for a number of years during and after the Haskins debacle. That program was in hot water multiple times over a 20 year span and was close to being shut down just a decade ago. It was seen as about on par with the football programs at, say, Auburn or Clemson. As an ambassador of the state living elsewhere, I will tell you that really sucked. I quite forgive Dan Monson for losing, for his restoration of some respectability. I’d rather the U be ignored as irrelevant in sports (except hockey – there’s no f-ing excuse for that there. Looking your way, Lucia) than put under a negative spotlight.
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