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Minnesota Football: Kansas States Hires Jerry Kill as Associate AD

The former head football coach will be trading in his maroon and gold for purple and white, but his coaching days are over.

By Blake Ruane
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Former Minnesota Golden Gopher head football coach Jerry Kill has accepted the position of associate athletic director for administration in the athletic department at Kansas State. Kill resigned from Minnesota back in October due to health reasons. In his new position, he will essentially serve as a liaison between head football coach Bill Snyder and athletic director John Currie. This is not a new position created specifically for Kill. It was vacated by Clint Dowdle, who announced several months ago that he would be leaving Kansas State for another position.

As grateful as I am to Kill for rebuilding the football program here at Minnesota, this is for the best, in my opinion. I know Tracy Claeys has said in the past that he would have no problem with Kill working in the athletic department, but having your predecessor looking over your shoulder can do more harm than good when you're trying to put your mark on the program. I would've liked to see Kill remain at Minnesota in some capacity, but it didn't work out. There are greater tragedies in life. I am happy that he was able to find the type of position he wanted now that his coaching career is over, even if it is somewhere other than Minnesota.

He won't be working for another Big Ten conference program, so no one will be labeling him as some kind of traitor. And in case you are thinking this will be a coach-in-waiting position, Kill himself has put those rumors to rest.

Good luck to Kill at Kansas State. I feel no ill will about it, and neither should you.

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