Former Gophers coach Jerry Kill suffers concussion during postgame melee at TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Christian football coach Gary Patterson said assistant Jerry Kill suffered a concussion when he got knocked down during a postgame scuffle after a home loss to Southern Methodist over the weekend and accused his opponent of plotting a provacative flag planting at midfield.

Patterson insisted Tuesday that Kill would not have been knocked down had Mustangs players not been trying to plant their school flag.

"He got hit twice ... I cannot substantiate that it was a SMU or TCU person, but it did happen. If we wouldn't have had the flags, it wouldn't have happened," Patterson said during his weekly news conference.

Patterson said he believed the Mustangs planned the flag-planting, a claim strongly denied by SMU athletic director Rick Hart.

Kill, the former Gophers coach who was the best man in Patterson's wedding, had a two-inch knot and scrapes on the back of his head, Patterson said.

In his postgame remarks after the 42-34 loss on Saturday, Patterson initially indicated he believed Kill was hit with a helmet by an SMU player. He said Tuesday that he couldn't substantiate if that happened.

Hart, however, said there was no evidence after a thorough review of available video of anyone from SMU being involved with Kill getting hurt.

"I have spoken with TCU athletics director Jeremiah Donati and we agree that there is no evidence to support Coach Patterson's initial claims. To that end, I was assured any insinuation that this occurred would be 'walked back' by Coach Patterson during today's press conference," Hart said.

At least one video posted on social media appears to show the 60-year-old Kill getting inadvertently getting knocked over by TCU players in the scuffle.

Hart said Patterson's claim that planting the flag had been planned was "a complete fabrication. I can state unequivocally that there was no such plan."

Video showed SMU receiver Rashee Rice running to midfield with a flag displaying the Dallas school's "D" logo before he was ushered away from the TCU logo by opposing players. A short time later, Mustangs defensive back Brandon Crossley tried unsuccessfully to plant the flag before tossing it. Horned Frogs players then pulled the flag off the pole, and a player angrily threw the pole at the ground.

Kill joined TCU as a special assistant to Patterson in February 2020, a role overseeing the offense but not as an on-field assistant coach. He had a similar role at Virginia Tech before that. Kill coached the Gophers from 2011 to '15 before seizures caused by his epilepsy forced him to step down. He retired from on-field coaching after spending 2017 as offensive coordinator at Rutgers.

Patterson said Kill threw up after going home Saturday and went through concussion protocol. Kill was able to return to work.