Two years ago, Gophers football coach Jerry Kill was seriously ill, resting in a hospital after suffering an epileptic seizure and unconscious for two days. He missed the Michigan game, and it appeared his career might be over.
But he found a doctor named Brian Smith in Grand Rapids, Mich., who solved Kill's problems at the time. Until recently, he had been seizure-free and able to coach without any problems.
Now, with Michigan coming to Minneapolis to play for the Little Brown Jug on Saturday, Kill's problems developed again with two recent seizures. He didn't believe he could coach in his present condition. He consulted with his doctor, who warned there might be serious consequences if he continued to coach and remain under the stress of the job.
After consulting with his wife, Rebecca, and other members of the family, he decided to retire after coaching football for 32 years.
The Gophers lost a coach who had put the program in better shape than any recent coach except for Glen Mason. Kill led the team to back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2013 and '14, but they are — in part because of a number of injuries — only 4-3 this season.
Fortunately, the Gophers have a staff that has been together forever and a great leader and football brain in associate head coach/defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, who will become interim head coach and do a great job as he did two years ago when Kill was ill. Claeys faces a huge challenge in the coming weeks with games against Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin.
However, it is going to be tough to fill the shoes of Kill, who has charmed fans across the state and whose popularity was beyond belief. As a close personal friend, I had great access to the football program, and in 71 years of covering the Gophers, I have never seen anybody accomplish what this man did after inheriting the worst program of my writing days.
He is just something special, and the great way he operated was far beyond just coaching.