Kill focused on bowl game as college football coaching carousel spins

That didn't take long. The Big Ten regular season ended Saturday, Nebraska fired Bo Pelini on Sunday morning, and by midafternoon, Gophers coach Jerry Kill was featured prominently on FoxSports.com, CBSSports.com and ESPN.com as a potential Cornhuskers candidate.

Now, to be clear, that's just media speculation.

But Kill, 53, is a Kansas native who has spent 30 years climbing the ladder, turning around programs at each stop, including a Gophers team that has two consecutive victories over Nebraska. So it makes sense for the Cornhuskers to take a good look at him.

Kansas and Florida have openings, too, and Michigan is expected to fire Brady Hoke soon. The coaching carousel is turning fast, and that story line will linger while the Gophers get ready for their bowl game.

When asked about the Michigan speculation six weeks ago, Kill said: "I've said all along, this is my home. And as long as people want me in this home, I'm in good shape."

Other speculated candidates for Nebraska include Scott Frost, the former Huskers quarterback and current Oregon offensive coordinator; Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman; Memphis coach Justin Fuente; Colorado State coach Jim McElwain; and Wyoming coach Craig Bohl.

The list is much longer than that, so the chances of Kill actually leaving don't seem high.

They've knocked off Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan and Iowa during his tenure, but Minnesota still has 11 consecutive losses to Wisconsin. And it'll be hard for some fans to know the Gophers are making real progress, until they see them celebrate with Paul Bunyan's Axe.

While the Badgers celebrated their Big Ten West title, the Gophers were left to lament their blown 17-3 lead, their failed passing game and all the little miscues that led to one big heartbreak.

"Our mission was to win the Big Ten championship," Kill said. "I don't think anybody else believed we'd have the opportunity to do that, but the kids did. We've got a lot of room to improve, and we're disappointed, but also our season isn't over."

The Gophers will learn their bowl destination next Sunday, and here are their three most likely landing spots:

• Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1, Orlando.): The opponent would come from the SEC, with Mississippi, Georgia and Missouri all candidates.

• Holiday Bowl (Dec. 27, San Diego): This one ranks third in the Pac 12's bowl pecking order, so the opponent could be UCLA, Arizona State or USC.

There are countless new variables, including whether Ohio State lands in the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten no longer has a strict pecking order. Commissioner Jim Delany's office will help steer teams, and one big priority is avoiding repeat trips to the same bowl destination. Wisconsin, for example, played in Orlando last year, so the Badgers likely won't be back there this year.

The Gophers went to Houston's Reliant Stadium the past two seasons, losing to Texas Tech in the Meineke Car Care Bowl and then losing to Syracuse in the rebranded Texas Bowl.

Asked if he was excited to go to a better bowl this year, Gophers senior David Cobb said, "Just for us to get away from Texas … that'll mean a lot."

And he grew up in Texas.

"We still need to get that done," Kill said. "That's what we'll build on and look forward to, but [the Wisconsin loss is] going to hurt for a couple days. It may hurt longer than that. But we've got time for it to hurt."

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com