I was unable to watch the Gophers game this weekend, a game in which they went on the road and defeated Illinois to become bowl eligible for the first time in what seems like forever (in reality, since 2009). On the telecast, the hypothetical question of who should be coach of the year was displayed, and Gophers coach Jerry Kill was among the nominees.
I know this because reaction on Twitter was swift and cynical. There was no evidence or reason given from the half a dozen snarky responses I saw, but the sentiment was clear. What has Jerry Kill done to deserve any adulation? My question is, what else does he have to do?
He only has one full year of recruiting under his belt, and has been working with Tim Brewster’s roster for the most part. This is a team full of players that has won only 6 games COMBINED in the past 2 seasons, a mark that Kill has already reached this year. The talented players he has inherited, like Marqueis Gray are being used more effectively (at wide receiver, for example) and his players, like the new freshman quarterback Philip Nelson are already proving their worth on the field.
In a year that most of the Big Ten is scuffling, Minnesota can only be considered a pleasant surprise, and a lot of it has to do with the coaching, strategy and recruiting of Jerry Kill. Maybe Minnesotans are just too used to booing at this point.
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