Jerry Kill has battled epilepsy for years, and in the end, it was a battle he could no longer continue fighting while doing what he so dearly loved to do.
A tearful, somber Kill announced his retirement Wednesday morning as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota, effective immediately. Tracy Claeys, Minnesotaās associate head coach and defensive coordinator, will serve as interim head coach.
Kill signed a contract extension in August that raised his annual salary to $2.5 million. Killās contract contains details in case he was unable to coach for an extended period of time. From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
The contract would terminate automatically if heās unable to coach for 70 consecutive days during the season, although Kill would remain a university employee and could seek disability benefits. The contract also says, āDuring the term of this agreement, the University and Coach may mutually agree to transition Coach ā¦ to an agreed upon position with the University,ā paying $200,000 per year.
Kill, who in July said he had not had a seizure in a year and a half, admitted Wednesday that he recently had two seizures. He was at practice Tuesday and informed his coaches and players of his decision early Wednesday morning.
āLast night, when I walked off the practice field,ā Kill said, āI feel like a part of me died.ā
Kill, 54, had a seizure on the sideline on Sept. 14, 2013, at halftime against Western Illinois, but he returned to the sidelines the next week. Another seizure kept Kill from attending the game at Michigan on Oct. 5, 2013. He took a two-week leave to treat his epilepsy.
āIāve given every ounce that I have for 32 years to the game of football and the kids Iāve been able to coach,ā Kill told reporters at a press conference streamed online. āI never stole from anybody. Iām not going to steal now. I know somebody will ask, āCoach, what are you going to do?ā I donāt know. I aināt done anything else. Thatās the scary part.ā
Kill was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2005, the same year he overcame kidney cancer. Killās doctor recently told him it was in his best interest for him and his family that he āmove onā with his life.
āThis is the toughest thing that Iāve ever done in my life,ā Kill said. āThe toughest thing since I lost my dad.ā
Kill was 29-29 at Minnesota since he took over as head coach before the 2011 season. He compiled a career coaching record of 156-102 at Saginaw (Mich.) Valley State, Emporia (Kan.) State, Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois.
The Gophers are 4-3 this season with a 1-2 mark in the Big Ten Conference. Kill was named Big Ten Coach of the Year last season as the Gophers went 8-5 (5-3 in the Big Ten) and played in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, the programās first New Yearās Day bowl since 1962.
With Claeys as acting head coach while Kill has been away, Minnesota has gone 4-3. But during that time, Kill said he would come to the office 10 to 12 hours a day. He also said he didnāt want to coach from the press box or have people worry if he was going to ādrop on the field.ā
āI know Tracy will do a good job, which heās proven,ā Kill said. āWeāve got a great recruiting class going on. I know weāve got great stability here, so I think weāll be OK there.
āI still want to coach. I was at practice yesterday after having two seizures. I probably wasnāt supposed to go there, either. But I didnāt give up. I made my decision but I said, āMaybe not. Let me go out here and give her one last shot.ā But walking off the field, I think Tracy and our staff can do a better job than I can, because the kids donāt need to see some guy coming out there ā¦ they know when Iām not myself. I said from the day that I came in that I would not steal from the university, and I have not. I donāt have any more energy. None. Iāve left it all right here in the great state of Minnesota, and I have no regrets.ā
In May, Jerry and Rebecca Kill started a Chasing Dreams fund through the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota to support seizure-free initiatives in schools, the Star Tribune reported.
