Mr. Ed
Posts: 88732
Joined: 7/14/2007
From: Minne-so-ta
Status: offline
|
Phil Miller Rebecca Kill was surprised by all the doubters, by the number of fans loudly criticizing her husband's coaching ability and unfairly complaining that this chubby nebbish from a lower-level program is a lousy hire who guarantees several more seasons of bad football. Yep, those Northern Illinoisans were sure skeptical about Jerry Kill at first. But now they're sorry to see him go. Kill took his first roundhouse swing at Minnesota's legion of scoffers on Monday, and the new Gophers football coach seemed to connect with his mixture of twangy Midwestern charm -- "Jiminy Christmas, I get to be a part of this?" he gushed -- and blunt honesty. "This isn't the first time I haven't been the first choice," the 49-year-old coach said with a smile. "... I wasn't my wife's first choice, either." Good line, though Rebecca Kill probably wasn't rejected by a half-dozen or more suitors before signing up Jerry, the way Minnesota was in this hiring process. But athletic director Joel Maturi, who traveled the country for seven weeks before contacting Kill -- they never discussed the job face-to-face until Saturday, Maturi insisted -- said the crucial fact was the outcome, not the process. And he was as enthusiastic as his new coach in endorsing the bottom line. "I haven't found anybody who hasn't raved about his ability to coach. That's what's comforting to me," Maturi said. "Jerry Kill is a winner. He's a teacher and a leader. I'll be honest, he wasn't at the top of our list when we started, but I'm just delighted today. We ended up with a great coach." One who makes a good first impression, too. Maturi might not have landed the brand-name coach he was aiming for, but he somehow managed to win the news conference with a humble Kansan who actually blushed as he bragged about his wife, then pledged to devote himself to winning, with help from the Gophers community. Maturi agreed, and took the blame for the doubts about Kill -- borne, he said, of his own promise to find a football version of Tubby Smith. "I wish I had those words back," Maturi admitted. "That was somebody saying more than he should, because I knew from Day 1, there was not a successful BCS coach that would coach at Minnesota. [The backlash about Kill] is an honest reaction, and I created it. ... But once Gopher fans get to know this man, I think everyone will be happy with the choice."
_____________________________
Escape while you can!
|