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University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Coach Kill Meets With Players
12/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
The first official act Jerry Kill made as the head coach of the Golden Gopher football program Monday morning was meeting with his team. As a self-proclaimed players' coach, Kill knew the first step toward rebuilding the University of Minnesota football program was to meet with his new team.
"Any time there is transition, there is concern about position, concern about where I stand, what I do, all those kinds of things," Kill said as he addressed the team. "I call it Land of Opportunity when you come in. Everybody gets a chance. The only way I can evaluate you is to be around you, get to know you, watch you practice, see you how you handle yourself on and off the field."
It's that philosophy that made it very important for Coach Kill to make an impression on the current group of Golden Gophers as early as possible this morning. He made it very clear what he expects out of his team and what he plans to do to help them improve.
"I do not treat everybody the same. I will tell you that now. I do not," Kill said. "We all come from different places. That's the great thing about the game of football. We all have to come together and become one. I'll treat you fairly and I'll be a little firm sometimes and I'll be demanding. My job is not to be your best friend. My job is to be your parent. I'm going to push you. I'm going to push you farther than you've ever been pushed in your life. My job is to take you to the next level. As a person, as a person going to school, getting your college degree and whatever dream you have. My job is to help you. If I don't, I shouldn't be here. I have to get the best out of you on the playing field, off the field and in the classroom."
Kill's message was well-received by the players.
"He said it will be an up-tempo practice," senior wide receiver Da'Jon McKnight said. "He's a good players' coach. He said he might be the one checking classes. He's very hands-on and I like that. I'm pretty sure he's going to push us hard."
"I feel like he came in with a plan and we just need to follow through on it," Bennett said. "It's going to give us a chance to sit and meditate on it over break and then we'll get after it when we come back in January. There's no more thinking about who it's going to be. Now, we actually know who our coach is and we're really excited about it."
-By Andy Seeley, Associate Director of Athletic Communications
