.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Kill Talks About 2011 Class
2/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
New Golden Gopher head coach Jerry Kill produced the first recruiting class of his tenure at the University of Minnesota Wednesday. While it was a day to look forward to a new crop of Golden Gophers, Kill took a moment to look back at the whirlwind that has been the past two months.
"I can't sit here and say, 'Boy, Coach Kill you did a great job or anything like that," Kill said. "It's a combination of the old staff and the new staff. We're all a part of Minnesota. I got a call from Coach (Jeff) Horton, asking how things are going. 'Did we hold in there?' I thin kit's been a group effort to try to put a class together in difficult times. I've had a busy night, afternoon, four weeks. I'm tired. But I'm excited."
With less than two months and only three weeks of time that his staff could be on the road actually recruiting, Kill still managed to put together a class of 22 student-athletes who already have or will be joining the Golden Gophers.
"We're excited about where we are at this point in time in the process," Kill said. "I feel good about the foundation."
Something that helped Kill build that foundation - and do it quickly - was his vast knowledge of the recruiting landscape in the Midwest. He knew of or personally knew many of the prospects who had already been targeted by the previous staff or that his new staff would be targeting after their arrival in the Twin Cities.
"Most of these kids I know something about, which makes me feel comfortable," Kill said. "I would say we got more than half we know something about or we've seen in camp. The rest has been through film ... trust in coach's relationships, et cetera."
The emphasis for Kill has been on three "S" words through the recruiting process. Kill and the Gopher coaches are looking for strength, speed and smarts.
"What I look at is we need to recruit a bigger, faster athlete than we we're at," Kill said. "And a smart athlete."
Following a morning of waiting for National Letters of Intent to come rolling in on the fax machine, Coach Kill met with the Twin Cities media later in the afternoon to discuss his class. Later in the evening, Signing Day wound down with the Signing Day 'Sota Social.
The 'Sota Social was a resounding success. A record turnout of more than 700 Golden Gopher fans packed into the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium. They gave Coach Kill a standing ovation when he was introduced and when he was finished with his program.
Check the video below for a look at highlights from the 'Sota Social.
-UM-
