Kill Repeats as Region 3 Coach of the Year

Dec. 8, 2014

For the second year in a row, University of Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill was named the Region 3 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. Kill is one of five Football Bowl Subdivision coaches, and the only repeat winner in Division I, to be named a 2014 Regional Coach of the Year today. Kill was recognized by the AFCA for the fourth time, as he was also named a Regional Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004 while at Southern Illinois.

The AFCAâ€ˆrecognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions:â€ˆFootball Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by active members of the association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

The 2014 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCAâ€ˆCoach of the Year Dinner at the 2015 AFCAâ€ˆConvention in Louisville, Ky. The AFCAâ€ˆwill also announce its five 2014 National Coach of the Year winners in Louisville. All head coaches who were eligible for regional honors are eligible for national honors as well. The dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13.

Kill also was named the Big Ten's Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year and Dave McClain Coach of the Year this season. Minnesota finished the regular season with an 8-4 record (5-3 Big Ten) as the Gophers qualified for a bowl game for the third straight year. In a preseason media poll, the Gophers were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten West. They ended the season one win away from a Big Ten Championship berth.

Kill has guided Minnesota to its first back-to-back eight-win seasons since 2002 (eight wins) and 2003 (10 wins). The Gophers were 8-5 last year (4-4 Big Ten). 2013 and 2014 are Minnesota's first consecutive four-win conference seasons since 1999 (5-3) and 2000 (4-4).

Minnesota's five Big Ten wins included two trophy games. For the first time since 1967, the Gophers captured both the Little Brown Jug against Michigan and Floyd of Rosedale against Iowa. They also earned their first road win against a top-25 opponent since 2000, beating Nebraska in Lincoln.

Individual accolades have rolled in for Kill's charges this season. Maxx Williams has been named the Big Ten Tight End of the Year, a first-team Academic All-American and a John Mackey Award Finalist. Peter Mortell was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year. Five Gophers were selected to the All-Big Ten First Team, the most since 2004. Williams, Mortell, cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, offensive lineman Zac Epping and linebacker Damien Wilson all received first-team recognition from conference coaches and/or media. In all, 11 Gophers were honored by the conference.

On Sunday, Minnesota accepted its third straight bowl berth. The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will be the Gophers' first New Year's Day bowl game since they won the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1962. The game against Missouri also gives them a chance to record their first nine-win season since 2003, and their first bowl victory since 2004.

2014 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Winners

Football Bowl Subdivision

Region 1: David Cutcliffe, Duke University

Region 2: Dan Mullen, Mississippi State University

Region 3: Jerry Kill, University of Minnesota*

Region 4: Gary Patterson, TCU

Region 5: Jim McElwain, Colorado State University

Football Championship Subdivision

Region 1: Sean McDonnell, University of New Hampshire

Region 2: Joe Moglia, Coastal Carolina University

Region 3: John Grass, Jacksonville State University

Region 4: Mike Sanford, Indiana State University

Region 5: Beau Baldwin, Eastern Washington University

Division II

Region 1: Paul Darragh, Bloomsburg University

Region 2: Todd Knight, Ouachita Baptist University

Region 3: Tony Annese, Ferris State University

Region 4: Will Wagner, Angelo State University

Region 5: Todd Hoffner, Minnesota State University-Mankato

Division III

Region 1: Chad Martinovich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Region 2: Jim Margraff, Johns Hopkins University

Region 3: Pete Fredenburg, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor*

Region 4: Mike Swider, Wheaton College

Region 5: Tony Jennison, Macalester College

NAIA

Region 1: Chris Oliver, Lindsey Wilson College*

Region 2: Jim Lyall, Siena Heights University

Region 3: Brian Willmer, MidAmerica Nazarene University

Region 4: Steve Ryan, Morningside College

Region 5: Mike Van Diest, Carroll (Mont.) College*

*-2013 winner

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Players Mentioned

Briean Boddy-Calhoun

Zac Epping

John Mack

Peter Mortell

Maxx Williams

Damien Wilson

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University of Minnesota Athletics