Coach Kill - a perspective from a former HS player of his

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SplitBackVeer

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I've been a reader here since December 2010, first time poster. I'm a little bit unique in that Jerry Kill came to my Webb City (MO) High School as our head coach in 1988, and I've followed his career pretty closely since then. He's been a friend of my family all these many years. He was 25-1 in only two seasons in 1988-89. He led our high school to its first ever undefeated regular season, 10-0, in an 11-1 season in 1988. He followed it up with an unbelievable 14-0 undefeated state championship season in 1989. Frankly, Kill could have been elected town mayor from that point on. In fact, he's still well remembered and could easily be elected today! He was the most driven person I'd ever met - - probably the most driven person I've met to this very day.

As a high school coach, he would watch ever film on a team, watch all of last year's films, call other coaches to learn everything he could. That effort in rural Missouri high school football was mostly unheard of back in those days. Mostly though, his players just loved him. He always had the uncanny ability to press all the right buttons on all the kids. Some kids need to handled with kid gloves, others need tough love, and Kill always had just the right touch. He still does, from what I can tell. Funny enough, to a kid like me, he looked the same now as he did in his late 20s - - balding. From my perspective, he was forty! In reality, he wasn't all THAT much older than me. High school kids would run through a wall for him.

Anyway, the board is a little slow so though I could add my perspective on Kill. Also, below is a link to a long summary of Kill's speech at a high school coaching clinic where he spoke shortly after taking the Minnesota job. Interesting insight into some of the things he does and some of what they teach.


http://buyersguide.coachesdirectory...als--jerry-kill--university-of-minnesota.html
 

Welcome to the 'Hole SplitBackVeer. That's a neat link attached, I have not seen that before. I've heard Coach Kill say most of what's included at various times but it gives a good perspective on what he's all about nonetheless.

Have you made if up to TCF yet for a game? If you ever make it up let me know, first beers on me. Any friend of Coach Kill is a friend of mine.
 


Great read, thanks for posting. It's always fascinating to hear Coach Kill speak and this gives a little insight into his psychology. Love the old school attitude.
 

SplitBackVeer said:
I've been a reader here since December 2010, first time poster. I'm a little bit unique in that Jerry Kill came to my Webb City (MO) High School as our head coach in 1988, and I've followed his career pretty closely since then. He's been a friend of my family all these many years. He was 25-1 in only two seasons in 1988-89. He led our high school to its first ever undefeated regular season, 10-0, in an 11-1 season in 1988. He followed it up with an unbelievable 14-0 undefeated state championship season in 1989. Frankly, Kill could have been elected town mayor from that point on. In fact, he's still well remembered and could easily be elected today! He was the most driven person I'd ever met - - probably the most driven person I've met to this very day.

As a high school coach, he would watch ever film on a team, watch all of last year's films, call other coaches to learn everything he could. That effort in rural Missouri high school football was mostly unheard of back in those days. Mostly though, his players just loved him. He always had the uncanny ability to press all the right buttons on all the kids. Some kids need to handled with kid gloves, others need tough love, and Kill always had just the right touch. He still does, from what I can tell. Funny enough, to a kid like me, he looked the same now as he did in his late 20s - - balding. From my perspective, he was forty! In reality, he wasn't all THAT much older than me. High school kids would run through a wall for him.

Anyway, the board is a little slow so though I could add my perspective on Kill. Also, below is a link to a long summary of Kill's speech at a high school coaching clinic where he spoke shortly after taking the Minnesota job. Interesting insight into some of the things he does and some of what they teach.


http://buyersguide.coachesdirectory...als--jerry-kill--university-of-minnesota.html
Click to expand...

SplitBackVeer, that you for sharing the transcript of Coach Kill's talk on fundamentals!

We get an insight how really good a football coach and a person Coach Kill is. We are very fortunate that Tony Dungy recommended him to be the next coach at his alma mater.

Coach Kill truly is the genuine article when it comes to teaching kids not only sound fundamental football skills, but also how to become good successful people.

That new athletic complex needs to be built. We want Coach Kill to finish his career here.

It is perplexing how Frank Ragnow chose to go to Arkansas when we have a great coach in his backyard where he could have played for the hometown in front of his family and friends. He'll make it to the NFL anywhere if he separates himself and chose to be in the ranks of the "Uncommon". But, then I keep forgetting there are snake in the grass salesmen out there that can sell a leaky boat.

I am still so miffed at the hack job that Souhan did on the coach. It is much easier to lazily sit on a bully pulpit and spew out negativism which they think sells newspapers. Unfortunately for them, I am no longer subscribing to the StarTribune.
 


Thanks for the post and I love your moniker. The Gophers ran that offense in the late-1970s under Cal Stoll.

I probably will never be within a mile of Coach Kill unless I'm at a game, but my impression has been that win or lose, no one is going to outwork the guy. Sounds like you saw that effort and dedication personally.

Welcome to the board. Look forward to hearing more from you.
 

Thank You Split Back Veer Guy

Thank you for the link! It would be very fun to hear some life lessons stories you experienced or are familiar with.
Appreciate it!
 

Great post SplitBackVeer, fun read.

Go Gophers!!
 

SBV hang around the board and contribute. There will be ups and downs, but Coach Kill is very likely to make Minnesota a National power again. We all hope he is here for a long time.

Many of us knew after playing NIU twice that Kill was the real deal and could get the Gophers on the track of a helmet school. It takes a little longer doing it the right way, but I think that is the only way Coach Kill knows. You certainly appear to be a quality guy yourself.
 



I, too, thought that was an interesting and insightful link from Kill's address at the 2011 coaching conference. One advantage Kill has is his networking - - the guy knows people all over the country, in virtually every state. He has so many connections that most folks don't know about, many of which go back 25 years. For example, Frank Ragnow was recruited by Sam Pittman, the O-line coach at Arkansas. Pittman has coached at more than a dozen locales but, interestingly enough, also coached with Kill at Pittsburg State (KS) in the mid-80s when (I think) Pittman was a grad asistant there. So here you have a situation where Kill was recruiting Frank Ragnow against a guy he once coached with. Moreover, Kill is well acquainted with jucos and particularly the good ones in Kansas from his coaching days at Pitt State in the 1980s and again in the early 1990s.
 

diehard said:
but Coach Kill is very likely to make Minnesota a National power again. .
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I agree coach will bring respectability... but a national power.... you've been drinking out of the adult punch bowl haven't you...
 

" If you do not turn over the ball often, you have a chance to win. We talk about ball security equals job security. I will not play a running back, no matter how good he is, if he turns the ball over. We go over it every day and we teach the techniques of holding on to the football."

For those that think Nelson started and played more than Leidner is a sign of how bad Leidner is/how good Nelson was and how now the team will regress due to going with a backup QB. This statement from Coach is why Leidner was taken out or sitting many times this past season. And in my opinion, Nelson was told that due to Leidner learning how to protect the ball better he was now at the top of the depth chart.
 

Thanks for the contribution!

What you've known for decades....many of us are just learning. Kill isn't simply a great coach......he's also an amazing teacher. I highly doubt that the Gophers could have gotten a better coach.
 



stuck_in_scony_go4_fan said:
I agree coach will bring respectability... but a national power.... you've been drinking out of the adult punch bowl haven't you...
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Anything is possible. Kill brought NIU to prominence. Why would there be a ceiling with the Gophers? I understand that Michigan and OSU are the "helmet schools" of the conference.......but we've had several other schools compete as of recently. If the Gophers can compete......I have a feeling that the head coach will have a major impact.............and we have the best one.
 

stocker08 said:
Thanks for the contribution!

What you've known for decades....many of us are just learning. Kill isn't simply a great coach......he's also an amazing teacher. I highly doubt that the Gophers could have gotten a better coach.
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When Kill came here there were a lot of people here that didn't believe he was going to be up to the job. Some had written him off early while others took a wait and see attitude. I was one of the early ones who suggested that Kill was the real thing. In doing so, I stated that he may not turn the program around but that he clearly knew how to turn a program around. His record confirmed that but what sold me is watching him in action making change after change. I could list them ad nauseum. One of them that really gave me insight into Jerry was how he turned academics around here. Jerry is a problem solver and a change agent. Unlike Mason, Jerry wouldn't say it can't be done here. Instead he would say let's get it done. But even more important he would do it.

I got a lot comments that Jerry was not a big Ten coach or recruiter etc. etc. Unfortunately 50 years of wandering in the desert I believe didn't allow most to see how lucky we were in having Jerry as our new coach. I am glad to see that you appreciate him and I believe most people now also do.
 

Killjoy said:
When Kill came here there were a lot of people here that didn't believe he was going to be up to the job. Some had written him off early while others took a wait and see attitude. I was one of the early ones who suggested that Kill was the real thing. In doing so, I stated that he may not turn the program around but that he clearly knew how to turn a program around. His record confirmed that but what sold me is watching him in action making change after change. I could list them ad nauseum. One of them that really gave me insight into Jerry was how he turned academics around here. Jerry is a problem solver and a change agent. Unlike Mason, Jerry wouldn't say it can't be done here. Instead he would say let's get it done. But even more important he would do it.

I got a lot comments that Jerry was not a big Ten coach or recruiter etc. etc. Unfortunately 50 years of wandering in the desert I believe didn't allow most to see how lucky we were in having Jerry as our new coach. I am glad to see that you appreciate him and I believe most people now also do.
Click to expand...

Yeah but Wren and his ilk think only conference WINS and LOSSES will define coach Kill as a Successful or unsuccessful B1G coach....blah blah blah.....
 

Maverick said:
Yeah but Wren and his ilk think only conference WINS and LOSSES will define coach Kill as a Successful or unsuccessful B1G coach....blah blah blah.....
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Yes, you are right, in wren's world things are simplier. It is easier that way. Absolutes always are.
 

Killjoy said:
Yes, you are right, in wren's world things are simplier. It is easier that way. Absolutes always are.
Click to expand...

It is that simple. Coach Kill has won a total of 8 B1G conference games his first 3 seasons. If he only wins a total of 8 more conference games over the next 3 seasons more than likely he will be gone and no one will call him a successful B1G coach regardless of what other changes he may or may not have made.
 

scools12 said:
It is that simple. Coach Kill has won a total of 8 B1G conference games his first 3 seasons. If he only wins a total of 8 more conference games over the next 3 seasons more than likely he will be gone and no one will call him a successful B1G coach regardless of what other changes he may or may not have made.
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Yes, you're right, it is very simple. Determining something after the fact always is. It certainly isn't rocket science. That's why I have always found wren's statements very trite and boring. It is comparable to an investor giving investment advice by saying "Buy low and sell high."

Anybody can tell after the fact whether coach Kill was successful or not but to do it before the fact takes real understanding and skill. It is not that different than investing where the average investor over time earns about on-half of the S&P return.
 

When Kill came from his first stop at Pitt State in 1988, he had been Franchione's defensive coordinator. He basically brought a college system with him to the high school game - - the organization, the thorough video research like he had done as a college coach, etc. One thing he did was set up a strict schedule for game day leading up to kickoff and would write it on the chalkboard in the locker room. For example, 4:00 might say Team Meeting in Cardinal Theatre, 5:40 - special teams warm up, 6:05 - O-lineman take the field for warmup, etc. At the bottom was the last time 7:00, which was accompanied by "KAWC". Nobody knew much about what KAWC meant - - he called it Kick Ass with Class. Knock somebody down, pick 'em up and pat 'em on the butt, and do it again basically. It was a phrase Franchione had made up at Pitt State. Anyway, just another fun anecdote. I wouldn't be surprised if Kill still uses KAWC occasionally today around the Gophers program.

Interestingly, Kill's legacy lives on at Webb City. The Webb City Cardinals have won 11 more Class 4 state titles since Kill brought home the school's first in 1989, such that Webb City is now considered the preeminent football program in Missouri. Webb ran some option before he got there but he juiced up the playbook a little with what they had been running at Pitt State. He went back to Pitt in the early 90s as offensive coordinator and won a national title and a runner up the next season with the veer option. For high school, nothing works better than the veer.

Finally, a few days ago, I googled the term KAWC and came across this 1993 article from SI about Pitt State. This was when Kill was just leaving to head to Saginaw for his first head coaching gig. Kind of an interesting look at the PSU program, the veer they ran, and also reference to Franchione using the term KAWC.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138034/1/index.htm
 

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