Jerry Kill

Jerry Kill was born on August 24, 1961, in Cheney, Kansas. He began his football career as a linebacker and earned the team’s most inspirational award at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, graduating in 1983. His early coaching career included roles at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State, Saginaw Valley State, and Emporia State. At Pittsburg State, he served as both offensive and defensive coordinator, contributing to two DII championship game appearances, including a national title win in 1991. Kill also had a successful two-year stint as head coach at Webb City (Mo.) High School, where he secured a state championship in 1989 with a 25-1 record. This foundational experience laid the groundwork for his subsequent impact on collegiate football.

Kill’s collegiate head coaching journey began at Saginaw Valley State in 1994, where he consistently led the team to winning seasons and offensive prowess. Following this, he coached at Emporia State before making a significant impact at Southern Illinois (2001-2007). He transformed the Southern Illinois Salukis from a struggling program into a consistent winner, leading them to five consecutive NCAA playoff appearances and earning the FCS Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award in 2004. His success continued at Northern Illinois (2008-2010), where he guided the Huskies to 23 wins in three seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2010 and a berth in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game, earning him the Grant Teaff FCA Coach of the Year Award. This period established his reputation for building successful programs and developing talent.

In 2011, Kill took on the head coaching role for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he continued his trend of program improvement, leading them to their first New Year’s Day game since 1962. His work at Minnesota earned him the consensus 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year award. Despite stepping away from coaching briefly in 2016 due to health reasons (epilepsy), Kill returned to various roles, including associate athletics director at Kansas State, offensive coordinator at Rutgers, and director of athletics at Southern Illinois. He joined TCU in 2020 as a special assistant to the head coach, later serving as interim head coach in 2021. From 2022 to 2023, he was the head coach at New Mexico State, guiding the team to a Quick Lane Bowl victory in his first season and a New Mexico Bowl appearance in his second. He is currently a consultant at Vanderbilt, continuing to contribute his extensive knowledge and experience to the sport. Throughout his career, Kill has been an advocate for others with epilepsy, establishing the Coach Kill Fund and the Chasing Dreams Coach Kill Epilepsy Fund.