Fans question Gopher football coach selection

Jerry Kill
Northern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill looks up at the clock during the closing moments against Minnesota in a NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 in Minneapolis. Northern Illinois won 34-23.
Tom Olmscheid/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jerry who?

That was the reaction from many Gopher fans when the University of Minnesota announced yesterday it had chosen Jerry Kill as its new head football coach.

"In many ways, the hire has to be considered a failure by a lot of fans," Star Tribune sportswriter Phil Miller told MPR's Cathy Wurzer.

Kill has had a strong record as head coach at Northern Illinois University, but it's not the kind of elite football program Minnesota is trying to build.

Miller says the U of M raised fan expectations going into its search for a coach. Boosters were hoping for a big name, and Kill doesn't qualify on that score.

"Whether or not he can coach is completely separate from the fact that from a public relations standpoint this is going to be a bad day for the University," Miller said.