A very emotional Gopher football coach Jerry Kill announced his retirement this morning to the media. The story broke this morning after a tweet from the University of Minnesota was circulated, Then a news conference was held at 8:30 this morning.


At the news conference, Kill stated that for health reasons, he needed to step down. He wants to be around for his family. He is leaving the job and game he loves under a doctor's advice. He had been seizure free for about 18 months. But had recently had two of them.

KSTP TV reported that associate head coach and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will lead the team for the rest of the year. The team has been preparing to play Michigan on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

An Associated Press report showed Kill was the Big Ten coach of the year in 2014 after the team finished 5-3 in the Big Ten, 8-5 overall and played for the west division title. Kill has been a coach for 32 years, 24 as a head coach. "God is probably just telling me that it's time," Kill said at the news conference. And he said he does not know what he will do next.

Also at the news conference, interim athletics director Beth Goetz said the search process will start when appropriate. Claeys will lead the team for the rest of the year. Goetz said conversations about Kill’s future started Monday and a decision was made Tuesday. She said it is heartbreaking.    

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