Jerry Kill has stepped down from his post as Rutgers's offensive coordinator, citing health concerns.
Here's his statement.
“I want to thank Chris Ash and Pat Hobbs for giving me the opportunity to coach at Rutgers. I would also like to thank the players, the Rutgers family, fans and media for everything they have done for Rebecca and I. This program is definitely headed in the right direction with coach Ash and I know that firsthand. I enjoyed the year being an assistant coach and had a ton of fun with the players and coaches.
I hope that through my 34 years of coaching that I was able to be a positive influence on young people because that is truly why I coach. I want to thank all the players for what they have done for me. I appreciate and love all of the people that are part of my family. I don’t have any regrets and I’ve had a blessed career. I love this game and all the coaches that I’ve worked with. They have all made Jerry Kill a better man. I know that I did it the right way and I did it my way. I gave everything I had to the game, I just ran out of juice.”
Best known for his successful run as the head coach at Northern Illinois and Minnesota, Kill was forced to retire in the middle of the 2015 season due to his ongoing battle with epilepsy. Jerry and his wife Rebecca have created the Chasing Dreams/Coach Kill Epilepsy Fund to help children living with the condition.
Kill spent the 2016 season out of the game, his first since jumping into coaching in 1985, before taking the Rutgers offensive coordinator job.
His retirement means Rutgers will be in search of its ninth offensive coordinator in the last nine years.
“I would like to thank Jerry, Rebecca and their entire family for everything they did for our program, both on and off the field,” Ash said. “Jerry had a great impact on our coaching staff and was a tremendous influence on all of our players. I wish Jerry and his wife the best and they will always be part of our Rutgers family.”
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.