Ex-Gopher football head coach Jerry Kill joins Virginia Tech staff

Photo: Photo taken by Bobak Ha Eri, on April 27, 2013 via WikiMedia Commons
Jerry Kill, during the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team's 2013 Spring Game in TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. (Original photo has been cropped to fit)

Updated: September 16, 2019 11:14 AM

Former University of Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill has joined Virgina Tech as special assistant to coach Justin Fuente, the school announced Monday.

Kill most recently served as athletic director and special assistant to the chancellor at Southern Illinois.

Welcome to Hokie Nation!

3-time National Coach of the Year Jerry Kill joining VT as special assistant to the head coach.

Details ??https://t.co/hxkv4oA9Zw #Hokies ?? pic.twitter.com/2E4cQd5Jhx
— Virginia Tech Football (@VT_Football) September 16, 2019

Kill coached at Minnesota from 2011 to 2015, taking the team to three bowl games and was 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year. He stepped down at Minnesota midway through the 2015 after doctors said he risked severe neurological problems if he continued coaching. Kill has epilepsy, and he had multiple seizures on the sideline during his Minnesota career.

The former head coach directed strong comments toward current Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck this past winter, calling out Fleck's ego and taking some things personally in an interview on Sirius XM's 'Big Ten Today.'

Former Gopher football coach Jerry Kill critical of P.J. Fleck in interview

He also has served as a head coach at Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois.