The head football coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers is stepping down due to health concerns.
Coach Jerry Kill opened the press conference this morning with an emotional statement in which he thanked the state of Minnesota for their support, including but not limited to the administration at the University of Minnesota, his own coaching staff and players, and the fans. He talked about how coaching football has been his life and career for the past 32 years, admitting that he has no idea what his future holds now that his coaching career is over.
One quote, in particular, speaks volumes as to how difficult a decision this was for Coach Kill: "Last night, when I walked off the practice field, I felt like a part of me died.