MINNEAPOLIS — A year ago, head coach Jerry Kill entered the University of Minnesota's spring football practices without knowing a whole lot about his team. Kill was hired in December 2010, giving him just a few months to get acclimated to his surroundings.
Now, when the Gophers start spring practices Thursday, there will be a sense of familiarity and a comfort level that was lacking prior to last season.
"I think it's like getting older. Each year you get older, you get a little bit wiser. You get to know a little bit more," Kill said Wednesday during a press conference. "I've been here a year or so. I'm still trying to figure out some things. Here, I don't think you figure it out all today.
"But I think that from the level of where we are at, I certainly know more how things operate here at our university. I certainly know more about our players. I certainly know more about the Big Ten. I certainly know more about where we need to go and what we need to do."
Where the Gophers need to go is up. What do they need to do to get there? Well, Kill is still figuring that out.
Under Kill in 2011, Minnesota finished just 3-9, the same record it had under Tim Brewster in 2010. The Gophers suffered home losses to New Mexico State and North Dakota State and won just two Big Ten games. They ranked near the bottom of the conference in many offensive and defensive categories and finished last in the Big Ten's Legends division.
The Gophers will turn the page Thursday, when they hold the first of their 15 spring practices. Those practices will culminate with the team's spring game on April 21 at TCF Bank Stadium.
Before that point, however, Kill knows there's plenty of learning to be done.
"I think that we have to be better teachers, to be honest with you," Kill said. "I'm talking about myself and our coaches and so forth. We have to do a better job getting across what we are trying to do. … You know, it's just that's part of changing a program around, and when I say better teachers, we have got to make sure that our kids are playing fast on Saturdays and not processing things."
Still, despite the Gophers' 3-9 record last season, Kill's players seem to be buying into his system. And now, with Kill and his coaching staff back for Year No. 2, they'll finally have a sense of stability again.
"A lot of guys come in here, myself included, we were under one staff. We only know one way of doing things," senior linebacker Mike Rallis said. "To kind of come in and change the whole philosophy of how practice goes, the X's and O's of it all, it takes some time getting used to. I think it took a little too long for us last year. I think mid-season, we started to get it more and more. I think we're a lot more comfortable going into this (spring)."
Position changes: It's not uncommon for football players to change positions during their college careers, and the Gophers announced several position changes Wednesday.
Among the notable changes is by Moses Alipate, who was on the roster as a quarterback during his first two years. The Bloomington (Minn.) Kennedy High School product will transition to tight end this year. Kill said Alipate is up to 290 pounds, which is big even for a tight end.
"We are going to see if we can do that or not; I don't know," Kill said of the transition. "But he's a good enough athlete. He's got to want to, and we have to be patient. I told him, 'Hey, don't worry about making mistakes, just play.' We are trying to give him an opportunity for success. That's the best thing we are trying to do to help the kid and, like I said, he's had a good attitude. He's worked hard in the offseason."
Kendall Gregory-McGhee, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound junior who played last season as a defensive end, will also move to tight end. Gregory-McGhee played tight end at Cherokee Trail (Colo.) High School, along with defensive end.
"He came here to play defense, really wasn't his natural thing, struggled with it, and asked to move to tight end," Kill said. "He's always been big but he's in much better shape and I think he's excited about the opportunity to do that."
Also of note is defensive back Brock Vereen, who will move from cornerback to safety for Minnesota. The Gophers lost a number of players from last year's secondary, so moving Vereen to safety will give them more options. Derrick Wells, another defensive back, will also move to safety.
Kill also mentioned that Ernie Heifort, who redshirted in 2011, moved from tight end to offensive tackle. Listed at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds last season, Heifort is now 255 pounds, Kill said. James Manuel, who will be a junior in 2012, will transition from safety to linebacker.
Follow Tyler Mason on Twitter.
