Posted: December 5, 2010, 9:30 p.m. CT
By Chris Monter
FOXSportsNorth.com
Jerry Kill, who led Northern Illinois to a 10-3 mark this season and a 34-23 win over Minnesota in September, will be announced as the new head football coach at the University of Minnesota on Monday.
While Kill is not a name that may excite Minnesota Gopher football and is not the household name of a Tubby Smith, who has re-energized the basketball program, this looks like a good hire for director of athletics Joel Maturi. He has won wherever he has been, including taking over two programs that were coming off awful seasons.
Many Gopher fans will remember Kill and his Northern Illinois team for the way they ran over Minnesota earlier this season as they rushed for 297 yards in the win.
It is likely that the 2011 Minnesota Gophers will resemble the teams that Glen Mason coached when he had strong rushing attacks with runners like Marion Barber III, Laurence Maroney, Thomas Hamner, Tellis Redmon and Terry Jackson. Ironically, Jackson transferred to Southern Illinois, where he played for Kill.
Northern Illinois finished eighth in the country in rushing with 264.8 yards per game, but just 89th in passing with 181.2 yards per game. The Huskies had an explosive offense (13th in scoring, 37.8 points per game) and a stout defense (19.1 points per game, No. 16 in the nation).
Kill led the Huskies to three straight bowl appearances and a 23-16 overall mark. They finished 8-0 in the Mid-American Conference, losing to Iowa State and Illinois in the regular season and Miami of Ohio 26-21 in the Marathon MAC Championship game Friday, when the Redhawks scored with 33 seconds left in the game.
Northern Illinois, a 2-10 team the year before hiring Kill in 2008, finished 6
