University of Minnesota athletics director Norwood Teague announced Thursday that head football coach Jerry Kill will take a leave of absence to focus on his epilepsy treatment.
Teague did not give a timetable for when Kill would return. In the meantime, Minnesota defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will serve as interim head coach.
President [Eric] Kaler and I have met and talked extensively with coach Kill and Rebecca [Kill], Teague said at a press conference Thursday. We feel that giving Jerry the time to focus on and continue his treatments is the best course of action.
Teague said Kill will remain close to the program and stay in contact with Claeys during the process. He did not confirm or deny whether Kill will seek medical treatment outside of Minnesota.
Kill released a statement through the team Thursday before the press conference.
This was a difficult decision to make, but the right decision, he said in the statement. Our staff has been together a long time, and I have full confidence inCoach Claeys and them during my time away.
Kill wasnt feeling well before the Gophers Oct. 5 trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. He stayed in Minneapolis and planned to meet the team, but he had a seizure before the game and didnt travel.
As standard procedure, Claeys took over head coaching duties. Kill has had five game-day seizures in two and a half seasons with Minnesota, but the loss to Michigan was the first time in his career that he missed an entire game.
Claeys said missing a whole game might have sparked Kills decision to step away. Claeys, who has worked as an assistant to Kill for 19 years, said the head coach has never taken extended timeoff.
I mean, to get him to go on vacation for two days is a long, hard conversation, Claeys said. I think they made [this decision] as a family.
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Kill takes leave to manage epilepsy