Jerry Kill fired the shot -- or, more precisely, shots -- but his target won’t respond in kind.
During an interview on SiriusXM earlier this week, Kill, the former Minnesota head coach, launched a blistering verbal assault on P.J. Fleck, the current Minnesota head coach. Kill, who had Fleck on his Northern Illinois coaching staff for two seasons in 2009 and 2010, stepped down as the Gophers’ coach in October of 2015 amidst health concerns and was replaced by his long-time lieutenant Tracy Claeys, who was fired amidst controversy a year later.
Kill blasted the university’s decision to rid themselves of Claeys at the time — “I won’t be stepping foot back in the stadium and I won’t be stepping foot back at the university,” the coach said — even as he was initially supportive of Fleck taking over the program. Per Kill in this week’s interview, he spoke to Fleck once since he took over the Gophers, and “it wasn’t good. … That’s the last time.”
“Do I still root for the Gophers? I do. Do I enjoy him running up and down the sideline? No. Do I think that he’s about the players? No. He’s about himself,” Kill said Tuesday, adding, “I just lost a lot of respect.”
Thursday, during his own radio appearance, Fleck was given the opportunity to respond -- and opted to kill his former boss with kindness.
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:Listen, I’ve got a lot of respect for Jerry Kill, I always will,” Fleck said on AM-1130 radio during halftime of the Gophers men’s basketball game. “I’ve learned so much from him. … I’m really sorry that he feels that way. I’m not sure where that came from.
“But I do know this: We’re focused on our team. I wish him all the best in the next journey of his life being an athletic director, and I hope he’s OK.
“The one thing that’s really important to me is our players. Always has been, always will be,” Fleck added, most certainly a nod to Kill’s “he’s about himself” shot.
Taking over a Gophers team that went 9-4 in Claeys’ lone full season as head coach, Fleck has gone 5-7 and 7-6 in Fleck’s first two years.