Former Minnesota Golden Gophers and current New Mexico State football coach Jerry Kill went on an epic rant over the use of the University of New Mexico’s practice facility after the Aggies’ 37-10 loss to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday night.
During his postgame press conference, Kill thanked the bowl for their hospitality but quickly turned to New Mexico athletic director Eddie Nunez’s reluctance to let NMSU use its facility after an incident involving quarterback Diego Pavia last September.
“It may not be the time to do it, but by gosh, I am going to get it off my mind because I haven’t said anything about it,” Kill said. “We disciplined the young man. You know, if you want to take a toothbrush and clean toilets all the time, that ain’t a lot of fun.”
Pavia urinated on the logo at midfield of Lobos’ $5.3 million indoor practice facility during a visit to his hometown of Albuquerque before the start of the season. According to KRQE news in Albuquerque, Pavia’s incident was an act of frustration after he was not offered a scholarship by his hometown team.
Pavia was not suspended by the Aggies after a video of the incident surfaced last September and he didn’t speak to the media for two months as he led NMSU to a 10-5 record this season.
“When the thing happened, it was a big distraction to the team, so I apologized to the team,” Pavia said on Nov. 29. “After that, I feel like we got even closer as a group and ever since we’ve been on a roll and playing really good football.”
Kill credited New Mexico Bowl executive director Jeff Siembieda for allowing the Aggies to use the facility but also demanded discipline for Nunez.
“I hope the AD here gets the same discipline with people around this state that Diego got because he deserves it and it don’t bother me a bit,” Kill said. “When he doesn’t want to let us practice in the indoor facility and he don’t want us to do this or that, that’s chicken s***. He better be disciplined by this state and if he’s not, it’s a crime.”
Kill went on to say he did not care if he got in trouble for his comments.
“I don’t care, that’s my opinion,” Kill said. “If I get in trouble, I don’t give a s*** either because I can go down to Mexico tomorrow, drink margaritas and let you all enjoy your life because I’ll be enjoying mine. But I got class and I’ve had class my whole life. You can ask the whole college football profession. I’ve had class and I’ve never been treated like that.”
Kill’s time at New Mexico State has been eventful dating back to when he said he wasn’t sure if he would shake current Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck’s hand before his first game with the Aggies in August 2021.
Since then, Kill’s Aggies went 7-6 in his first year before earning a spot in the Conference USA Championship Game earlier this month.
