For being on an indefinite leave of absence, Gopher football head coach Jerry Kill sure is around a lot.
Acting head coach Tracy Claeys and his men are just fine with that.
After Kill traveled to Northwestern last weekend to watch Minnesota’s upset of the Wildcats, Claeys said of Kill “he’s like Linus’ blanket to us, everyone is just more comfortable when he’s around.”
And around he is, as Kill returned to practice today. Make no mistake, Kill is not taking coaching duties back, he’s simply working his way back into coaching slowly.
He said to the Star Tribune on his way off the field “it’s good being an assistant coach.”
Always a light-hearted, positive attitude, one of the things that endears him to players and fans.
In unfortunate news, running back Rodrick Williams, who missed last week’s game in Evanston for disciplinary reasons, missed practice yesterday and today with a foot injury. Claeys said he doesn’t think the foot is broken, but it looks as if David Cobb, who started last week in place of Williams, will start again for the Gophers.
Cobb is the team’s leading rusher with nearly 500 yards on the ground, and is averaging a solid 5.4 yards per carry.
Minnesota hosts No. 24 Nebraska this Saturday in ESPN at 11 A.M.
