Minnesota coach Kill to leave for treatment after suffering another seizure

By Sam Gordon

Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill suffered another seizure Sunday morning and announced he will temporarily leave the team to focus on his medical issues.

Kill was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on Sunday a day after North Dakota State upset the Gophers at home.

Kill has suffered recurring seizures since he collapsed while coaching the Gophers on Sept. 10. He was released from the hospital Sept. 15 and was back coaching within hours.

At his press conference Tuesday, Kill told members of the media that he’d had 20 seizures in a six-day span.

Smith said Sunday that the first-year head coach was in good condition and his vital signs “remained strong.”

“The seizures continue to be a concern for me and my family,” Kill said in a statement released by the team. “Rebecca and I have made the decision to do what it takes to find a solution. I hope to be back to work soon, but we believe that taking some time away to get a handle on this is the right thing to do.”

He has twice coached Minnesota from the sidelines since the initial seizure.

Kill spoke just Tuesday of how he was determined to continue coaching, despite his medical problems.

“I can’t control what I can’t control,” Kill said at his Tuesday press conference. “I’m going to go like hell until I go down, and when I go down … they can do whatever they do and I’m going to go again.”

Athletic Director Joel Maturi has voiced his support for Kill.

“Coach Kill is determined to get this issue resolved. We all want what’s best for him, and his health is our first and foremost concern,” Maturi said in the release. “I have full confidence that our football staff will get the team prepared while Jerry is away.”

Kill said he has fought a seizure disorder since his battle with kidney cancer in 2005. He suffered at least two seizures prior to 2005.

Read more here: http://www.mndaily.com/2011/09/26/kill-leave-treatment-after-suffering-another-seizure
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