Last year the Minnesota Gophers football team held a scrimmage, offense vs. defense, to close spring practices. This year head coach Jerry Kill is planning a real game. U of M athletic director Joel Maturi says Kill believes a "game-like atmosphere" is "best for his program and best for the fans." Spring practices begin Thursday.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill has completed an agreement with the University of Minnesota that has him under contract until 2018. Kill, who will make an estimated $1.2 million per season, says he’s glad it’s settled. "U"athletic director Joel Maturi says the Gophers are lucky to have Kill, who he calls “a great fit.”

The last time the Gopher football team reached a bowl game was 2009. They haven't won one since 2004 when they defeated mighty Alabama. Coach Jerry Kill comes in to the 2012 season with hopes of getting his struggling Big Ten program back to postseason play, but does so with a cautious realism.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill says if his seizure disorder ever affected his ability to do his job, he would quit. At his weekly news conference, Kill said he was fine after having a mild seizure on the plane when returning from the Northwestern game. Overall, he says he’s in “pretty good health.”

In a statement, Minnesota Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill says the death of Penn State coach Joe Paterno is "a sad day for football," and that despite the scandals -- people should remember the good Paterno has done.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill says there’s “no room for error” if Minnesota expects to beat Iowa Saturday in the Big Ten opener. In his weekly news conference, Kill also admits his 4-0 team is better than last year, but still “nowhere close to where we need to be.”

Gophers head coach Jerry Kill wishes his football team would have won more games, especially for the seniors. That's why he's putting extra emphasis on beating Illinois in the season's final game Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.