Jerry Kill releases statement after stepping down at New Mexico State

Surprising news came Saturday as it was reported that Jerry Kill would step down after two seasons as the New Mexico State football coach. The Aggies officially announced the news shortly after, naming receivers coach Tony Sanchez as Kill’s successor.

The coach offered an explanation for his decision, saying this season was “tremendously difficult” for him. Kill battled health issues that caused him to miss multiple practices earlier in the year. He has dealt with epilepsy since 2005 and previously stepped down as the head coach at Minnesota in 2015 due to health concerns.

“This year has been tremendously difficult for me, and I gave it everything I had physically, mentally and emotionally,” he explained. “New Mexico State holds a special place in my heart as it marks the end of my journey as a head coach. While I’ll remain involved with the Aggies, I recognize the need for a head coach with a lot of energy. Good luck to Coach Sanchez, the student-athletes and New Mexico State University.” 

Jerry Kill directed New Mexico State to a 17-11 record over the past two seasons. The Aggies made back-to-back bowl games in 2022 and 2023 for the first time since the 1959 and 1960 seasons. This year they finished 10-5 to mark their first 10-win season since 1960. That included a 31-10 victory against Auburn near the end of the season.

In addition to New Mexico State, Jerry Kill was also a head coach at Northern Illinois (2008-10) and Minnesota (2011-15). He has a 71-58 overall record across 11 seasons coaching at the FCS level. He made head coaching stops at Southern Illinois (2001-07) and Emporia State (1999-2000) early in his coaching career.

Prior to Kill taking over in 2022, the Aggies had gone just 2-10 in the 2021 season. He managed to direct them to a 7-6 record in his inaugural season and led them to a victory in the Quick Lane Bowl. This past season, he earned the Conference USA Coach of the Year.

It is reported that Kill could be on the move to Vanderbilt to serve in an off-field role for the 2024 season. The Commodores finished this past season 2-10 and failed to win an SEC game. Kill himself has not made any comments on what his next move would be, however.

Sanchez is a former Aggies receiver who has previous head coaching experience at UNLV. He directed the Rebels to a 20-40 record in five seasons from 2015-19.