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At SIU, we are saying good-bye to coach Jerry Kill who is leaving to take a job at NIU. It's a sad day for us, but I wish him the best of luck in his new job.

You guys will probably be okay.. I imagine there will be plenty of guys wanting a job at SIU. May we offer you Mike Kramer?

Sorry to see coach Kill move up but he deserves it. I hope he can build NIU like he did for SIU. He has been through a lot so good for him being rewarded like this.

putter wrote:Sorry to see coach Kill move up but he deserves it. I hope he can build NIU like he did for SIU. He has been through a lot so good for him being rewarded like this.

Luckily for Kill, he doesn't have to do for Northern what he did for Southern. Other than this season, the Huskies had been pretty good for several years under Joe Novak (7 straight winning seasons from 2000-06). I believe they have a decent amount of talent. Compare that to SIU, who had 9 straight losing seasons prior to hiring Kill & hadn't made the I-AA playoffs since they won the title in 1983.

It looks like Dale Lennon of the University of North Dakota is going to be the new head coach at SIU.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vi ... p?t=325029

I guess by waiting a few years longer, he got a better job than he could have had leaving a few years back. (Lennon interviewed for the Sac job.)

Lennon interviewed last year for the Montana State job. I'm a little surprised Lennon is going to move to SIU considering his team is transitioning into the FCS ranks... oh well, he'll make SIU a pretty good team, maybe even better than they already are.

I still don't get Kill's move. If one can get past the move from FCS to FBS, it seems like a step down to me. SIU is a perennial playoff contender, and I can't remember the last time NIU made a bowl. The standards are lower for getting a bowl these days.

SuperHornet wrote:I still don't get Kill's move. If one can get past the move from FCS to FBS, it seems like a step down to me. SIU is a perennial playoff contender, and I can't remember the last time NIU made a bowl. The standards are lower for getting a bowl these days.

SIU seems to be a perennial playoff contender now, but they virtually never made the playoffs prior to Kill. Who knows what they'll do with him gone.

Northern Illinois went to bowls in 2004 (beat Troy in the Silicon Valley Classic) & 2006 (lost to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl). They also made the MAC title game in '05 & had 7 straight winning seasons from 2000-06. Kill's predecessor, Joe Novak, retired. He wasn't fired, at least not publicly. This seems like a step up to me, especially when you consider the bigger paycheck.

SuperHornet wrote:I still don't get Kill's move. If one can get past the move from FCS to FBS, it seems like a step down to me. SIU is a perennial playoff contender, and I can't remember the last time NIU made a bowl. The standards are lower for getting a bowl these days.

NIU hasn't been too bad of a team the last few years, plus they produced San Diego running back Michael Turner.

SuperHornet wrote:I still don't get Kill's move. If one can get past the move from FCS to FBS, it seems like a step down to me. SIU is a perennial playoff contender, and I can't remember the last time NIU made a bowl. The standards are lower for getting a bowl these days.

Kill wants to see what he can do with 22 more scholarships.