Gophers restructure Kill's contract, add a year

MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota is so pleased with the work that football coach Jerry Kill has done in his first three seasons that the school decided to add a year to his contract.

The Gophers announced Saturday that Kill's contract has been restructured. That includes the addition of an extra year, which means the contract now runs through the 2018-19 season. Kill has improved Minnesota's record in each of his three years at the helm, and the Gophers went 8-5 this year and advanced to the Texas Bowl.

Additionally, Kill's contract will now pay him $2.1 million for the upcoming 2014-15 season. He was previously making $1.2 million as one of the Big Ten's lowest-paid coaches.

"Coach Kill is proving his model works here at the University of Minnesota," athletic director Norwood Teague said in a statement. "It is right to support him as he builds a program that will make the state of Minnesota proud."

Despite dealing with health issues -- Kill has suffered numerous epileptic seizures during the past three years -- Minnesota has remained confident in its football coach. That's evident by Saturday's announcement.

"I am extremely proud of what our players and coaches accomplished on and off the field last season," Kill said. "We still have a lot of work to do, but are moving the program in the right direction."

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