He also got a commitment from the administration that a turnaround at Southern Illinois was needed.
Put those things together and you’ve got a football program that has gone from 20 or so years of losing and only one previous playoff appearance to one that has won 38 games in the last four seasons and become a regular participant in the Division I-AA post-season tournament.
Another key, Kill said, is that the same coaching staff that started the process back in 2001 remains intact, providing solid continuity.
Prior to being hired at SIU Kill had served two different stints as an assistant coach at Division II power Pittsburg State of Kansas and was a head coach at Saginaw Valley State and Emporia State.
During those formative years he worked for - among others - Dennis Franchione, now the head coach at Texas A&M, and Chuck Broyles at Pittsburg State.
“I learned from some very good people,” Kill said. “We came in here and stuck to the philosophy.”
The first two years were tough - 1-10 and 4-7 - but after that came 10-2, 10-2, 9-4 and now 9-3 seasons.
“We built a good foundation and sprinkled a few junior college transfers in,” Kill said, “and just kind of found our niche and stayed with it.”
The big jump in the third year was keyed around a quarterback that started more than 40 games in a row while more recent success has centered on an All-America running back that pounds the ball at the opposition.
Kill said the success has happened with less than outstanding facilities and financial backing. That may be improving as well as SIU is in the early stages of putting together plans that would include a new football stadium.
Kill said it’s important for the Southern Illinois administration to go to Missoula and “see what it’s like,” adding that “you don’t do what Montana’s doing without a commitment.”
Kill said what SIU has had are players who want to be there.
“This is kind of a hard-hat, lunch-pail community,” he said, “and that’s kind of how we sold our team. That’s what we are. We’re just scrappers and fighters and just try to hang in there.”
Kill brought experience as an offensive and defensive coordinator and head coach to Carbondale and the variety has served him well.
“You always are … who you surround yourself with,” he said, “and I’ve been very fortunate to be around a lot of good people to teach me and get me ready for this situation.”
Kill would like his teams to be more balanced between the run and pass than this year’s team is, but when you have a running back like Arkee Whitlock it’s hard not to run the ball most of the time, especially when you’re also breaking in a new quarterback in Nick Hill.
The 5-10, 195-pound Whitlock has carried the ball 296 times for 1,748 yards and 25 touchdowns and has only been thrown for 52 yards in losses all year.
Kill also said this is the youngest Salukis team to make the playoffs since he’s been there, so it’s been a surprise to many that the team has advanced so far, picking up a 35-28 win over Big 10 Indiana along the way.
Defensively Kill likes to go with multiple fronts and wants his teams to be aggressive, play hard and “hit you.” In fact, looking at his whole team, Kill said SIU would like to be a lot like Montana.
“When you’ve got 18, 19-year-old kids you never know what’s going to happen from Saturday to Saturday,” Kill said, “but … we’ve done some good things in some tough places so we’re just trying to get better and better in our program.”
The Salukis plucked Whitlock out of Coffeyville Junior College in Kansas after he played one year and redshirted another. Kill had the help of some JC coaches he had worked with in the past during the recruiting process. Whitlock didn’t even play running back until his senior year of high school in South Carolina.
“He’s … just very quick, strong (and has) great vision,” Kill said of his prize back whom he described this week as the best I-AA player in the nation. “He’s just a good football player.”
Hill, a sophomore, is a 6-3, 205-pound junior with what Kill described as a big arm. But what Kill likes most about Hill is that he hasn’t turned the ball over much, having been intercepted just four times in 185 attempts while completing 63 percent of his passes.
Hill has thrown for 15 touchdowns and 1,684 yards.
Kill said while it’s difficult to compare his SIU teams he did say that his year’s Salukis are smaller and quicker than some he’s had and just young enough to be dangerous.
“… I don’t think they understand what they’re doing and sometimes that’s not all bad,” Kill said facetiously. “I don’t think they understand being nervous or anything else.
“We went to Indiana and beat ‘em at their place … and I don’t think our kids knew what the heck was going on. They just went out there and played.”
Kill knows Montana cornerbacks coach Mike Hudson, so he’s not surprised at how the Grizzly defense plays. He said he’s highly impressed with the entire UM team.
“I look at the defensive side of the ball from an offensive standpoint and I see a great secondary that’s gonna be very physical and great tacklers,” Kill said of the Grizzlies. “I see two of the best defensive ends we’re gonna play all year.
“I see a defense that’s disciplined,” Kill went on. “They don’t make mistakes. They cause a ton of turnovers.”
Offensively Kill said he sees a big-time quarterback with a big arm in Josh Swogger along with great receivers and a huge offensive line. As for Montana’s kicking game Kill was doubly impressed with what he’s seen on video.
“I think they’re the best team we’ve played in the kicking game all year,” Kill said.
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