New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill will step away from the program, according to a Saturday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Kill became the Aggies’ head coach ahead of the 2022 season, leading New Mexico State to a 17-11 record over the past two seasons.
He helmed a statement year in 2023. After New Mexico State got off to a 2-3 start, the Aggies won eight consecutive games including a 31-10 road upset of Auburn. They finished the regular season with a 7-1 record in conference play, earning a berth to the Conference USA Championship game where they lost to Liberty. It was New Mexico State’s first 10-win season since 1960 and the second in the history of the program.
After a 37-10 New Mexico Bowl loss to Fresno State, Kill ranted about rival New Mexico’s athletic director. The game was played on New Mexico’s campus, but Kill said UNM athletic director Eddie Nuñez wouldn’t let the Aggies use the school’s indoor practice facility.
“That’s chickenshit,” Kill said. “I don’t care, that’s my opinion. I get in trouble, I don’t give a shit, either. I can go down to Mexico tomorrow, drink margaritas, and let y’all enjoy your life.”
Sources: Jerry Kill is stepping down as head coach at New Mexico State. The school is expected to name former UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez the new head coach.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 23, 2023
Before he took the New Mexico State job, Kill was a head coach for five different colleges from 1994-2015, culminating in a five-year tenure as the leader of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He was TCU’s interim head coach after Gary Patterson was fired in 2021.
Tony Sanchez, who was UNLV’s head coach from 2015-2019, is