Carbondale Bytelife

Dear Saluki Fan,

During November and December you were asked to vote for former Southern Illinois University Head Coach Jerry Kill in the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Poll. Thanks to the support of Salukis throughout the nation, Kill was recently named the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year in a special presentation on ABC.

As a result of winning the award, $50,000 will be donated to the Coach Kill Cancer Fund. An additional $20,000 will be given to the SIU Alumni Association to implement scholarships.

Kill topped The Citadel's Kevin Higgins, Northern Iowa's Mark Farley, South Dakota State's John Stiegelmeier and Morehead State University's Matt Ballard in the overall voting at the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) level.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year is awarded to the college football coach who best demonstrates responsibility, integrity, and excellence on and off the field.

The winner in each division was chosen using a combination of fan votes and votes received from members of the 2007 Coach of the Year Selection Committee.

Kill, who left on Dec. 13 after seven years at SIU to become head coach at Northern Illinois, is the first in Saluki football history to win the prestigious award. Under Kill, the Salukis qualified for the playoffs five-consecutive seasons from 2003-07. SIU was 12-2 and advanced to the final four this past season