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WATCH: Liberty head coach, former Nebraska star Turner Gill has emotional, heartfelt message following retirement
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College football coaches can sometimes be perceived as larger than life figures. There’s sometimes a notion that they’re not affected by the same day-to-day things as the rest of us.
A press conference from Liberty head coach Turner Gill pretty much erases that ideology, though.
Earlier this week, Gill — who was a former quarterback and later an assistant coach at Nebraska — announced that he would retire as the head coach at Liberty. He cited his wife’s heart condition behind his decision to step down.
Making that move might seem like a pretty easy one, but it was extremely difficult for Gill. Why? He understood that his decision affected the lives, and families, of the players, coaches and other staff around him. While he had to do what was best for him and his family, he didn’t want anyone to believe he was turning his back on them.
Tuesday, Gill delivered an emotional and heartfelt speech as he announced his retirement. It’s an incredibly moving message to send to his players, coaches and staff.
If this doesn't humanize college coaching for you, I don't know know what would. Listen to Turner Gill talk about telling his staff & players about his decision to retire. It's tough. pic.twitter.com/9wbMk18FDB
— Mike Minyard (@MikeMinyard) December 5, 2018
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB