Jerry Kill gets massive tattoo to commemorate New Mexico State season

Head coach Jerry Kills walks down the sideline during the NMSU v. UNM football game on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, at Aggies Memorial Stadium. © Meg Potter/Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK

New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill is a man of his word.

Kill unveiled an incredible tattoo commemorating his 2022 Aggies team on Sunday, coming through on a promise he made to his players before their bowl game in December.

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Kill got the tattoo at a Las Cruces tattoo parlor and admitted he had made the pledge to pump up his “dragging” team late in the season.

“They were kind of dragging a little bit, so I called them all up and said, ‘here is the deal, if you win this bowl game, I respect this team so much and what you’ve done, I’ll get a tattoo on my arm,” Kill told Sam Guzman of KTSM. “They all just went crazy.”

The Aggies obviously came through, beating Bowling Green 24-19 in the Quick Lane Bowl to seal a 7-6 season. That may not seem like much, but Kill inherited a program that went 2-10 in 2021 and had played in just one bowl game since 1960. The turnaround is remarkable.

Kill, a veteran coach who is best remembered for his stint at Minnesota from 2011-2015, has dodged some celebrations before, but he gladly embraced this one. He has certainly endeared himself to his players and the school.