Southern Illinois coach Jerry Kill hospitalized after having seizure



CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) -- Southern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill will remain hospitalized at least until today, continuing his recovery from a seizure he had shortly after the taping of his weekly television show, the school's sports information chief said Monday.
Kill "seems to be doing fine" but was kept overnight Monday at Carbondale Memorial Hospital, largely for observation, said Tom Weber, SIU's sports information director.
The seizure following Sunday's taping at WSIL-TV was the latest for 45-year-old Kill, who collapsed on the sidelines a year ago during a game against Illinois State and in November 2001 after the Salukis lost to what now is Missouri State.
In both cases, Kill returned to the sidelines in time for the next game.
Prognosis
Tests Sunday at the hospital came back normal, according to his wife, Rebecca, who said her husband was given a positive prognosis by his doctor. She said the coach, in his sixth season at SIU, was resting comfortably and hoped to return to work soon.
In Kill's absence, SIU's coaching staff will continue preparing for Saturday's game against Missouri State.
While hospitalized briefly after last year's seizure, Kill was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He continued coaching without telling the team and had a tumor removed from one of his kidneys after the season.
"He's never missed a game because of seizures," Weber said. "If there's a way for him to be there [at Saturday's game], it certainly wouldn't surprise me."
The Salukis (5-2, 2-2 Gateway) lost Saturday at home to Western Kentucky, while Missouri State (1-7, 0-4) lost to Indiana State, which snapped the nation's longest Division I losing streak at 24 games.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.