ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – There will be a changing of the guard for the New Mexico State football team, just one week after they finished up a 10-win season.

NMSU Head Coach Jerry Kill has stepped down after coaching the Aggies for two seasons.

Kill finishes with a 17-11 record. He led the Aggies to two bowl appearances – winning one of them.

This season was a particular success, he helped NMSU upset Auburn, and led the Aggies to 10 wins for just the second time in school history.

NMSU officials say last month — the week of the Auburn win — Kill came to them and asked to be paid more.

They say they offered him a new contract a few days ago for more than a million dollars – the largest in program history – but he turned it down.

“I told coach that we would be offering him a new contract, guaranteeing him $1.1 million. When we got back from the bowl game on Tuesday, Dec. 19, coach was given a hard copy of that contract in his hand,” said NMSU Athletic Director Mario Moccio. “It was Thursday, just two days ago, Dec. 21.”  

The Aggies are already announcing Kill’s replacement  – former UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez. Sanchez has been on the Aggies’ staff, and he was the wide receivers coach this season.

Sanchez played for the Aggies a while back. In his five seasons at UNLV, he had a 20-40 record with no bowl appearances.

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