Rutgers new offensive coordinator Jerry Kill has suffered from epilepsy since 2005, when, at the age of 43, he suffered his first seizure while coaching Southern Illinois.

No one knows what brought on the disease -- maybe concussions from playing football, maybe a crash crash he was in years ago.

But after resigning from his head-coaching position at the University of Minnesota in 2015 because of his health, Kill is ready to coach again, and will be named the new Rutgers offensive coordinator.

But there's always the risk that his seizures could return.

In the year since leaving Minnesota, Kill said he's gone from struggling with epilepsy to helping others fight it.

He said a low-carb diet, prescribed by his epilepsy doctor, helped him lose 25 pounds and attributed an increase in energy to better sleep and exercise habits.

"Going through, at the time when I was at Minnesota, it was a very difficult situation and a difficult time,'' he said after being introduced as Rutgers' offensive coordinator on Monday. "In coaching, you never have a chance to get something fixed or get it under control because you can't take time off to do that. I needed some time to get it situated and see the right people and get on the right diet and get on the right regime and be able to get healthy. I'm actually taking less medication than I have. I know how to take care of myself better.

"I'm a ball coach. That's who I am. I enjoy kids. I enjoy that process. I'm a lot smarter than I was a year ago, but more importantly I've been seizure-free for a long time and this is the best I've felt over 12 years. I look forward to the challenge, but I am definitely ready for it.''

Here's a quick lesson on epilepsy from the Epilepsy Foundation and Web MD:

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages ... the hallmark of which is recurrent, unprovoked seizures. Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well. (Epilepsy Foundation)

What is a seizure?

A seizure occurs when a burst of electrical impulses in the brain escape their normal limits. They spread to neighboring areas and create an uncontrolled storm of electrical activity. The electrical impulses can be transmitted to the muscles, causing twitches or convulsions. (Web MD)

Seizures are not a disease in themselves. Instead, they are a symptom of many different disorders that can affect the brain. Some seizures can hardly be noticed, while others are totally disabling. (Epilepsy Foundation)

What causes epilepsy?

There is a clear cause for epilepsy in only a minority of the cases. Typically, the known causes of seizure involve some injury to the brain. (Web MD)

The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury or a family tendency, but often the cause is completely unknown. (Epilepsy Foundation)

What causes seizures?

Certain factors are known to provoke seizures in people with epilepsy. Avoiding these triggers can help you avoid seizures and live better with epilepsy: missing medication doses, sleep deprivation, drug and/or alcohol use, other medications that interfere with seizure medications. (Web MD) Also, bright or flashing lights and other stimuli.

Can epilepsy be cured or controlled?

About 6 out of 10 people diagnosed with epilepsy can become seizure free within a few years with proper treatment. Many of these people will never have any more seizures. For the rest of the people, some will have occasional breakthrough seizures or side effects of medicines and others will have uncontrolled seizures. (Epilepsy Foundation)

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.