Greg Colby the new Illinois DL coach

[quhawks12]

Greg Colby. New DL Coach.

[quhawks12]

Former Northwestern DC. Has coached at Illinois before. Most recently head coach at the D3 level.

Sorry I didn't have anything quicker guys...this was kep really close to the vest. No hints, leaks or even ideas were given out by anyone on the staff or around them. That's a good thing.

[Dan]

Millersville head coach Greg Colby resigns to take job at Illinois

Millersville head coach Greg Colby became the second coach in as many days to leave a conference program and accept a Divison-I job, resigning Friday to accept a position at Illinois, Millersville confirmed in a release. Colby will coach the defensive line at his Alma mater.

http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index...ville_hea.html

[goillini75]

are we excited about this guy or not

[AngryOrange]

Originally Posted by goillini75

are we excited about this guy or not

Personally, I am not. To look on the bright side, he is the type of guy who has tried to move up the chain and pretty much capped out. He, like Cubit, should be here for the long haul. I like the fact he worked with Saban at MSU, and has been a D-Coordinator at a couple of stops previous.

[illinicb]

I think I remember him from his prior stint at Illinois. Was he with Moeller?

[DrewD007]

http://www.millersvilleathletics.com...es.aspx?rc=257

From 1988-95, Colby was assistant coach for outside linebackers and special teams at Illinois. Colby helped the Fighting Illini to a Big Ten Championship in 1989 and six bowl appearances in seven years.

I think it's nice that he played his college ball here and has coached here previously. I have no idea how he is at coaching and recruiting though.

[Letswinagain]

Originally Posted by goillini75

are we excited about this guy or not

I think I'll be excited just to see how it feels to be excited again about something related to Illini football. My memory on that topic has been blank since we beat UCLA in the Fight Hunger Bowl. I think I'll also take the optimistic perspective that whatever he brings to the coaching staff is better than whatever we lost.

[ILLiniJoe32390]

Don't know much about this hire but you have to figure we had nowhere to go but up

[RHITIllini]

http://www.millersvilleathletics.com...es.aspx?rc=257

[Illinigirl]

Don't know anything about him other than what was provided in the links above, but love that he is an alum.

[DaytonIllini]

Originally Posted by DrewD007

http://www.millersvilleathletics.com...es.aspx?rc=257



I think it's nice that he played his college ball here and has coached here previously. I have no idea how he is at coaching and recruiting though.

Well if he coached outside linebackers in that era he coached two of the best of all time in Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice. That's not too bad of a feather to have in your cap. Two All-Americans, Big 10 Sack record holder. Not too shabby.

BTW, 6 bowl appearances in 7 years. Ohh my.

[Groundhogday]

60 years old with a lot of coordinator experience. I felt last year that Banks needed coordinator help with the front and Colby could give us that. He certainly knows Chicago, but don't know if he is a strong recruiter. With Cubit, Colby, Bridge, and potentially Patton we will have a lot more experience next year.

[CUWPC]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

60 years old with a lot of coordinator experience. I felt last year that Banks needed coordinator help with the front and Colby could give us that. He certainly knows Chicago, but don't know if he is a strong recruiter. With Cubit, Colby, Bridge, and potentially Patton we will have a lot more experience next year.

I have said it already but I think Becks wants experience this time around. Wether or not they can recruit, coaching us key.

[RHITIllini]

Originally Posted by CUWPC

I have said it already but I think Becks wants experience this time around. Wether or not they can recruit, coaching us key.

Made a difference when Zook went that route when revamping the staff.

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by CUWPC

I have said it already but I think Becks wants experience this time around. Wether or not they can recruit, coaching us key.

The good news is that two of the three new coaching hires are very strong recruiters and Patton would be another if that should happen to come true.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

The good news is that two of the three new coaching hires are very strong recruiters and Patton would be another if that should happen to come true.

Yes, it is a mistake to think that older guys can't recruit. Cubit and Bridge can really recruit. And for all we know, Colby can recruit as well, I just don't know.

I would assume that a guy who coached DE/OLB for Illinois during our heyday at that position, DL for Saban, and DC for Northwestern under Walker would know what he is doing.

[nichi]

Originally Posted by illinicb

I think I remember him from his prior stint at Illinois. Was he with Moeller?

No. From Danville. HS Class of 1970. iirc, part of Jim Valek's last freshman class; then played for Bob Blackman. Played football (linebacker) and baseball (catcher-outfield) at UI. Three year letterman in both sports. He was on Mike White's football staff from 1980-87.

[BWBW]

Originally Posted by nichi

No. From Danville. HS Class of 1970. iirc, part of Jim Valek's last freshman class; then played for Bob Blackman. Played football (linebacker) and baseball (catcher-outfield) at UI. Three year letterman in both sports. He was on Mike White's football staff from 1980-87.

Got to love the Mike White 'alums.'

Perhaps we will have a more cohesive defensive coaching staff now and that will be reflected by results on the field.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by nichi

No. From Danville. HS Class of 1970. iirc, part of Jim Valek's last freshman class; then played for Bob Blackman. Played football (linebacker) and baseball (catcher-outfield) at UI. Three year letterman in both sports. He was on Mike White's football staff from 1980-87.

Colby was a high school coach for most of the White era, then a GA at MSU before coaching LB for Coach Mac and Tepper.

[gibb52]

Originally Posted by CUWPC

I have said it already but I think Becks wants experience this time around. Wether or not they can recruit, coaching us key.

Gotta have a good mix of guys on any staff. Need guys on each side of the ball that can teach, coach, and adjust. Need guys that can recruit.

Of course it helps immensely if several of your guys are good at both.

[Calilama]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Yes, it is a mistake to think that older guys can't recruit. Cubit and Bridge can really recruit. And for all we know, Colby can recruit as well, I just don't know.

I would assume that a guy who coached DE/OLB for Illinois during our heyday at that position, DL for Saban, and DC for Northwestern under Walker would know what he is doing.

I agree that age does not have much to do with recruiting….

..and its problematical how much experience has to do with being a great coach as well…the great coaches seem to have what it takes the moment they step out on the field.

Last year everyone was all foamy because our assistants were young, energetic recruiters from powerhouse programs…then while holding on to the rim of the toilet as the season flushed it was all about their coaching inexperience. Now we have hired guys that will keep the local cardiologists busy because they have been coaching so long they fart dust…if next season craters then you will hear about the staff being composed of guys in their 60’s who were yanked from the MAC , Div III or buried as a TE coach for decades and had no other job prospects…if a guy is a great coach and doesn’t reach the top of his profession by his 50’s then there must surely be something wrong with him, right?..The answer is no just like it is no about the deadly inexperience of our last staff of assistants.

Beckman has been coaching since he was a zygote….did he have a clue that he hired a terminally inexperienced staff last year?...or if we flounder this year will he have had a clue that he hired the wrong assistants for whatever the reason dejure ends up being? I think Beckman is too good of a coach to hire a terminally inexperienced or washed up staff.....

Coaching is about leadership and judgment..the head coach has to find the right assistants and he needs to lead them..they have to be managed and be professional enough to accept his leadership...and that is at a base level before Beckman determines the right mix of assistants that can teach, coach and recruit. ...there is some hit and miss here and I think that's why he needs the time and some good fortune to find the right mix.

I hope we got it right because I cant stand watching my team get bounced around by teams that shouldn’t be able to sniff what we can be

[pizzaman]

Yea! An Illini coach who is an alum (and an alum from my days on campus.) Other than that, I know nothing about him but I am always happy when alums are hired as coaches at UI.

[nichi]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Colby was a high school coach for most of the White era, then a GA at MSU before coaching LB for Coach Mac and Tepper.

My bad. He coached at UI from 1988-95.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by pizzaman

Yea! An Illini coach who is an alum (and an alum from my days on campus.) Other than that, I know nothing about him but I am always happy when alums are hired as coaches at UI.

The flip side for Colby is that he is the only assistant coach ever fired by Fitz and had a 11-44 record at Millersville. Overall, he hasn't been that successful following his stints at Illinois and Michigan State in the 1990s.