BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
Got that right. Sadly looking more and more like the Lovie experiment was a failure. That's the thing with gambling, though. You win some you lose some. JW better get it right next time, though.
Football Coaching Staff / Coaching Carousel Thread
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My god, we probably could have had Dino Babers for half the price.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Just read this thread, didn't watch the game but listened on the radio in the tractor. I was afraid that there would be one or two posts talking about how the team didn't quit in the fourth quarter and put up some points, blah, blah, blah. It looks like even the staunchest Smith supporters have either given up hope or are in hiding. I've definitely been leaning this way, but today was the final nail in the coffin for me on this rebuild. These losses in conference have been utterly embarrassing. This rebuild is in shambles. Why would anyone being recruited want to participate in this crap show. This is either the most incompetent coaching staff in the country or Smith has spent three years building one of the worst rosters in college football. To think that this group of players is going to somehow metamorphosize into a competitive unit is delusional. Isn't it something how no matter who Illinois plays, they give up over 600 yards. Incredible. I also wonder when the last time they gave up over sixty points twice in a season. That's hard to do. College kids don't necessarily need a Fleck type of coach but at least someone with some intensity. There might as well be a pullout couch on the sideline for Lovie to take naps during games. And this team takes on the same sleepy persona as their coach. I enjoy reading all of your posts and I feel sad for all of the fans that still care. Another three years have been wasted to no good end. Well, Josh, let's start with the new rebuild...
Mark Stoops.
I have been in Lovies corner since day one. I believed that there would be an uptick in recruiting, and we would see steady growth and improvement on the field. Sadly I now believe that we will never see that with this staff. My daughter was in MI during the Becks years, and I really don't remember it ever being this bad. We are giving up 55 pts per game in conference games against teams not names Rutgers. Let that soak in for a minute. The MBB team may go through a 4 game run where they don't give up 55 points per game. Unbelievable. And sad. 3 years lost. I just cant see this thing turning anytime soon. I would just like to see out FB team be relevant again some day while I can still watch and understand what is going on.
Yeah, I’m still bummed about the Babers miss. Regardless of whether Lovie would have been successful here or failed, I thought we missed a huge opportunity by not getting Babers.
Deleted member 19448
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Guest
I wanted Babers like 5 years ago. He could have been had and should have never been allowed to leave the state. Program is such a disaster and has been for a long time. Lovie inherited a train wreck but 3 years in the pile of wreckage is getting deeper.
Neidermeyer
- Faber College
I think I am starting to lean this way as well... well dressed man
Yes. But he coaches at Bama.
Deleted member 656517
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Guest
Tried saying this in the post game thread, but couldn’t finish my post due to technical difficulties so here it is > Fire Nickerson. Never seen so much out of place defense in my life. They literally ran 3 plays the entire game. Had defender’s running around like a bunch of chicken’s with their head’s cut off over Maryland’s pointless motions. If you go 3 strong quarter’s against penn st it goes to show we have players. The big plays given up are because of incompetence play calling/scheme. As far as the wr goes we really miss having DudeK and Ed Carter having the kahunas to catch a damn football. Smalling’s got all the potential to, but’s pressing way too hard. New wr coach also?
Really though, does anyone have any ideas as to who could come in and keep the 2 main recruits we have on board and not lose all our young talent. I dont see Lovie letting someone else run a completely different defensive scheme so I am really thinking there may be a change at the top IF this season continues to spiral out of control. It sucks that these experienced NFL coaches couldn't coach up the kids they inherited to ease these kids onto the field instead of throwing out a ton of freshmen to get embarrassed on television every Saturday. I really hope the kids can come together and realize there is a lot of talent on the team and with a new philosophy can be a good team in a year or 2. Its depressing seeing us start pulling better talent finally (winning recruiting battles against p5 schools instead of MAC schools)just to watch them look clueless on the field. Very frustrating times as an Illini fan.
Deleted member 8405
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Guest
How about Mark Helfrich?
DaChief4ever
- Urbana
Let's see Leech, Babers, Brohm......et al.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The thought behind this is obviously that firing Lovie is undesirable and maybe not possible and the defense is atrocious and Hardy is the guy with the "defensive coordinator" title. And while the 2016 and 2017 defenses were better, they weren't great and it's not like Hardy is an elite recruiter or otherwise hugely qualified for the job.
But you don't fire a coach as punishment for a poor job, you fire a coach in order to be stronger moving forward. This is going to be Lovie Smith's defense going forward from a scheme perspective if he's the head coach, HE is the real defensive coordinator, and look at what Hardy has to work with from a staff perspective at the current moment:
- A 28 year old whose only previous experience was as a grad assistant and was still in college in 2014
- An NFL DB's coach with zero previous college coaching experience who stepped up to the title of "Passing Game Coordinator"
- Another 20-something with no college coaching experience who was still in college in 2013 and only has the job because he's Lovie's son
Hardy is the "Defensive Coordinator" but the thing he has most control over is defending the run game and linebacker play. To the extent there's an area of our defense that is something short of embarrassing, that's it.
To summarize, it's not like Hardy Nickerson is doing some hidden excellent job with his piece of the coaching staff work. He's not. But if you believe firing him and bringing in some name guy with success elsewhere solves the problem of Lovie's scheme and an unqualified staff, I think you're fooling yourself.
Assuming Lovie himself is not fired, what I would do is clean up the responsibilities on defense, make Hardy the proper DC and playcaller, get rid of Clark and Miles Smith and hire a dedicated LB coach, a new DL coach, and "demote" Byrd to just DB's coach where he can focus on technique across our DB group.
I don't think you should look at that all as one thing. An exodus of active players is unlikely regardless of what would happen with a coaching change, but losing IWill and Beason is probably something close to a certainty even with the most miraculous possible hire. Maybe not IWill if the new coach wants to stick with the promise of making him a QB, but that's just speculation on my part.
It's a bit like the Jeremiah Tilmon situation, don't overthink what it means to fire a recruit's coach. That's who they're coming to play for. But existing players already live in Champaign and have formed bonds with their teammates and face higher hurdles to going elsewhere. It's a different situation.
If we move up one spot every year... it took the cubs what, 108 years.. still not in the top 10.
IllFanInMi
I
Guest
Friend of mine from high school was HC at Tennessee, came in and right away changed the culture, engaged NFL alumnus, upgraded facilities, got donors, and had top 10 recruiting classes; all in 3 years. He generated buzz, support, on field success, all of what it means to turn around a program.
Finished off 2016 on a down note with some bad losses and 2017 was mediocre at best, so he got shown the door mid-year. HE ULTIMATELY FAILED DUE TO POOR ASSISTANT COACH SELECTIONS, defense especially. Now works for Saban and recently enjoyed a cigar in the Tunnel at Neeland Stadium after Bama routed the Vols.
Point is no matter what you do in all the right areas, wins and losses and on the field performance matter most. He did a ton to overhaul the program and bring in top notch talent, poor Assistant selections cost him.
Lovie will be fine no matter what, Illinois will have to meander through another rebuild. If Lovie truly wants to be here and see this through, he MUST make tough decisions on Assistants and philosophy; if not it may be best to stop the bleeding now and all parties move on!
Finished off 2016 on a down note with some bad losses and 2017 was mediocre at best, so he got shown the door mid-year. HE ULTIMATELY FAILED DUE TO POOR ASSISTANT COACH SELECTIONS, defense especially. Now works for Saban and recently enjoyed a cigar in the Tunnel at Neeland Stadium after Bama routed the Vols.
Point is no matter what you do in all the right areas, wins and losses and on the field performance matter most. He did a ton to overhaul the program and bring in top notch talent, poor Assistant selections cost him.
Lovie will be fine no matter what, Illinois will have to meander through another rebuild. If Lovie truly wants to be here and see this through, he MUST make tough decisions on Assistants and philosophy; if not it may be best to stop the bleeding now and all parties move on!
Brett Bielema
Lane Kiffin
Ken Niumatalolo (would be an incredible get)
Butch Davis
Manny Diaz
Jim McElwain-meh
Lane Kiffin
Ken Niumatalolo (would be an incredible get)
Butch Davis
Manny Diaz
Jim McElwain-meh
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