Illini add Texas HS football coach Joe Price to recruiting staff

#26      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
When coupled with beckmans classes

Beckman's classes rated, in chronological order, 65th, 47th, 74th, and 44th in the country.

Lovie's thusfar: 48th, 50th, 71st, and for now 85th.

Steady as she goes talent-wise. Not enough to win big, but plenty enough not to be pathetic.

it would be crazy to have expected great things to start lovies tenure.

Great things, yes, that would be a crazy expectation. Bare competence and a heartbeat of potential growth through three seasons? That would be the lowest of reasonable expectations, and we have not seen even that.

Lovie (and Whitman) decided to burn the program to the ground

Correct. This is the right context through which to view the situation. A very Theo Epstein, Sam Hinkie, Moneyball, clever guy approach to college football program building. It's not over yet, and the experiment was in many ways run with this season as the intended inflection point, so we should keep an open mind, but the early returns on the "burn it down" hypothesis is that it's a stupid, wasteful, unnecessary thing to do. We wanted to eschew the transfer route and have ended up going there anyway.

If we do end up having a new coaching administration next year, I hope that lesson has been learned.
 
#27      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
Correct. This is the right context through which to view the situation. A very Theo Epstein, Sam Hinkie, Moneyball, clever guy approach to college football program building. It's not over yet, and the experiment was in many ways run with this season as the intended inflection point, so we should keep an open mind, but the early returns on the "burn it down" hypothesis is that it's a stupid, wasteful, unnecessary thing to do. We wanted to eschew the transfer route and have ended up going there anyway.

If we do end up having a new coaching administration next year, I hope that lesson has been learned.
The problem is that there is no "draft", so that you can secure good early picks by having a bad season. Alabama and Clemson get to pick the same time that the rest of us do, except they actually pick and we hope to get picked.
 
#29      
The crater that was a 6-7 season? The one we are hoping against all odds to achieve? I'm sorry, I'm not saying Beckman was better than Lovie, but I'm tired of hearing him as an excuse for the current staff underachieving.

Yeah, a 6-7 seson and a coach that got us sued in the bargain for abuse of a player.
 
#30      
Beckmans rosters were built on very flimsy grounds. Yeah right now a 6-7 season sounds great, but that was really the ceiling of any of his teams. Talent level prohibited any advancement.
 
#31      
Beckmans rosters were built on very flimsy grounds. Yeah right now a 6-7 season sounds great, but that was really the ceiling of any of his teams. Talent level prohibited any advancement.
I was happy when he got fired. I just don't think he did anything to cement us to the bottom of the big ten for the next 4+ years.
 
#32      
I was happy when he got fired. I just don't think he did anything to cement us to the bottom of the big ten for the next 4+ years.

You don't think that getting Illinois successfully sued for abusing a player did anything to put us in the mess we're just now trying to climb out of?
 
#33      
You don't think that getting Illinois successfully sued for abusing a player did anything to put us in the mess we're just now trying to climb out of?
Honestly, no. They fired Beckman and we have a whole new staff. I don't see why anyone would have reason to still tie the University to player abuse.

Maryland killed a kid. They some how managed to put together a recruiting class that is so far kicking our !!! this year
 
#34      

Deleted member 649710

D
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Honestly, no. They fired Beckman and we have a whole new staff. I don't see why anyone would have reason to still tie the University to player abuse. Maryland killed a kid. They some how managed to put together a recruiting class that is so far kicking our !!! this year

Lovie is in Year 4 of his regime. The kids he is recruiting were in junior high when he got the job. Whitman has given him the resources to compete, including coaches' payroll and a shiny new performance center, that meet or beat all of our legitimate peers.

If this recruiting class stinks it is on LOVIE and his staff alone, not on Beckman, Cubit or Thomas. There is still time to bring in a good class, but the BBQ and immediate aftermath need to result in several quality commits in order to regain momentum. Illinois has the fewest commits of any P5 program. Dead last. Four commits heading into August/training camp is terrible; a huge red flag. Anybody claiming otherwise is kidding themselves.
 
#35      
Lovie is in Year 4 of his regime. The kids he is recruiting were in junior high when he got the job. Whitman has given him the resources to compete, including coaches' payroll and a shiny new performance center, that meet or beat all of our legitimate peers.

If this recruiting class stinks it is on LOVIE and his staff alone, not on Beckman, Cubit or Thomas. There is still time to bring in a good class, but the BBQ and immediate aftermath need to result in several quality commits in order to regain momentum. Illinois has the fewest commits of any P5 program. Dead last. Four commits heading into August/training camp is terrible; a huge red flag. Anybody claiming otherwise is kidding themselves.

I wish people would say "Year 4 coaching games and year 3 with his recruits." Getting hired a couple weeks before spring game, not being able to field two complete teams to play that game. Cobbling together a staff at the last minute months after the last hires were made in college football. Perspective people. It's not an excuse it's perspective.
 
#36      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
I wish people would say "Year 4 coaching games and year 3 with his recruits." Getting hired a couple weeks before spring game, not being able to field two complete teams to play that game. Cobbling together a staff at the last minute months after the last hires were made in college football. Perspective people. It's not an excuse it's perspective.

This is very true. It has nothing to do with the 2020 recruiting class, and very little to do with the 2019 season.

To describe the entering year 1 freshman as a coach's "first" class even on a normal hiring schedule is always a little bit of a misnomer, as inevitably many of the recruits had committed to the previous coach. Think back to discussions of whether Rashard Mendenhall was "credited" to Turner or Zook. The answer is always, naturally, whatever suits the argument you're trying to make.

The late hire was a hinderance, no question, and I think when college football nation looks back on this era the conclusion will be that pulling the trigger on replacing your coach in March is probably a bad and unnecessarily impatient concept.

But we're through all that now, there are less than a handful of players on this roster who were ever coached by Bill Cubit (including maybe our single best player Reggie Corbin), and maybe like 13 who weren't handpicked by Lovie. We're old, we're experienced, we've built toward this moment, it's time to see it.
 
#37      

Deleted member 590820

D
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The rule makes sense to me. Keeps teams from hiring guys and giving them fake jobs or roles that aren't vital to the success of the team, just to make a connection with recruits.

With that being said, how strict is the rule? If one of his players really wanted to commit before the 2 year ban could they just transfer high schools then commit?

Does this rule apply to Ohio St also? I have my doubts.
 
#38      
Honestly, no. They fired Beckman and we have a whole new staff. I don't see why anyone would have reason to still tie the University to player abuse.

Maryland killed a kid. They some how managed to put together a recruiting class that is so far kicking our !!! this year
Locks can recruit.
 
#39      

Deleted member 649710

D
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My perspective is that Lovie has been here long enough for the kids he is recruiting for 2020 to have little to no memory of who preceded him. The time for recruiting excuses is over. He has had time to establish what Illinois football is about under his watch; it is troubling that few kids are buying it. To have only four commits in late July is worrisome. That could all change in a week. Sure hope it does.
 
#40      

Deleted member 654622

D
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My perspective is that Lovie has been here long enough for the kids he is recruiting for 2020 to have little to no memory of who preceded him. The time for recruiting excuses is over. He has had time to establish what Illinois football is about under his watch; it is troubling that few kids are buying it. To have only four commits in late July is worrisome. That could all change in a week. Sure hope it does.
I don't disagree with your point of view. But I also know we could have more commits right now if we wanted. But the staff is being picky. Lovie is gambling with taking over the defensive coordinator role, and he is gambling that the product on the field is going to entice some bigger names to ILL. If he is wrong, he is gone. If he is right, we will take a huge stride forward. High risk, high reward
 
#41      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
I don't disagree with your point of view. But I also know we could have more commits right now if we wanted. But the staff is being picky. Lovie is gambling with taking over the defensive coordinator role, and he is gambling that the product on the field is going to entice some bigger names to ILL. If he is wrong, he is gone. If he is right, we will take a huge stride forward. High risk, high reward
Wow, I hope we are still paying good attention to the "B" recruits, keeping them interested, in case we need them in December. The high risk, high reward surprises me from Lovie, but it is his job on the line.
 
#42      
Dude's explanation makes sense to me.

I will stand with Lovie on this.
 
#43      
I don't disagree with your point of view. But I also know we could have more commits right now if we wanted. But the staff is being picky. Lovie is gambling with taking over the defensive coordinator role, and he is gambling that the product on the field is going to entice some bigger names to ILL. If he is wrong, he is gone. If he is right, we will take a huge stride forward. High risk, high reward

Dude nailed it. SHOUT OUT TO THE DUDE.
 
#45      
I don't disagree with your point of view. But I also know we could have more commits right now if we wanted. But the staff is being picky. Lovie is gambling with taking over the defensive coordinator role, and he is gambling that the product on the field is going to entice some bigger names to ILL. If he is wrong, he is gone. If he is right, we will take a huge stride forward. High risk, high reward
In my opinion, high risk high reward would be hiring a new DC with different philosophies. Lovie naming himself DC was the safe play. Not much will change defensively and you expect mild to moderate growth based on experience (practically impossible to get worse). Although even here I don't think it was so much a strategic move by Lovie, but a result of there being no qualified applicants for DC.
 
#46      

Deleted member 649710

D
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So Lovie is “pickier” than the coaches of every other P5 program, and is just letting kids that the staff has pursued for years verbal to other programs, knowing that results on the field in October and November will convince those kids to flip to Illinois? Right. Got it.

Again, I really hope that I’m wrong and Lovie turns this around. I just really think he needs 4-6 solid commits to come out of the BBQ.
 
#47      

Deleted member 654622

D
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In my opinion, high risk high reward would be hiring a new DC with different philosophies. Lovie naming himself DC was the safe play. Not much will change defensively and you expect mild to moderate growth based on experience (practically impossible to get worse). Although even here I don't think it was so much a strategic move by Lovie, but a result of there being no qualified applicants for DC.
I don't see how going out and hiring a Gene Chizik type of coach, a proven commodity, can be considered a high risk in this situation.
 
#48      

Deleted member 654622

D
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So Lovie is “pickier” than the coaches of every other P5 program, and is just letting kids that the staff has pursued for years verbal to other programs, knowing that results on the field in October and November will convince those kids to flip to Illinois? Right. Got it.

Again, I really hope that I’m wrong and Lovie turns this around. I just really think he needs 4-6 solid commits to come out of the BBQ.
What? So what part of what I said lead you to this conclusion? The staff could be filling the commitments with lower ranked players as a backup to the players they wanted. But they are not. Still got it?
 
#49      
I don't see how going out and hiring a Gene Chizik type of coach, a proven commodity, can be considered a high risk in this situation.
That sounds like low risk, high reward. I'm guessing that wasn't an option
 
#50      

Deleted member 654622

D
Guest
That sounds like low risk, high reward. I'm guessing that wasn't an option
I'm sure it wasn't. Only name I could think of, and really didn't want to research available college coaches. But there are a lot of them out there