2019-20 Coaching Discussion/Carousel

[Twangers]

Thanks, Twangers! Long would be interesting and can recruit.

He definitely recruits. Need to watch more of the offense and find a leak of some potential coordinator choices but he appears more than able to execute a strong in-game strategy as well.

Better actual in-game coaching and clock management likely has us at 4-1 today. That's not a pipe dream, that's reality.

 

[ChiefGritty]

I don't think Fickell has the ceiling some of the other guys have

I'm curious what makes you think that.

 

[TwoElevenEastDaniel]

My list would start with Fickell. It would also include Chip Long, Graham Harrell, Billy Napier, and Dino Babers.

According to this podcast, perhaps I am setting my sights way too high.

https://herosports.com/college-football/illinois-lovie-smith-fired-buyout-ahah

 

[Deleted member 654622]

Apparently our AD doesn't agree.



The idea that Mark Dantonio could walk away from MSU is also intriguing. Would they give Mike Tressel the job? Or would he suddenly become a free agent with the ability to take his pick of the many good coaches and recruiters on that staff? Not unlike how James Franklin built Vandy from the leftovers of the Ralph Friedgen era at Maryland?

We are Shaka Watchin' now kiddoes!

I am just excited that Josh is getting flyers out there. At least if it is known he is looking, some prospective coaches might contact him? Or at least do their research on ILL in case they receive a back alley phone call

 

[chiefini]

My heart is broken over all of this. I'm a I-Fund member, Varsity I member, Season Ticket holder, and I bleed Orange and Blue. Up util 5:00 last Saturday, I really thought that Lovie would be able to get us to 5 or 6 wins. I was even willing to accept 3 or 4 this year in hope of 6 next year -- holding out hope and not wanting to go through a coaching change. But there is zero consistency, even in what we fail at. Defense against EMU and Nebby, then Offense against Minny. Abject Failure! Sorry Lovie I am sure that you are a decent guy, and have tried. But this is not going anywhere. We need a new coach.

I'm considering staying home rather then suffer through the Michigan and Wisconsin massacres.

JW, this is one of those moments when a leader is asked to do the impossible. We have a junior rich team this year that will be senior rich next year. Find a coach that can use that experience to win 6 games. Impossible, yes, but we need it. Or, in three years we'll be writing about how much we loved and respected you [Note: past tense on a future date], but its 'its not working' and 'going nowhere' so . . . . . . . . That's the last thing that anyone wants. Gods Speed JW, your University Needs You!

FoxesFan, I am in the exact same position with the exact same qualifications. I remained hopeful that Lovie could pull the team back to respectability until the 3rd quarter of the Minnesota game. I am completely disappointed and disillusioned, and I know it’s time for him to go. I will go to the Michigan game because I am in a suite, but I am seriously considering staying home for the Wisconsin massacre. I, too, hope Josh can miraculously find someone special to hire who can keep our recruits and take next year’s team to a bowl. I wish Josh the best of luck in his search...

 

[Deleted member 654622]

I hope someone whispers in Todd Orlando's ear to gauge interest
https://texassports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1435

 

[Twangers]

I hope someone whispers in Todd Orlando's ear to gauge interest
https://texassports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1435

He and Don Brown both got deep into the process with Temple last cycle. I think it's more than fair to make a reasonable assumption that he'd have interest here.

Saturday will be a huge must-watch game for his candidacy, in my view.

 

[ChiefGritty]

He and Don Brown both got deep into the process with Temple last cycle. I think it's more than fair to make a reasonable assumption that he'd have interest here.

Saturday will be a huge must-watch game for his candidacy, in my view.

The Red River Shootout tends to be a DC's nightmare.

 

[Twangers]

The Red River Shootout tends to be a DC's nightmare.

That it does. After LSU, a shootout here could cause others to pause on his candidacy. Theoretically, should we be interested, that would be good for us.

 

[ChiefGritty]

That it does. After LSU, a shootout here could cause others to pause on his candidacy. Theoretically, should we be interested, that would be good for us.

I kinda remain on the Tim Beck side of the Texas Coordinator Debate.

 

[bombayIllini]

JW: New football facility, new baseball facility, new soccer/track facility, athletics HOF, BU hire might turn out pretty good, non-revenue sports experiencing some decent success, and could add hockey + a new facility for hockey/gymnastics/volleyball. All in under four years. I'm pretty impressed.

As for the Lovie hire, it didn't work out on the field, but the coach has been a respectable ambassador for the University, not a clown show like Beckman. I firmly believe the football program as a whole has got a better foundation even though the wins are not there.

Sounds good.

Now how do we convert a moral victory to a sustained one on the field? That was part of the goal. Remember #WeWillWin? It must remain the focus.

Four years out, I, for one, do not see that happening.

We either decide to regain some past glory or please decide on how to leave the Big Ten in FB.

 

[ChiefIllini]

I'm curious what makes you think that.

Haven't seen him do enough as a HC yet. Yeah the turn around was historic and impressive. I personally like to see about 3 years of sustained success, but I get that coaches get snatched before that many times. His recruiting classes have been decent, and for cincy moderately impressive, but nothing that drops your jaw (I'd still label them as a slight positive). I think a top 25 finish this year seals the deal for me, and honestly as it stands he's still my number one. I haven't dug enough into his time at OSU but he just doesn't look like the sexiest hire out there. Like I said, he seems like the safest pick to me, but there's guys out there that have to have apparent higher ceilings, even if it's just because they haven't had as much exposure as Fickell (if that makes sense).

 

[Twangers]

I kinda remain on the Tim Beck side of the Texas Coordinator Debate.

Not sure what to think of him yet. Herman has his paws all over that offense, I'm not in tune enough with the team in Austin to know what he does or does not do on game day.

I am well aware of his recruiting acumen (Considered by many [people I'm close to as one of the best in the country) but I have reservations there as well. I'd like to see some history of him having to make a tough sell, the way Chip Long or Dino Babers have. His last decade of recruitment has been at Nebraska, Ohio State and Texas. Those programs sell themselves. You won't get that here.

 

[illini0440]

Coaching searches are my favorite season as an Illini fan haha

 

[ChiefGritty]

Coaching searches are my favorite season as an Illini fan haha

They are definitely a message board's finest hour, that's for sure.

Haven't seen him do enough as a HC yet. Yeah the turn around was historic and impressive. I personally like to see about 3 years of sustained success, but I get that coaches get snatched before that many times. Like I said, he seems like the safest pick to me, but there's guys out there that have to have apparent higher ceilings, even if it's just because they haven't had as much exposure as Fickell (if that makes sense).

I guess it kinda doesn't. If he has a limited track record but a remarkable degree of success in that small sample, doesn't that (in theory) make him high-risk, high-reward?

Personally I think the whole framework of risk vs. reward is a bit wonky, you can absolutely hire some hot young coordinator who proceeds to float around 6-6 every year, or you can hire someone with a long track record of success that falls flat on their face.

I just thought calling Fickell low ceiling was a bit inexplicable. Carry on.

Not sure what to think of him yet. Herman has his paws all over that offense, I'm not in tune enough with the team in Austin to know what he does or does not do on game day.

His offenses at Nebraska were quite good as I recall. An example of someone who runs a Big Ten-friendly spread offense and has gotten good passing production out of QB's that don't have classical NFL-type arm talent.

 

[Deleted member 654622]

Coaching targets week 7
Thursday:
Syracuse @ NC State
Sat:
Oklahoma @ Texas
Memphis @ Temple
Cincinnati @ Houston
Army @ Western Kentucky
USC @ Notre Dame
Wyoming @ SD State
Washington @ Arizona

 

[BZuppke]

I for one do not buy the idea that it can’t be done at Illinois. Why would this be? We have facilities, proximity to recruiting, commitment of money for salaries and a great university. We’ve shown the ability to be competitive (Turner success, Zook talent level and Rose Bowl) but an inability to sustain it. Heck even Beckman got us to a bowl game. You need the right guy. It’s hard to find. RG set us back to be sure. I can only hope that JW gets this next hire right.

 

[OrangeSoda]

Recruiting is about to take a nosedive. Patterson has to be kept on the staff.

 

[Deleted member 19448]

I for one do not buy the idea that it can’t be done at Illinois. Why would this be? We have facilities, proximity to recruiting, commitment of money for salaries and a great university. We’ve shown the ability to be competitive (Turner success, Zook talent level and Rose Bowl) but an inability to sustain it. Heck even Beckman got us to a bowl game. You need the right guy. It’s hard to find. RG set us back to be sure. I can only hope that JW gets this next hire right.

Especially when you see what Wisconsin has been able to do since the mid 90's. They were a long time doormat prior to that. Also, Northwestern has been at least competitive for the balance of the last couple decades with a few real good years thrown in. If it can happen at those places, no reason other than internal failures that it hasn't happened in Champaign.

 

[IlliniNash]

Recruiting is about to take a nosedive. Patterson has to be kept on the staff.

I agree. I also believe the new coach would retain him. We don’t hire him and someone else like Mizzou does and we are in trouble in St.Louis area going forward.

 

[Vbcillini77]

Why is no one mentioning Luke Butkus? he did well recruiting, his players loved him, and he has the name and now NFL experience to back it up. He could be our Pat Fitzgerald.

 

[Deleted member 649710]

Especially when you see what Wisconsin has been able to do since the mid 90's. They were a long time doormat prior to that. Also, Northwestern has been at least competitive for the balance of the last couple decades with a few real good years thrown in. If it can happen at those places, no reason other than internal failures that it hasn't happened in Champaign.

This.

 

[illini0440]

Why is no one mentioning Luke Butkus? he did well recruiting, his players loved him, and he has the name and now NFL experience to back it up. He could be our Pat Fitzgerald.

I hope this is sarcasm. Luke hates recruiting and isn't that good at it.

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

Agreed. HOWEVER, that is not the assertion here and if you’re a logical fan, you recognize that this thought process needs to go both ways. Just because some people don’t believe this offense is conducive to success doesn’t make IT so either.

The key is to keep an open mind and listen to reason. If you cannot do that you’re not a logical fan, you’re a fan with a bias and that’s not gonna get us anywhere.

Well maybe not the assertion exactly but you said people would rather lose in a manner they enjoy than win in a way that they don’t. So if you’re not basically saying that Illini would win with triple option then your original statement is moot.

Regardless, though I don’t particularly enjoy the triple option my reason for not wanting it to come to Illinois is because I have significant doubt that it would work in the B1G with the way the game has evolved over the past several years. Now I don’t watch enough of ACC to say whether Ga Tech was simply going through a down time or whether the triple option wasn’t working well enough to help win games, but Ga Tech was 24-25 the last 4 years they used it. If you take out the games against non-Power 5 teams and I believe they were 17-24, including 14-18 in conference. Also, though not statistically relevant the one game against a B1G team during that time was a loss to Minnesota last year in bowl game. Also during those same four years Army went 2-8 against Power 5 schools plus ND. Now I know Army probably were underdogs in most if not all of those games, but not seeing some secret guaranteed weapon here. Strangely the 2 wins were against ACC schools who were seeing the offense more than most teams.

 

[IlliniNash]

I hope this is sarcasm. Luke hates recruiting and isn't that good at it.

That’s what I heard. He is not much into recruiting. However he appears to be better offensive line coach than McClain. Players said he was more demanding.