2019-20 Coaching Discussion/Carousel

[ChiefGritty]

Presumably, your top candidates to replace him are currently employed, so not like you’re going to get a head start in hiring a replacement.

You can get the job posted, do your background legwork and be ready to strike as soon as the carousel opens. Which doesn't take two months, you don't need to do it now, unless of course you have problems on your existing roster and their relationship to the coaches.

None of it has anything whatsoever to do with sending a public message or trying to win any more football games this year. Zero, zero, zero. It is 100% about creating the best possible transition for the roster for the next coach.

It's going to be really tough this year. The great majority of the coaches we've mentioned in this thread are going to be playing in conference championship games on Dec 7, and the early signing period begins on Dec 18.

Last year conference championship Saturday was on Dec 1 and the early signing period began on Dec 19. The latest any Power Five jobs hired their new coach was Colorado hiring Mel Tucker on Dec 5, a full two weeks before signing day. It's probably gonna be 10 days maximum this year.

And before anyone suggests it, if we attempt to have Lovie sign our class on Dec 18 and then fire him afterwards, every single one of our recruits will be freely allowed to transfer elsewhere without penalty and they will certainly do so and the class will be 100% torched. Don't even spend a second thinking about it.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Correction: looks like Chris Klieman was hired by K-State on Dec 10.

That makes me feel slightly better, but obviously that's a different sort of situation with Bill Snyder's retirement.

(And btw, I'm aware there were moves after bowl games last year. That's different.)

 

[Madco Illini]

With the safety group, I have no answers. There's no help in sight. The guys we have now aren't athletic enough to dramatically improve regardless of the positional coach, Derrick Smith is going to be a little too big to play there effectively (Lovie, if he staves off termination, has already stated he'll play linebacker) and no decent recruit will give us the time of day.

How much of athletic ability is masked by terrible angles, bad reads, and being out of position? I've seen glimpses of their athletic ability (Brown last year) that I think a good coach could dramatic change opinions. I agree 100% of everything else you said.

 

[illini0440]

After talking to some ND people....I have a little concern about Chip Long now.

 

[Twangers]

After talking to some ND people....I have a little concern about Chip Long now.

What’s the word, elaborate?

His offensive calls seem rather up and down.

 

[Deleted member 631370]

wolfpack fan here checking in. Its interesting to see you guys mentioning Dave Doeren as a possibility. I think he would do fantastic for you in regards to getting your program to 7-8ish wins consistently. He seems more of a program builder however then someone that can really take it to the next level after that. He is an incredibly stubborn coach which makes it frustrating as a fan. He almost left for Tenn a couple of years back so I think he would be open to leave to go back to the midwest. I know for a fact however his wife loves raleigh so that may be an issue. After 7 years it may be time for a mutual split between NCSU and DD. I personally dont want him to leave as he recruits well enough, develops players, runs a good program etc. But he is never going to win anything of substance esp with clemson in our division. He mostly beats the teams he should and rarely beats the teams he shouldnt. Which is why there is some angst about him in raleigh. I think he would go to you guys if the offer was right but I put him leaving us at sub 50%.

In short I think he would do an incredible job elevating your program from what it is today

Thanks for the thoughts.

What you described is how a lot of people have described James Franklin. His teams beat the teams they're supposed to, but have a problem getting over the Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State hump. Versus everybody else, he's lights out. That's not entirely fair, but there's some validity to it.

For Illinois, I'd gladly take a coach that can consistently perform up to our talent level -- and, hopefully, elevate said talent level. If that means consistently struggling against Wisconsin and Iowa and the Big Ten East powers but beating the likes of Minnesota, Purdue, NW, etc., I'd take that. It's a good start.

But, the chances of us poaching Doeren are virtually nil, IMO.

 

[OrangeSoda]

After talking to some ND people....I have a little concern about Chip Long now.

Oh no. Don't do this to me.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Oh no. Don't do this to me.

I've heard he's a bit of an abrasive character (imagine Brian Kelly tolerating such a thing), but I don't know if that's what 0440 is on about.

 

[FiveStar]

wolfpack fan here checking in. Its interesting to see you guys mentioning Dave Doeren as a possibility. I think he would do fantastic for you in regards to getting your program to 7-8ish wins consistently. He seems more of a program builder however then someone that can really take it to the next level after that. He is an incredibly stubborn coach which makes it frustrating as a fan. He almost left for Tenn a couple of years back so I think he would be open to leave to go back to the midwest. I know for a fact however his wife loves raleigh so that may be an issue. After 7 years it may be time for a mutual split between NCSU and DD. I personally dont want him to leave as he recruits well enough, develops players, runs a good program etc. But he is never going to win anything of substance esp with clemson in our division. He mostly beats the teams he should and rarely beats the teams he shouldnt. Which is why there is some angst about him in raleigh. I think he would go to you guys if the offer was right but I put him leaving us at sub 50%.

In short I think he would do an incredible job elevating your program from what it is today

If he did exactly what you describe, for say 10 years at Illinois, with a couple bowl wins thrown in, his statue would be next to Butkus by my 50th birthday (early 30s now)

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

If were going to look embarrising on the field every week, then fire Lovie so at least prospective recruits and the World knows this is unacceptable

I’m still not convinced that firing Lovie now has any benefit other than making fans feel a little better. The staff can’t recruit as a collective dead men walking. And I have to think that when a catch gets fired mid-season that the current players feel like the school has given up on them. It’s not about which path will lead to more wins because I think most would agree Illini are aren’t going to win more than 3 more games and more likely fewer than that. It is about what is best for the current players and limit the number of transfers out and do the least amount of harm to recruiting. I don’t think firing Lovie now is going to make recruits think “Oh look losing isn’t acceptable. Maybe I will go there. “

 

[Twangers]

Jim McElwain has previously 1-11 Central Michigan at 4-3.

Not saying, just saying.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Jim McElwain has previously 1-11 Central Michigan at 4-3.

Not saying, just saying.

They hadn't had a losing season since 2011 before that though.

Not disagreeing with you, I just wonder how bad of shape they were actually in.

 

[Twangers]

They hadn't had a losing season since 2011 before that though.

Not disagreeing with you, I just wonder how bad of shape they were actually in.

Fair question to ask. I don’t know the answer either. I simply happen to like McElwain on paper. He’s the quintessential arbitrage candidate for us.

If Mason ends up out in Vanderbilt, that might complicate our list of candidates. You correctly pointed out previously that we’re not running in the same circle as programs like USC but we are with a place like Vandy.

 

[ChiefGritty]

If Mason ends up out in Vanderbilt, that might complicate our list of candidates. You correctly pointed out previously that we’re not running in the same circle as programs like USC but we are with a place like Vandy.

We're a better job than Vandy.

I say we start benefitting from a bit of the ole "take pictures with people uglier than you" vibe if we get Vandy and Rutgers open.

Still, don't be shocked if Vandy keeps Mason though. He's a good coach, he's well-liked there, and Vandy has a history of sticking it out with guys in situations where anyone else would can them.

(For the continuity cultists in this thread, not one single time has it worked out for them)

 

[MarkyMarkTrestman]

We're a better job than Vandy.

I say we start benefitting from a bit of the ole "take pictures with people uglier than you" vibe if we get Vandy and Rutgers open.

Still, don't be shocked if Vandy keeps Mason though. He's a good coach, he's well-liked there, and Vandy has a history of sticking it out with guys in situations where anyone else would can them.

(For the continuity cultists in this thread, not one single time has it worked out for them)

Nashville > Champaign

 

[Twangers]

We're a better job than Vandy.

I don’t know that it’s worth a debate but I think our jobs are very similar and difficult to differentiate.

 

[FiveStar]

I don’t know that it’s worth a debate but I think our jobs are very similar and difficult to differentiate.

I think the thought is we have a chance in the big west but vandy has no chance in the sec.

 

[Twangers]

I think the thought is we have a chance in the big west but vandy has no chance in the sec.

But like us they’re in the clearer inferior division.

 

[ISUIllini89]

That Alex Grinch defense looked awfully good today

 

[oldschool51]

Congrats to Jeff Monken and his vaunted triple option for putting up 8 pts against that tough WKY D

 

[illini0440]

Re: Chip Long, just heard that he is very awkward and kind of just a weird person. They also said a lot of his recruiting looks good because Notre Dame is Notre Dame.

 

[Vbcillini77]

PJ Fleck is 6-0. Cant stand the guy but numbers dont lie. He proves it can be done quickly. Lovie is not the answer. Cover 2 def will never work in college and he is not charismatic enough to raise our program. We need a proven name who would actually accept this job. A coach like petrino can look at 2020 and see 4 our of 5 offensive line come back, williams at QB, WR all back, add stud Luke Ford, Epstein back. That is a good start

 

[FiveStar]

Congrats to Jeff Monken and his vaunted triple option for putting up 8 pts against that tough WKY D

Teams have bad days. 2 years ago an undefeated and 8th ranked Washington state team lost 37-3 to a bad Cal team. We could find highlights and lowlights of every offensive style after a quick google search. Monken has other non option based attributes that make him an attractive candidate. If he built the exact same resume on a pro style spread he’d be the guy Michigan fires Harbaugh for.

 

[Twangers]

Re: Chip Long, just heard that he is very awkward and kind of just a weird person. They also said a lot of his recruiting looks good because Notre Dame is Notre Dame.

Awkward part may be something to consider, little off on the recruiting though. He’s recruited well at every stop.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Congrats to Jeff Monken and his vaunted triple option for putting up 8 pts against that tough WKY D

I confess that Army's shakiness this year is giving me a bit of trepidation. And Georgia Tech's performances this year will not be reassuring AD's what a transition to triple option means for a program's future.