Illini Football 2018

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#351      
Slight eye roll with the Miles Smith promotion. If its just for this year, I'm 1000% ok with it. I'll be skeptical if he remains in the role next year.

Byrd & Nickerson wanted a true DB coach, but Lovie outranks them.
 
#352      
Slight eye roll with the Miles Smith promotion. If its just for this year, I'm 1000% ok with it. I'll be skeptical if he remains in the role next year.
There was no obvious promotion. Nate is no longer here so none of our analysts were really deserving.I dont hate this. An extension of Lovie on the recruiting trail is probably the best we have to offer at this point. As long as it's not permanent, it's fine
 
#353      
There was no obvious promotion. Nate is no longer here so none of our analysts were really deserving.I dont hate this. An extension of Lovie on the recruiting trail is probably the best we have to offer at this point. As long as it's not permanent, it's fine

I would think it is permanent as long as Lovie is the head coach. I can't see him firing or demoting his son.
 
#357      

sbillini

st petersburg, fl
Byrd & Nickerson wanted a true DB coach, but Lovie outranks them.

Do you know that for a fact? Or your speculation? Cuz the way it's worded, looks like they're still looking for a replacement, and it's consistent with what Lovie has said in the past (no rush to find a replacement).

"Smith's interim appointment ends Jan. 31, 2019. A full search for a permanent replacement at the position will be conducted at the end of the 2018 football season."
 
#358      

Hoppy2105

Little Rock, Arkansas
Wait, did JGJr transfer to Michigan thinking he was gonna win the starting QB role?? Gutsy move...

I just figured he wanted to continue his education and also be on a winning team.
 
#359      

Dren1

Glenview, IL
#360      
Well they announced him as an interim coach so he really wouldnt be doing that.
Do you know that for a fact? Or your speculation? Cuz the way it's worded, looks like they're still looking for a replacement, and it's consistent with what Lovie has said in the past (no rush to find a replacement).

"Smith's interim appointment ends Jan. 31, 2019. A full search for a permanent replacement at the position will be conducted at the end of the 2018 football season."

This is the kind of move that a level headed coach makes. Another positive in the Lovie column. Cubit is a great example of a dad trying to further his sons career, without good reason. If he does well, I don't mind retaining him, but there has to be a search for possible alternatives.
 
#361      
Certainly not an expert but having a QB (by all reports) has to make a significant difference this year.
 
#362      
This is the kind of move that a level headed coach makes. Another positive in the Lovie column.

This is a highly-paid, high-profile state employee engaging in blatant nepotism. No one likes it when a politician gets his kid appointed to replace him. I don't understand how Lovie gets a pass here.
 
#363      
This is a highly-paid, high-profile state employee engaging in blatant nepotism. No one likes it when a politician gets his kid appointed to replace him. I don't understand how Lovie gets a pass here.

I was not happy it happened when it was announced, for essentially the reasons you lay out. However, they made it clear this is an interim position. Were there better guys to promote into the assistant role rather than his own son? Possibly (I'd say it's even likely.)

There's a lot that will go/has gone on behind the scenes that would determine my personal opinion on whether this is purely a nepotistic move. I will very likely never know. On the negatives side I could see things playing out like this: Promote his son, slap an interim label on him, conduct a lack luster search for an alternative, and then hire his son full time. However, I chose to believe the alternate: Promotes his son (since its wasteful to not use the 10th assistant spot and doesn't want to hastily hire someone outside), rightly tags it as an interim move this close to the season, once it's all done, they do a thorough search and either a)retain Miles as he's shown capable of being the coach the staff needs, or b) hire someone better, move Miles back to whatever he was before, and it's a win win for everyone.

I'm a skeptical/pessimistic person 90% of the time, but I chose to believe most of this move was kosher. Also, you have to understand this is how most of life works. It might not be a fair, or best, or whatever positive adjective you want to throw in here, but connections to people in power has been and always will be the easiest way to move up any type of organization, even more so than hard work.
 
#364      
I'm a skeptical/pessimistic person 90% of the time, but I chose to believe most of this move was kosher. Also, you have to understand this is how most of life works. It might not be a fair, or best, or whatever positive adjective you want to throw in here, but connections to people in power has been and always will be the easiest way to move up any type of organization, even more so than hard work.

I get that nothing is going to change. It's ingrained in sports that it's alright to hire your kid, but it's just infuriating. The only reason Miles Smith was the best person to appoint as an interim assistant is because Dad hired him as GA in the first place. That spot could have gone to someone else, but Lovie wanted to help his kid, and we've collectively decided that that is ok. Miles's entire career has been working for his Dad.
 
#365      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
This is a highly-paid, high-profile state employee engaging in blatant nepotism. No one likes it when a politician gets his kid appointed to replace him. I don't understand how Lovie gets a pass here.

This is a timing thing, pure and simple. If, and when, Miles Smith is elevated to assistant coach on a permanant basis, that will be the time to revolt.
 
#366      

SampsonRelpenk

Edwardsville, IL
For now, looks like the staff made the right call on AJ Bush v. Brandon Dawkins. Dawkins is leaving Indiana after not being named the starter.
 
#367      
This is a timing thing, pure and simple. If, and when, Miles Smith is elevated to assistant coach on a permanant basis, that will be the time to revolt.

That ignores the fact that he was hired because he was Lovie's kid in the first place. His entire coaching career consists of working for his Dad.
 
#369      
That ignores the fact that he was hired because he was Lovie's kid in the first place. His entire coaching career consists of working for his Dad.

Do you work for the Buccaneers or something? Give it a rest. Coaches do this all the time, not just with their own kids, but a friend of a friend's kid too. Have you ever worked for a football team? I can tell you that some of the coaches that Illinois has had in the past were in much higher positions than this (and not on an interim basis) because of people they knew, not what they actually knew about football. You can find some of these coaches at the FCS level or below now (even ones from the Rose Bowl year).
 
#370      
The only reason Miles Smith was the best person to appoint as an interim assistant is because Dad hired him as GA in the first place.
... or maybe because at this time in the season every other good candidate already had a job and they were in the middle of preparing for the start of the season? Like Tradition said, give it a rest.
 
#371      
Do you know that for a fact? Or your speculation? Cuz the way it's worded, looks like they're still looking for a replacement, and it's consistent with what Lovie has said in the past (no rush to find a replacement).

"Smith's interim appointment ends Jan. 31, 2019. A full search for a permanent replacement at the position will be conducted at the end of the 2018 football season."

I should rephrase: Byrd & Nickerson wanted a true "interim" DB coach, but Lovie outranks them. Yes, my input was fact, but it's always good to clarify on sites like this.
 
#372      
... or maybe because at this time in the season every other good candidate already had a job and they were in the middle of preparing for the start of the season? Like Tradition said, give it a rest.

So, he was better qualified than any of these folks who are currently on the staff:

Rob Delaney Graduate Assistant Coach, Offense
Jake Ellsworth Graduate Assistant Coach, Defense
Joe Fotu Graduate Assistant Coach, Defense
Zach Grant Graduate Assistant Coach, Offense
Peter Collins Defensive Analyst
Cody Gibson Offensive Analyst
Bob McClain Offensive Analyst
Kingsley Osei-Asibey Defensive Analyst
Robert Wright Defensive Analyst
Jake Zweig Special Teams Analyst
Tim Knox Director of Football Operations

I have no idea who is the better candidate but I imagine everyone associated with the program does.
 
#373      
#374      
Do you work for the Buccaneers or something? Give it a rest. Coaches do this all the time, not just with their own kids, but a friend of a friend's kid too. Have you ever worked for a football team?

I get that nothing is going to change. It's ingrained in sports that it's alright to hire your kid, but it's just infuriating.

The fact that something is done all the time doesn't make it right. I made one comment and have just responded to other people. Why are you so in favor of nepotism?
 
#375      
So, he was better qualified than any of these folks who are currently on the staff:

Rob Delaney Graduate Assistant Coach, Offense
Jake Ellsworth Graduate Assistant Coach, Defense
Joe Fotu Graduate Assistant Coach, Defense
Zach Grant Graduate Assistant Coach, Offense
Peter Collins Defensive Analyst
Cody Gibson Offensive Analyst
Bob McClain Offensive Analyst
Kingsley Osei-Asibey Defensive Analyst
Robert Wright Defensive Analyst
Jake Zweig Special Teams Analyst
Tim Knox Director of Football Operations

I have no idea who is the better candidate but I imagine everyone associated with the program does.

Exactly. To pick the easiest example, the other defensive GA has been with the program for 6 years. Why give him the opportunity to coach when you can just hand the job to your son.
 
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