Illinois Coaching Staff Search

[Oldtoysrock]

Well last year we began the year with just three quarterbacks and it turned into a mess.
This year it looks like we are starting the year with one!
Sure we may have two freshmen, I really thing only one, but is this anyway to run a major college program?
Some are saying they left because they don’t like the new OC. Seems strange since no one knows who that is.
Do we have a festering, steric problem with this coaching team?
I used the term “ train wreck “ in an earlier post. I stand by that post!

Fyi; Some Train wrecks seem kind of orderly In the way they come about.


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[Poe's Law]

“Do I have a list of OC candidates that would be acceptable”? No I don’t have a list. But I’m not paid millions of dollars a year to keep a list on hand when I fire a coach.
When Coach Smith was asked if he had someone in mind for the OC position he said “I’m prepared”. Of course this was after he said he didn’t expect any staff changes.
I’m not anti ILLINI football I just don’t like poorly managed events. By any reasonable observation this has been poorly managed.
Unless our new OC coach is working for a team playing this weekend there is no excuse for this mess.
I’m glad we have a lot of optimistic fans on this board. I just wish more of them were also more realistic.

Have I missed a ton of news where are our OC search turned into the Tennessee head coaching job and we've been publicly spurned by multiple people and trolled by Lane Kiffin or are we supposed to be this upset that they haven't made an announcement yet? Asking for a friend.

 

[Poe's Law]

Well last year we began the year with just three quarterbacks and it turned into a mess.
This year it looks like we are starting the year with one!
Sure we may have two freshmen, I really thing only one, but is this anyway to run a major college program?
Some are saying they left because they don’t like the new OC. Seems strange since no one knows who that is.
Do we have a festering, steric problem with this coaching team?
I used the term “ train wreck “ in an earlier post. I stand by that post!

I do agree that the lack of QB's on the roster is a problem that needs to be addressed.

 

[PackofIllini12]

I just can't understand how some schools that have had to completely rebuild their coaching staffs are almost at completion and we have had 3 spots to fill for equal amounts of time and have not.

College season is complete and that is no longer an excuse.
A candidate who is on the fence about spots, ok I can understand that once, but now is time to be decisive and move forward.
So help us all if we try to get another NFL retread...

 

[Ransom Stoddard]

I respect your opinion... however when people keep running around here saying that the view from the outside on this program at this moment is all roses.... its just a lie and I can't stand that.

I've never seen this. Link?

The perspective our program from EVERYONE is that we are poorly run and will never be run like a Power 5 program

Who is everyone? I've never seen anyone with an audience say this.

-why does this matter? - Because we look inept right now.

Because of a coaching search that has had zero leaks? Who that matters thinks we look inept? BTW, there really is no "we" in this. What Lovie or Josh do has no reflection on you, me, or the mailman as human beings.

You may be ok with looking like a bumbling program but I'm pretty tired of it.

I've been a sports fan for over 40 years. Illini, Bulls, Bears, Cardinals, and Falcons. I learned about 35 years ago that being "tired of it" accomplishes nothing other than creating a lot of unnecessary stress.

I want our coach to SHOW he has command of this thing and let everyone know this is not a rudderless ship.

How? You've yet to say what you want Lovie to say or do. Even in the quote below where you say you've been clear, you aren't clear.

The fans have emptied from the stadium and the trolls on facebook posts about anything illinois football related show the casual fan has nothing to feel good about. It doesnt matter if he DOES have control, if other people THINK you are not that is just as bad.

Seriously? This is what has you upset? What randos on FB troll about?

I think i've been pretty clear. Controlling the situation is not allowing other people to make up their own ideas about what you are doing. Its about being in absolute control of what reporters can write about you and how other coaches can recruit against you. Really not that hard to comprehend.

So how does Lovie accomplish that? Specifically? Because from what I can see, he's in absolute control. There aren't any rumors in the media, there aren't cryptic tweets, there's nothing he says that he'd have to backtrack on later.

 

[Jtepn87]

One thing is for certain. This bickering on an internet forum has been more entertaining than the coaching search.

 

[lexwaldez]

It’s most plausible that we are waiting to see how coaching spots in the NFL come together. Lovie probably has offered an OC who is waiting to see if he gets an NFL job before he accepts. I’m not too worried. I trust Lovie.

Or a college OC that was up for a HC position?

 

[Hoppy2105]

Originally Posted by IlliniMed View Post
I think i've been pretty clear. Controlling the situation is not allowing other people to make up their own ideas about what you are doing. Its about being in absolute control of what reporters can write about you and how other coaches can recruit against you. Really not that hard to comprehend.

This is idiotic. Even Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping can't do this, try as they might.

Yup. IlliniMed is wrong on this one. Even if Lovie had a daily press conference in which he laid out the events of the day and how it contributed to the overall, logical process, people would still create their own stories and spout off with their own opinions.

That’s just the world we live in now. There is no way to have absolute control over what others write. They can say whatever they want and the only way to disable that ability is to give them nothing. (Which is what Lovie is doing) Nobody cares about credibility anymore.

Speaking of credibility, IlliniMed lost his when he stated you CAN have absolute control over what others write or how other coaches recruit against you. That is LITERALLY impossible. Which means he is most likely trolling or an impatient fan who isn’t getting his way.

Either way, let’s stop feeding him/giving that behavior attention.

 

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

Or a college OC that was up for a HC position?

I thought I saw on Twitter that it might have been one of RichRods guys at Arizona - The staff there was waiting to see who Sumlin was going to keep

 

[Deleted member 336259]

I am just curious as to why anyone who is complaining about the lack of information are crying the way they are? Do you realize what program you are crying about? If not, you have probably got some bigger issues to work out in your life. This Illinois program, both football and basketball, are irrelevant at this point. Who can fault ANY coach at this point in getting someone to pick Illinois as the job they want to take for their foreseeable future when there are other, better, jobs out there? I know we are a dumpster fire. Sure I think we have the opportunity to be a lot better but right now we aren't and to think we are any thing different is absurd. I will accept whoever it is that decides to come to Illinois and will pray that they are able to move on quickly to other jobs (but hope they don't) because then I know we would have been successful. We have endured enough failure year after year after year to know that just because you know who is coming in doesn't mean anything......

 

[tyrannosaurus scorus]

I am just curious as to why anyone who is complaining about the lack of information are crying the way they are? Do you realize what program you are crying about? If not, you have probably got some bigger issues to work out in your life. This Illinois program, both football and basketball, are irrelevant at this point. Who can fault ANY coach at this point in getting someone to pick Illinois as the job they want to take for their foreseeable future when there are other, better, jobs out there? I know we are a dumpster fire. Sure I think we have the opportunity to be a lot better but right now we aren't and to think we are any thing different is absurd. I will accept whoever it is that decides to come to Illinois and will pray that they are able to move on quickly to other jobs (but hope they don't) because then I know we would have been successful. We have endured enough failure year after year after year to know that just because you know who is coming in doesn't mean anything......

I don't think anyone is disputing any of this. I'm not at all concerned about the "lack of information," personally. I'm fine with the staff playing it close to the vest. However, most of us, like yourself, are getting increasingly more skeptical that we will be able to find someone that can turn around this program for the better the longer this drags out. We all want what's best for the program, but the spectre that is Illinois football has cast a heavy shadow on the program's ability to land a qualified coordinator that is capable of doing so. At this point, turning around a dreadful Illinois offense in order to land a better OC or head coaching position down the road is just about Lovie's best sales pitch.

Lovie and staff have assembled some promising young talent on the O-line, and Epstein at running back, Dorsey at TE, and Smalling at WR are nice pieces to build on. Find someone who has a track record of maximizing the talents of a limited cache of playmakers, and we might have something. Programs like GaTech and Washington St, while lacking the playmakers of higher profile programs, are able to field consistently field good offenses due to having a clear offensive philosophy and an ability to adapt. We saw none of that under McGee and we want to see better.

 

[EthanM]

I think we have to keep in mind that supposedly McGee was going to be retained until mid February, but additional reasons to fire him quickly were supposedly discovered by the administration. Assuming you believe that, it makes a little more sense that this is taking so long. If this search was happening in another month, the NFL season is done and coaches would have a better idea of their NFL prospects.


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[illiniwil]

i would almost bet that a OC hire would be followed by a graduate transfer or Juco QB. Both would make me feel a whole lot better about where we're going. Almost.

 

[ILLINIFAN2]

i would almost bet that a OC hire would be followed by a graduate transfer or Juco QB. Both would make me feel a whole lot better about where we're going. Almost.

I presume you are talking about Smith (OC) & Dawkins (QB):thumb:

 

[UofI08]

i would almost bet that a OC hire would be followed by a graduate transfer or Juco QB. Both would make me feel a whole lot better about where we're going. Almost.

I imagine this has to be the case. If there is not a transfer QB attached to the OC hire, this program is in a lot of trouble. You would think these decisions would have to be made any minute now. I have to believe that transfers would want/have to be enrolled in classes this semester.

 

[ILLINIFAN2]

Even though Dawkins lost his starting role to Tate, he would be a major upgrade. Dawkins had a decent offer list including Notre Dame.

 

[Deleted member 654622]

I have posted on my calendar that the OC will be hired 1 week after the Superbowl. This way I am not expecting anything and becoming more disappointed.
Take the time, and get it right

 

[Deleted member 649710]

Defense wins championships. Quarterbacks and Offensive Coordinators are overrated. Anybody can call plays. I'm sure there are a few walk-ons on campus who can back up Thomas and Rivers. Keep doing what you do, Coach.

 

[Deleted member 649710]

I am just curious as to why anyone who is complaining about the lack of information are crying the way they are? Do you realize what program you are crying about? If not, you have probably got some bigger issues to work out in your life. This Illinois program, both football and basketball, are irrelevant at this point. Who can fault ANY coach at this point in getting someone to pick Illinois as the job they want to take for their foreseeable future when there are other, better, jobs out there? I know we are a dumpster fire. Sure I think we have the opportunity to be a lot better but right now we aren't and to think we are any thing different is absurd. I will accept whoever it is that decides to come to Illinois and will pray that they are able to move on quickly to other jobs (but hope they don't) because then I know we would have been successful. We have endured enough failure year after year after year to know that just because you know who is coming in doesn't mean anything......

I can think of about 800,000 reasons and a construction project why someone would be interested in the job, and if you don't think that is a motivator for a ton of coaches to overlook the other deficiencies with the program you are mistaken. There are far more candidates for a P5 coordinator position than there are jobs. It is very puzzling why Lovie has been unable to fill this position. There are only four NFL teams still playing; tough to imagine that he's waiting on someone from one of those staffs.

 

[mhuml32]

I presume you are talking about Smith (OC) & Dawkins (QB):thumb:

I'd be onboard for that.

 

[sbillini]

Defense wins championships. Quarterbacks and Offensive Coordinators are overrated. Anybody can call plays. I'm sure there are a few walk-ons on campus who can back up Thomas and Rivers. Keep doing what you do, Coach.

So are you implying that poor defense was essentially the only reason we only won two games last year? If so, we're in a whole lot more trouble than I could've imagined.

 

[ChiefIllini]

If Qb's werent important, they wouldn't be the highest paid job in the NFL.

The saying defense wins championships is such a cliche and over used its laughable.

Scoring more than your opponent is the literally the only thing that matters. Defense typically isn't the reason that happens. Every facet of the game has to be there if you want a natty. Also a truck load of luck.

 

[SampsonRelpenk]

Seems like the cat has been let out of the bag that it's Rod Smith.

Pretty good pedigree in terms of QB development and offensive efficiency, but yet again we're getting someone who didn't call the plays.

 

[Dan]

Rod Smith is a RichRod guy. Played for him in college, coached under him for a decade. RichRod controlled the offense.

But Smith knows that up-tempo spread so well. Has developed great dual-threat QBs: Pat White, Denard Robinson and Kahlil Tate. Intriguing, qualified candidate.

Smith also has recruited QBs pretty well. Ties in Arizona, California and Florida.

If you're looking for an offense fit for dual-threat QBs that gets playmakers the ball, this one seems a good fit.

Rod Smith offense efficiency ratings as co-OC

2017 Arizona 8
2016 Arizona 61
2015 Arizona 28
2014 Arizona 32
2013 Arizona 42
2012 Arizona 12
2011 Indiana 85

#illini have started the hiring process for an offensive coordinator. The paperwork has started and is making way through campus. Official announcement must wait until paperwork is completed, approved. Could be as early as today, maybe tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/JWerner247

Illinois: Sources tell FootballScoop former Arizona co-OC / quarterbacks Rod Smith is a very strong candidate to become Lovie Smith’s offensive coordinator at Illinois; although at this time we don’t believe anything formal is in place. Again, this one could happen in the coming days as well.

http://footballscoop.com/the-scoop-2/scoop-thursday-january-18-2018/

 

[sbillini]

given the circumstances, about as good as we could've hoped for, imo. Bring over Dawkins and that's gravy.

Although the narrative leading up to this will continue to be an issue for years to come!! ...i'm sorry, couldn't help it. will see myself out now.