Coaching Discussion/Carousel

[illini0440]

It would be out of character for JW to drag this out. Both BU and LS were out-of-the-blue/quick hires (at least that’s how they seemed to me, but I was way dumber back then because I had not been to this blog yet and you all have made me much smarter and more awesome).

Correct but with BU there was meetings and discussions with other coaches and a verbal agreement on contract terms with said other coaches too. Just saying however many days it takes there probably will be dialogue with multiple coaches.

 

[CubsIlliniFan]

L

outside Of Lovie

Lovie is not stupid, he is not motivated and he is too stubborn to adjust his schemes

 

[CubsIlliniFan]

If Illinois does end up making a coaching change I will try and do a more in depth dive into my top candidates(Current HC's, retreads, OC's.DC's) as well as what I am hearing and who Whitman is targeting as the search(if we have one) drags out(hopefully not to long). That is if you guys want to hear my thoughts! Thanks!

We appreciate your insight and knowledge. You seem to have a ear to the talk on campus.

 

[TooHot4Tots]

Lovie is not stupid, he is not motivated and he is too stubborn to adjust his schemes

Well, I wouldn't call a nationally ranked team's HC stupid either. I don't know if I would call it stubborn considering he has had ample opportunities to change/adjust schemes, change/adjust recruiting approach, change/adjust player development, change/adjust on assistant coaches he surrounds himself with. In the business world, he's probably considered a genius for getting 5mil a year while not changing a thing

 

[Illinivek23]

Well, I wouldn't call a nationally ranked team's HC stupid either. I don't know if I would call it stubborn considering he has had ample opportunities to change/adjust schemes, change/adjust recruiting approach, change/adjust player development, change/adjust on assistant coaches he surrounds himself with. In the business world, he's probably considered a genius for getting 5mil a year while not changing a thing

You lost me on "nationally ranked" - but can't argue with the methods in the madness.

 

[Deleted member 747671]

You lost me on "nationally ranked" - but can't argue with the methods in the madness.

The discussion started with Tom Herman and Texas. That's what's being referenced with "nationally ranked."

 

[TooHot4Tots]

You lost me on "nationally ranked" - but can't argue with the methods in the madness.

I believe Texas is ranked 23, sitting at 6-3. If only we could see a record like that.

 

[bluemountain]

You're right about the facility. That was much needed. I think you're wrong on talent level. This roster is not significantly better than what Lovie took over. Recruiting really has been that bad, especially relative to our peers.

Agree. When Lovie took over we were pretty comparable to PU, IU and much better than RU, and just a step below Minny and MD. Once the current seniors graduate we will have by far the worst talent in the Big 10. Lovie has done substantial damage to our program.

 

[jason88cubs]

Agree. When Lovie took over we were pretty comparable to PU, IU and much better than RU, and just a step below Minny and MD. Once the current seniors graduate we will have by far the worst talent in the Big 10. Lovie has done substantial damage to our program.

People forget how down in the dumps Purdue was. Didn't a booster, at halftime, go up to the AD with a check sayign he'd pay the buyout to fire the coach?

 

[gibb52]

So far in 2020 only Scar and Vandy have made coaching changes. Doing it now at least gives us a shot at pulling someone that is at least one of our top choices.

So it will be so Illinois to wait for 2021. UCLA, AZ, TX, KU, Nebby. ScUM, Auburn, TN, Duke, VT, Syracuse could all open next year if none of them change this yr.

So we will be far down the pecking order of any candidate that's worth hiring. So now is the time if it's going to be done.

 

[CubsIlliniFan]

I believe Texas is ranked 23, sitting at 6-3. If only we could see a record like that.

But with he talent on that team, they should be undefeated. I just moved from Texas and I have seen a number of Texas games and Tom Herman has cost them all all three of their loses. Bone head game management decisions, play calling, schemes with the lead. They barely beat KU last season 50-48. The Longhorn fans are firing him for the exact same reasons I have listed. Herman finds ways to lose games.

 

[CubsIlliniFan]

So far in 2020 only Scar and Vandy have made coaching changes. Doing it now at least gives us a shot at pulling someone that is at least one of our top choices.

So it will be so Illinois to wait for 2021. UCLA, AZ, TX, KU, Nebby. ScUM, Auburn, TN, Duke, VT, Syracuse could all open next year if none of them change this yr.

So we will be far down the pecking order of any candidate that's worth hiring. So now is the time if it's going to be done.

This is exactly why we need to pull the trigger this year. We cannot afford to wait and get another Beckman type here or a retread like Bielema. We need to hit the ground running. There are coaches who would love to come here. JW needs to get the right one.

 

[trtl]

That's a really good point. The Lovie move was made at such a weird time of year and he was not working at the time, and Underwood was unhappy with his contract and looking to bounce. Those circumstances seem kind of rare, but yeah JW definitely kept those hires out of the public eye and came together relatively quickly. I feel like due to the circumstances and environment, this may go down in a more "normal" way, although I bet JW will move quickly once he makes his decision. Illinois football is not at the level of Illinois basketball. We aren't going to secretly pry away a sitting P5 coach, and this change would happen during the normal coaching carousel. Even if JW keeps it quiet, there's going to be rumors out there (even if completely unsubstantiated).

Darnit. I thought the “really good point” was that I am smarter and more awesome.

 

[Subortus]

You're right about the facility. That was much needed. I think you're wrong on talent level. This roster is not significantly better than what Lovie took over. Recruiting really has been that bad, especially relative to our peers.

Overall, there are probably better athletes on Lovie's roster now, but they are not better football players. In some instances, the coaches have seemingly failed to "coach them up" properly. In other instances, the reality is that some young men - despite impressive athletic skills - don't have the hunger or mindset to be good football players.

 

[Deleted member 747671]

Overall, there are probably better athletes on Lovie's roster now, but they are not better football players. In some instances, the coaches have seemingly failed to "coach them up" properly. In other instances, the reality is that some young men - despite impressive athletic skills - don't have the hunger or mindset to be good football players.

I don’t even really buy that. Sure some of the players are faster but that’s meaningless if they don’t play fast or have the size and strength. Not even counting the football ability.

 

[AnticipatedSerendipity]

...

 

[TooHot4Tots]

But with he talent on that team, they should be undefeated. I just moved from Texas and I have seen a number of Texas games and Tom Herman has cost them all all three of their loses. Bone head game management decisions, play calling, schemes with the lead. They barely beat KU last season 50-48. The Longhorn fans are firing him for the exact same reasons I have listed. Herman finds ways to lose games.

sounds like Lovie.

 

[TooHot4Tots]

...

To replace Nagy

 

[Point-Illinois]

I LOL’d for real.

Can you IMAGINE that world?? At least we’d finally be able to say with absolute certainty whether or not we were cursed.

If Urban Meyer couldn’t succeed in SOME way here, nobody could.

 

[aiwpfan]

...

That's great, Jake. Now please pass the bong.

 

[DocMorgan]

I heard you on Robert's podcast and I thought you did a good job. I mentioned Bielema here too in the post game thread and was booed out of the building lol....But I mean, for me I just want wins too. I don't care about a coach's personality. And I don't think college football in the Big 10 is that complicated. It's simple to me. Illinois has to be honest about where it is with recruiting attainable athletes. And IMO,, we are in a place where we are never going to be a 4 or 5 star destination mainly because it's a numbers game, and there aren't enough of those kids in our vicinity to pull them. So the notion we are going to hire a young go get em recruiter (similar to Minnesota tried with Tim Brewster) isn't going to work. As for people that want to run air raid or some exotic spread offense, can't do that either in the Big 10 given the weather conditions. So I see our paths to becoming a good football program limited. It's basically the NW, Iowa, WI path. Experienced coordinators that know what they are doing, familiar with recruiting within our region, and developing 3 star talent. For me, a guy like Bielema can check all those boxes. He's going to bring in a really good staff, he knows what wins in the Big 10, and then the issue is simply replicating what he had at Wisconsin at Illinois. And I just don't see why he couldn't do that. Bielema would be the most accomplished head coach we've ever hired. And he's only 50. Nick Saban is pushing 70.

Bielema is a kind of a jerk in my opinion, but he might work his butt off at Illinois to be successful if he was the head coach just to stick it to Wisconsin. Someone said in an earlier post that they can tolerate an abrasive coach if they win. I concur!

 

[JFGsCoffeeMug]

...

Only if Day agrees to come with him as his OC.

 

[DocMorgan]

This was a tweet by Doug Kramer’s dad yesterday. Not sure how I feel about it.

“In a non-Covid year we would be talking bowl eligibility for @IlliniFootball I understand fans want more- that’s great! The talent has been elevated. The expectations have risen. Excited to see them finish out this year and compete in the future. “#illinifootballfamily

 

[Point-Illinois]

This was a tweet by Doug Kramer’s dad yesterday. Not sure how I feel about it.

“In a non-Covid year we would be talking bowl eligibility for @IlliniFootball I understand fans want more- that’s great! The talent has been elevated. The expectations have risen. Excited to see them finish out this year and compete in the future. “#illinifootballfamily

Is he saying our expectations would be bowl eligibility and thus we’d be talking about it?

Or that we’d probably be 5-6 right now heading into the last game of the season hoping to get eligible?

Our other cross-over game pre-Covid was Indiana...so I doubt we would have won.

 

[DocMorgan]

Is he saying our expectations would be bowl eligibility and thus we’d be talking about it?

Or that we’d probably be 5-6 right now heading into the last game of the season hoping to get eligible?

Our other cross-over game pre-Covid was Indiana...so I doubt we would have won.

I guess my take from his tweet is that Lovie gets a pass this year due to COVID. Everyone has had to deal with COVID. This should not excuse our ineptitude.