Your post screams demonstratively for Luke Fickell or Matt Campbell.I’ve been reading these posts and I’m astounded by the number of fans who are willing to settle (like we don’t deserve a great coach). I feel like most would be happy with 7-5, 6-6 etc...and yes, that’s better than what we’ve had the last few years, but shouldn’t we be striving for a national championship?! I know that’s almost impossible, but why settle for a triple option offense that will recruit average football players at best? Our goals should be higher than what I’m reading...Illinois fans are soooo beat down, it’s sad!!!
Also he's a pretty good argument that "Well [potential coach X] is an alum, he bleeds [school color A and B]! Unlike that other candidate, he has a personal connection and real love for the school so will obviously be successful here" is not really much to hang your hat on either.
Like Illinois fans always wanting to hire alums first and foremost, Michigan always gets caught up in this "Michigan Man" tripe any time they have an opening.
Well...YYZ is London, Ontario, almost three hours from Buffalo. "Just over the border from Buffalo"....is Niagra Falls.
Really I just needed an excuse to come in and tell everyone that the largest concentration of the HOTTEST college girls you've ever been around is in London, Ontario.....absolutely not joking. I'd pit it against any major campus in the US.
Oh, and Lance Leipold or something football coach-ish search like.
London, Ontario, seriously. Ask a Canadian. I don't even understand it.
I didn't mean to argue against you per se, but in general to the Illinois fans that demand an alum every opening. You're post lent itself nicely as UM fans also do the "NEED TO FIND A MICHIGAN MAN" schtick. It was more piling on in my mind...Definitely.
To be clear, I'm not bullish on Scheelhaase solely because he played here. In fact, in previous coaching searches I've usually found myself in the role of swatting those suggestions down (John Holecek, for example). It's more because he's attached to one of the fastest-rising young coaches in the entire sport, looks to be a stellar recruiter, and generally seems to leave the impression on people who have been around CFB a long time that he's a future star.
I also think that people need to realize that the question isn't "do you think we should hire him now?" it's "do you think we should hire him?" Because due to the aforementioned seat on the Matt Campbell Express, the strong likelihood is this is the one chance we'll have. Would it be a perfect world if this opening was happening three years from now when he's wrapping up year two of being an OC? Obviously. But that's not the world we're in.
So maybe, given that, your answer is still "no" and that's fine. I would have misgivings myself. But as I commented earlier, Illinois fandom has left me humble enough to realize this is mostly a crapshoot, and I guess I'm just as ready to roll these particular dice as several of the others on (theoretical) offer.
Here is the thing- Illinois isn’t going to out-recruit 3/4 (or more) of the Big 10. We have a long and miserable history. You may want an exciting and dynamic offense, but what we need the most are wins and a decent reputation for winning. If you want to win and know you can’t currently compete for recruits, the triple option is a proven way to compete when you can’t compete on talent. The Army/Navy offenses and the Paul Johnson Georgia Tech teams have run it with success. If we are going to pull less talent and be thrilled with 2 and 3 star guys at best, I say Monken can come in here and run the offense that has been successful for him. Nothing wrong with adapting your system to the talent you have.
We shouldn't RUSH to judgement based on any flights from there. Certainly many different Subdivisions in this coaching search... illinois alum? Retread? Up and comer? Or someone completely different. A big name doesn't mean its great... Tom Sawyer is a household name but wouldn't be a good coach. If it is a completely new person, how will they be once they are in the Limelight? We can't just get any Fly By Night coach in my opinion.Well...YYZ is London, Ontario, almost three hours from Buffalo. "Just over the border from Buffalo"....is Niagra Falls.
Really I just needed an excuse to come in and tell everyone that the largest concentration of the HOTTEST college girls you've ever been around is in London, Ontario.....absolutely not joking. I'd pit it against any major campus in the US.
Oh, and Lance Leipold or something football coach-ish search like.
London, Ontario, seriously. Ask a Canadian. I don't even understand it.
You're underlying premise is flawed. We do not want to settle for 2-3 star recruits. The Big 10 used to be the Big 2 (OSU and Michigan). Look at it now with the almost incomprehensible (and meteoric?) rise of:Here is the thing- Illinois isn’t going to out-recruit 3/4 (or more) of the Big 10. We have a long and miserable history. You may want an exciting and dynamic offense, but what we need the most are wins and a decent reputation for winning. If you want to win and know you can’t currently compete for recruits, the triple option is a proven way to compete when you can’t compete on talent. The Army/Navy offenses and the Paul Johnson Georgia Tech teams have run it with success. If we are going to pull less talent and be thrilled with 2 and 3 star guys at best, I say Monken can come in here and run the offense that has been successful for him. Nothing wrong with adapting your system to the talent you have.
We've had good teams with plenty of talent that have won and been successful. Taking on a boring offense based on what we have on the back of the truck today seems like a defeatist attitude and basically you are committing to it for a long time because you're not going to attract any special talent for a long time. Also, everyone seems to assume the triple option here will be successful. There is absolutely no guarantee of that - so its a false narrative to make that jump. We're playing a much higher level of competition here.Here is the thing- Illinois isn’t going to out-recruit 3/4 (or more) of the Big 10. We have a long and miserable history. You may want an exciting and dynamic offense, but what we need the most are wins and a decent reputation for winning. If you want to win and know you can’t currently compete for recruits, the triple option is a proven way to compete when you can’t compete on talent. The Army/Navy offenses and the Paul Johnson Georgia Tech teams have run it with success. If we are going to pull less talent and be thrilled with 2 and 3 star guys at best, I say Monken can come in here and run the offense that has been successful for him. Nothing wrong with adapting your system to the talent you have.
You laid it out better than I have, it’s not JUST hiring an Illinois guy. He would be a good coach no matter where he was from and he has already proven he can recruit and recruit in state. That too is not the holy grail but for 5 years I’ve heard we don’t care where the players come from and look where we are. In state guys need to be a piece of the puzzle and that has been missing.Definitely.
To be clear, I'm not bullish on Scheelhaase solely because he played here. In fact, in previous coaching searches I've usually found myself in the role of swatting those suggestions down (John Holecek, for example). It's more because he's attached to one of the fastest-rising young coaches in the entire sport, looks to be a stellar recruiter, and generally seems to leave the impression on people who have been around CFB a long time that he's a future star.
I also think that people need to realize that the question isn't "do you think we should hire him now?" it's "do you think we should hire him?" Because due to the aforementioned seat on the Matt Campbell Express, the strong likelihood is this is the one chance we'll have. Would it be a perfect world if this opening was happening three years from now when he's wrapping up year two of being an OC? Obviously. But that's not the world we're in.
So maybe, given that, your answer is still "no" and that's fine. I would have misgivings myself. But as I commented earlier, Illinois fandom has left me humble enough to realize this is mostly a crapshoot, and I guess I'm just as ready to roll these particular dice as several of the others on (theoretical) offer.
Jim tresell. Chris Petersen. Shoot for the moon. Or the astronaut.Plus we have first hand experience here! Who among us doesn't look back longingly at the golden era of Illinois football under that hometown kid that loved the school and would do anything to do right by the program, Ron Guenther.
Not a bad name. Unfortunately, he also carries the moniker "former NFL coach"Bill O'Brien?
Got it done at Penn St....
I don't think he's coming out this way. Just one year at Pitt, and otherwise Boise is the furthest east he's been. Plus Midwest recruiting??How about Chris Peterson?
Except that not that long ago Zook was outrecruiting everyone outside of OSU. I know this is going back a ways, but White, Mack and Tepper almost always had recruiting classes in the top 4 of the conference. We won't outrecruit OSU, UM or PSU, but no reason we can't compete with everyone elseHere is the thing- Illinois isn’t going to out-recruit 3/4 (or more) of the Big 10. We have a long and miserable history. You may want an exciting and dynamic offense, but what we need the most are wins and a decent reputation for winning. If you want to win and know you can’t currently compete for recruits, the triple option is a proven way to compete when you can’t compete on talent. The Army/Navy offenses and the Paul Johnson Georgia Tech teams have run it with success. If we are going to pull less talent and be thrilled with 2 and 3 star guys at best, I say Monken can come in here and run the offense that has been successful for him. Nothing wrong with adapting your system to the talent you have.
The triple option is a play.....we ran a spread offense that year, people aren't excited about the possibility of the flex bone offense coming here with Monken. (Which agree with, don't think it will work in the B1G)I love the triple option. Don’t understand how anyone can be bored by it.
When we ran it with juice from the shotgun for a bunch of big runs (especially vs Wisconsin) in the rose bowl year I don’t recall anybody complaining.
Who is an Illinois native who wanted the job. Should have grabbed hi when we had the chance.You just described Mr. Row The Boat.
It won’t translate to the Midwest any better than Bielema’s Wisconsin success translated to Arkansas.I know very little about him, but he’s 30+ games over .500 overall at Auburn and 10+ over in conference. Oh to have a head coach to put up numbers like that at Illinois.
Wow, not that this is going to change anything at NW unless they want to make Fitz the AD there as a reward.