The Illinois Football Coaching Search

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#2,027      

ILL_INI

ILL_INI
ILL_INI
ChiefGritty said:
It's scary to think about what our roster will look like if the next 18 months or so don't go well. And it is definitely true that Leipold does not on the surface inspire confidence in that regard.

And as I mentioned yesterday, the specific 18 months we're talking about is a totally new reality for college football.

It's possible, arguable, that just trying to fill up a class of 25 high quality high school players would be a self-defeating fool's errand, even if they're good. It's also possible that all of this other stuff is a red herring and going out and getting the best 25 HS guys is the only sensible thing to do. It's really hard to tell, this is totally unprecedented in the history of the sport.
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I'm most concerned if spring football is canceled and he loses that valuable time in what appears to be his strength: coaching. Would be huge if he could "coach them up" to a bowl in the first year and show recruits right away that he can win at this level.

Northwestern proves that you don't have to recruit lights out to at least win the West.
 
#2,028      

Poe's Law

P
Poe's Law
champaignchris said:
In the last 20 years, only 3 P5 Coordinators have been hired as Big 10 head coaches... Tom Allen (Oklahoma DC) at Indiana, Chris Ash (OSU DC) at Rutgers, and Mike Locksley (OC Alabama) at Maryland. EDIT - That were not internal promotions.

Bo Pelini (LSU DC) to Nebraska, Ralph Friedgen (GA Tech OC) to Maryland and Greg Schiano (Miami, FL DC) to Rutgers (the first time) all fit in that timeline but were before those schools were in the Big 10. Pelini had previously been DC at Nebraska. Friedgen was an alum of Maryland.

There was also one case in the last 20 years of an NFL coordinator becoming Big 10 head coach - Bill O'Brien (Patriots OC) to Penn State. Kirk Farentz (Ravens OC) to Iowa falls just outside my 20 year time period.
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Sure somebody beat me to it but I think you’re thinking about the guy Tom Allen replaced who was an Offensive Coordinator at OU. Allen was an internal promotion.
 
#2,029      

wma500

wma500
wma500
RockfordIllini said:
So, question regarding LL’s success at UW Whitewater. There was a comment about UWWW and a handful of other DIII programs being more FCS like in their structure and thus the jump from one of these programs to DI isn’t as great as would appear (too lazy to dig out the comment).

My question is does this fact take away from LL’s success at that level. In other words, were 90% of his games a Globetrotters vs. Generals type of matchup? Just curious as I don’t know much about these types of programs.
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There were some of those games, sure.

The WIAC is the most competitive conference in D3 football. It's the SEC of D3, if you will. Whitewater has always been a really strong program in that conference, but they really took off and became a national power in about the mid 2000's. LL took over in 2007 and turned it into an absolute machine. In his final year there for example, 2014, his average score against conference foes was 35-9. My guess is he achieved all he could at Whitewater and D3, so he wanted to take on a new challenge.

He took a super strong program and elevated it even further. At Buffalo, he took a program from obscurity, to top 25.

Here's a link to his 2013 season, for example

www.d3football.com

UW-Whitewater football schedule and results

UW-Whitewater football schedule and results
www.d3football.com
 
#2,030      

IllinoisOKC

IllinoisOKC
IllinoisOKC
mhuml32 said:
The perception of their fanbase shouldn't reflect the realities of the position. Arkansas is 82-84 (.493) in conference games since joining the SEC but before Bielema took over.

Bielema takes over and he goes 11-29 (.275) in the SEC. Since he was fired, they've gone 7-27 (.205). It's fair to say that things dramatically shifted for their program after Petrino. That said, the program used to be a solid college football team. Not great, but maybe like a poor man's Iowa? They had been ranked at least once during 11 of the past 15 seasons before Bielema showed up (some of those years were duds like being pre-season #10 for John L's one interim season). I kinda get why their fans would think higher of the program than the current national perception.
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Yeah not saying him winning 3,7,8,7 and only 4 games his final year is why they still suck but I believe since they spent so much on bb(4.25 mil for 6 years) and then they made an even worse hire in morris (3.5 mil for 6 yrs)who wasnt all great at smu(14-23) hasn’t helped. It was bad for both sides but yes they shouldn’t be as bad as they are i agree.
 
#2,031      

dbeaverfg

dbeaverfg
dbeaverfg
IlliniFandom said:
I don't know about a worse run, but I agree that Lovie is leaving this program in a better state than Beckman did. Beckman left the program with non-B1G type players and no real pipeline. Lovie definitely got some better talent in (enough to start winning day 1...not sure). However, the pipeline/relationships might be worse off. Listened to Tay & Piper's show the other day with the Loyola coach on and he said that Illinois did not step foot in his building once..ONCE in two years?!! They just gave up trying to recruit there I guess.
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How did the Illini recruit and sign Josh Kreutz if they never set foot in Loyola for the past 2 years?
 
#2,032      

Dr. O

D
Dr. O
Jtepn87 said:
We will see. Still not impressed with BB.

Just to play hypothetical. What if LL gets Nate as QB coach and J for LB coach?
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As much as I like Nate, he wasn't very accurate in the passing game. We need a QB coach who can help the QBs with their mechanics, placement of the ball, and footwork.
I do like the suggestion of JL as an LB coaching assistance.
 
#2,034      

FollowMeDontFollowMe

F
FollowMeDontFollowMe
Dr. O said:
As much as I like Nate, he wasn't very accurate in the passing game. We need a QB coach who can help the QBs with their mechanics, placement of the ball, and footwork.
I do like the suggestion of JL as an LB coaching assistance.
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Whether or not this is sarcastic it got me thinking. I wonder if the backup QB type player generally makes good coaches because they lacked the natural talent required of starter, but were able to train well enough to become a backup, and therefore tend well towards training others.
 
#2,035      

skyIdub

skyIdub
Winged Warrior
skyIdub
illini0440 said:
I'm singing out for the night! See y'all tomorrow. Go enjoy your Friday peeps!
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#2,036      

altenberger22

altenberger22
South Carolina
altenberger22
AutoPoster 3000 said:
I bought a new Corolla once. I got 35 mpg and it never broke down in seven years, not even once. Also, I was already bored driving it on the way home from the dealer. I'm not saying Lance Leipold is a Corolla. Well, I guess I sort of am saying that.
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How well did your Corolla recruit?
 
#2,038      

B-ILL

B-ILL
Working From Home
B-ILL
northillini2342 said:
I feel like jw pulls his coaches out of left field. Who are your favorite random coaches he could pull? Herman? Stoops? Clawson?
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Here's a name I hadn't thought of until now that would potentially get me excited - Mark Helfrich.

I'm okay with LL. Not okay with Brad Bielema (even though he fits what I outline below). Don't know enough about either of the Monkens.

I'd prefer someone like Helfrich or Sarkisian (probably not realistic) who wants to use Illinois to prove himself again as a HC and get a big job elsewhere. Totally fine with that strategy, as long as Illinois wins in the meantime and allows us to attract another coach in 4 years.

Other names I came across that fit this mold that are probably not going to be considered, nor would they excite me: Chris Petersen, Chris Ash, Bill O'Brien
 
#2,040      

Illwinsagain

Illwinsagain
Cary, IL
Illwinsagain
ChiefGritty said:
Just so everyone is on the same page, here is the situation in the current, active, already formally approved rules:

Illinois (and every other school) can go out this offseason and recruit literally any player in college football, have them transfer without having to sit a year, and bring them in with the same eligibility they started this season with, up to a limit that the latest guidance seems clear is well above 85 at least for next year and possibly longer than that.

The flipside of course is that every single one of our players may freely transfer on the same basis as well. Isaiah Williams can be immediately eligible as a redshirt freshman QB at any program in the country for the 2021 season.

It is absolutely possible that this will prove to be less dramatic than what it sounds like. It is also possible that we're about to hold one of those Madden franchise drafts for the entirety of college football, to be repeated annually (they are going to vote on giving every incoming NCAA player one free transfer, and the scuttlebutt is that it will probably pass).

What does it mean to be a coaching staff that can consistently field a talented roster in that radically changed reality? I have absolutely no idea.
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Just to be clear, they have to enter the portal, before we start the recruiting, right? At least, within the rules? I know the SEC motto, you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.
 
#2,041      

ChiefGritty

ChiefGritty
Chicago, IL
ChiefGritty
Illwinsagain said:
Just to be clear, they have to enter the portal, before we start the recruiting, right? At least, within the rules? I know the SEC motto, you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.
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Technically in some sense yeah, I don't really know what the rules are against tampering though. I can't recall that really being made an issue before.
 
#2,044      

RDUIllini

RDUIllini
RDUIllini
TooHot4Tots said:
I wasn't looking for an amazing hire. To be honest, I was hoping for a P5 Coordinator that has proven they can gameplan, coach, develop and recruit. This had me leaning toward Elliot/Bates combo or Leonhard/Inoke combo. Basically more of a younger move and someone hungry to create their own success as a HC. Thought new facilities and a loyal AD may help those guys grow and get established. LL just doesn't really give me that feeling, just my opinion and those are like buttholes sometimes and do stink :). But the only thing I can look at with LL and staff, is that they seem capable of developing the talent they do bring in to succeed, unlike Lovie. I dunno, just kind of disappointed is all. I am probably too old school. I will be watching tonight though!
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Elliot wants and is interviewing for auburn
 
#2,048      

ChiefGritty

ChiefGritty
Chicago, IL
ChiefGritty
OK let's do F+ on Bielema at Arkansas

2008: 68th, Bobby Petrino's first year
2009: 20th
2010: 7th
2011: 16th, Bobby Petrino has fun with motorcycles after the season
2012: 59th, John L Smith's interim season
2013: 87th, Bielema's first season
2014: 9th (!!!)
2015: 11th (!!!)
2016: 56th
2017: 92nd, Bielema is fired
2018: 95th, Chad Morris' first season
2019: 113th, Chad Morris is fired
2020: 64th, Sam Pittman's first season

Advanced stats are very good for things like "Bielema's 7-6 year 2 team was one of the ten best in the country and was actually better than Petrino's 11-2 team". Was not expecting that.

But by the same token, it wasn't just the schedule, they totally collapsed by the end.

By the way I looked it up, and Arkansas returned 12 starters from Smith's season to Bielema's first, almost all on defense. So a lot of the Petrino guys were gone, but it wasn't a total crater.
 
#2,049      

TMC999

TMC999
Not Iowa
TMC999
WINTer said:
The financials are just completely different, even eliminating the buyout, which I'm gonna assume isn't 15 mil when Herman is the one making the call, but I don't know the contract details.

Underwood was underpaid at OSU. Herman makes 6/year at Texas. I would be very hard to pull him away without matching that number at the very least.
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If we were to pay market for someone, he is the exception I’d do it for
 
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