lol I love the craziness. Can’t wait to be back next year.
He has to do whats best for the team. He has to throw loyalty out the window. His job could be in trouble if he has more losing seasons. Try to put the best coaching staff out there possible to go along with players. Players don't want to play for a losing team.I have a LOT of respect and confidence in Coach.
BUT, IMVVVVVVVVVHO, Coach needs to stop/decline experimentation.
To be a top X team cannot involve experimentation.
Sorry. Apologies if it rubs anyone the wrong way.
Reality is binary: win or no-win.
IMO Coach needs to assemble a robust, trusted coaching staff. Then recruit.
Next year is a tougher schedule with less talent on the roster (currently). Changes to the staff won't cut it. They need a serious infusion of talent that can contribute right away.I haven’t talked to any of the staff obviously … But I know Bret pretty well I’d say … He knows you can’t “run it back” next year with every member of this staff … Something’s gotta change …
While he is responsible as the HMFIC, he didn't fumble that punt return, nor give up 2 INT's, nor miss tackles, etc., etc., etc. He Has to improve our recruiting, and has to look hard and long at our coaching staff.At least I wasn’t there in person. Coaching was sub-par. We are paying Coach B to not lose these games. We lost. Zook lost these games. Lovie lost games. Beckman was too busy chewing to know whether we lost or not. Or maybe he was just gorged on his wife’s lasagna.
Brett knows better: this is unacceptable.
Figure it out Brett. Use the portal. Use JC. Retain talent. Figure it out. Now!!
Unless this becomes a really well coached and disciplined team, next year will be another huge step back. Really didn’t expect this kind of year, really disappointing.Next year is a tougher schedule with less talent on the roster (currently). Changes to the staff won't cut it. They need a serious infusion of talent that can contribute right away.
That is kind of the real root of the problem. We lose 3 dbs in the first 3 rounds to the NFL and others later. We had some good young DBs this year and other guys like Newton. But this is Illinois not Georgia. If they are out hurt or ejected and we lack the depth to fill those gaps right now unless we develop players. We don't get enough 4 and 5 stars likd the top schools do. I wish we did but that just not realistic right now.. I do think coach B can make the Illini better, that this year sucked, but we need to stick with coach B and have realistic expectations when we have guys going pro and being injured. I do think he has a good young core, is on the right path, and busting his !!! to get and develop the depth we need. We just gotta support him and realize he is trying to recruit and develop the best players he can. We can expect some top recruits in hoops but we need to be realistic in football. To me uts awesome to see guys from the Illini going pro and if that keeps up they will get better players. Its just tough to do that as often as some when the other programs stadiums are full. Some even when they struggle.Our problem this year you ask?
DEFENSE: Allowed 30 pts per game. (Isn't that 20 ppg more than 2022? Awful. That's just impossible to overcome.)
Don't allow offense to score,make some stops.I don’t post much, but at the end of the season did some stats digging (see recent post). A lot of this was due to turnovers and penalties, but an extra nugget that we were 109th in time of possession. Defense was NOT good at all this year outside of Newton… but they were also on the field way more than necessary, and often with short playing fields for opposing offenses
This game was a microcosm of the entire season with a perfect little bow attached.This was like the ultimate season finale. It featured all the elements of this garbage season
The Lord Jesus?At least I wasn’t there in person. Coaching was sub-par. We are paying Coach B to not lose these games. We lost. Zook lost these games. Lovie lost games. Beckman was too busy chewing to know whether we lost or not. Or maybe he was just gorged on his wife’s lasagna.
Brett knows better: this is unacceptable.
Figure it out Brett. Use the portal. Use JC. Retain talent. Figure it out. Now!!
The inability to fall on top of a football was a little bonus feature added for todayThis game was a microcosm of the entire season with a perfect little bow attached.
Its a team game. The defense was set up to fail time and time again by fumbles on our end of the field. Thats not just on them. They git better. Those turnovers on our end was the huge issue. They even held em today twice to fg attempts after turnovers on our end.That is kind of the real root of the problem. We lose 3 dbs in the first 3 rounds to the NFL and others later. We had some good young DBs this year and other guys like Newton. But this is Illinois not Georgia. If they are out hurt or ejected and we lack the depth to fill those gaps right now unless we develop players. We don't get enough 4 and 5 stars likd the top schools do. I wish we did but that just not realistic right now.. I do think coach B can make the Illini better, that this year sucked, but we need to stick with coach B and have realistic expectations when we have guys going pro and being injured. I do think he has a good young core, is on the right path, and busting his !!! to get and develop the depth we need. We just gotta support him and realize he is trying to recruit and develop the best players he can. We can expect some top recruits in hoops but we need to be realistic in football. To me uts awesome to see guys from the Illini going pro and if that keeps up they will get better players. Its just tough to do that as often as some when the other programs stadiums are full. Some even when they struggle.
That Strain pick was the only play a DB made all year. Good things happen when you actually turn around and look for the ball.Go recruit some dawgs in the portal. The defense especially, that was a pathetic unit this season