1983 - 84 for Illini athletics was the first time that anyone in the Big Ten defeated all of the other nine school in both football and basketball in the same school year. I don't think it has ever been done since then but once Penn State entered the conference in 1993, it was not doable any longer because we didn't play all of the other Big Ten teams in the football conference schedule after that. So I think we hold that distinction.
Mike White, former Illini Football Coach, passes away
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jmwillini
- Tolono, IL
The only game I ever saw in person. Not sure I can top that. RIP Coach.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
That's a trivia question that no one but Illinois fans know.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
My freshman year was his last as coach, and he was five years younger than I am now.
As I remember, White was trashed by the “old guard”, because he played differently than Michigan and Ohio State. Schembechler, in particular was pissed because Moeller was dismissed after one season. No “three yards and a cloud of dust”. It was so much fun after the mediocrity of the previous regimes.
Curbelo Fanboy
BERTBALL IS LIFE
The man who for those of us who remember the 80's but aren't old enough to remember the early 60's provided us a glimpse of hope to dream that Illinois football could be great. Bret now takes his seat as the best living Illini football coach. RIP!
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
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RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
It’s only happened once in football and that was the 83 Illini.
Moeller was actually given 3 seasons - not a lot for back then , and Bo was very upset about that , but it was obvious to everyone Moeller was way over matched by everything
Woody & Bo did not want to see things change and they wanted to keep the conference as it was , with those two schools each getting the best 2-3 running backs in every class fron the entire league footprint . no one really recruited much in other conferences “ territory. but there were exceptions like Namath going to Bama . but it was rare .
Mich was only okay with OSU cheating the same as thrm . once any other conference program got good , they were investigated . Bo mainly had tons of influence on the NCAA admin . more so imo than Woody
I got a chance to meet him, as he lived in my area and was friends with a girlfriend’s dad. Nice guy, he was surprised I was an illini fan, and even more surprised I knew the “guy he replaced” was Moeller… Before my time but I’m familiar with illini history. He didn’t seem to be very fond of Gary, Bo, nor Michigan in general.
Pretty sure his time at Illinois was what he was most proud of professionally.
Pretty sure his time at Illinois was what he was most proud of professionally.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I visited campus in Sept. 1983 as a high school senior and fell in love with the university instantly. Also fell in love with Illini football that fall and basketball that winter, which wasn't hard to do.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Oh yeah, brother. I still have mine. The liner disintegrated many years ago but the memories... Attended a P-5 game November 30 a year ago. Evening kickoff, low 30s, was in the upper 20s by the 3Q. Came equipped with a small plastic flask of Scotch, just like my bota in the mid-'80s, to warm me and to evade the metal detectors.
I worked in the media and covered the Illini back in the Mike White era. Mike was a great guy and always treated me well.
I recall only one time where he got agitated. There was a game or two where Jack Trudeau struggled and the backup Cruz got into the game in mop
up time. Of course the fans began to discuss the possibility of a quarterback controversy and the media picked up on it. We were at town and country restauarant where he held his weekly media luncheons. He noted he was not happy that he was listening to and reading about the quarterback controversy
and he became quite upset that it was even being discussed. I remember what he said. "Now quit talking about this God Damn Thing. And if I hear anything about this, I'm going to stick it in your ear. So put your pencils down."
I recall only one time where he got agitated. There was a game or two where Jack Trudeau struggled and the backup Cruz got into the game in mop
up time. Of course the fans began to discuss the possibility of a quarterback controversy and the media picked up on it. We were at town and country restauarant where he held his weekly media luncheons. He noted he was not happy that he was listening to and reading about the quarterback controversy
and he became quite upset that it was even being discussed. I remember what he said. "Now quit talking about this God Damn Thing. And if I hear anything about this, I'm going to stick it in your ear. So put your pencils down."
Soooo many great game memories.
Dave Wilson vs OSU was one for the ages.
Thanks Coach - RIP
Dave Wilson vs OSU was one for the ages.
Thanks Coach - RIP
Me and my buddy drove up from Charleston with the best seats I ever had to this day. Snuck in a bottle of Tangurei (Sp) ? Started pouring ourselves drinks and these 3 or 4 ladies right around us wanted to partake. We shared and they gave us 2 tix to the End Zone club for after the game. They were all coaches wives. lol. What an evening!
1983 may have been our best team. Saw all the games. Still my favorites to see. Even more memorable because I knew his son Chris. Great memories!
He was a great speaker at the Quarterback Club luncheons. Football info, player asides, jokes and making fun of Tate. Used to drop by practices (they were always open) whenever I had the chance. He got to where he recognized me and would always say hello. I appreciated that as I was not a connected to the program in any way other than just a fan. He'll always be the top Illini coach in my mind.He was such fun. Loved listening to him. I once sat in the barber chair next to him on Sixth Street getting our haircuts. He was often on campus interacting with students. Memorial was a wild time in the 1980s. Rest in Peace
in my 64 year lifetime , 50 as a fan, he & Bret are WAY above the rest
White did something that Bo thought was unacceptable, he recruited Cali JCs, Wilson, Eason, the wide outs. He had a million contacts out there. The idea of having plug and play mercenaries as Bo viewed it was unfair.
It was painfully 3 seasons. But, correct, Bo was pissed we fired Mo.
There was even less discretion during Moeller's era. There was no "checking" at the gates.
Tate | Remembering Mike White
The former Illinois football coach, who died Dec. 14, helped steer the Illini through a promising run of success in the 1980s before it fizzled out
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