2017 Coaching Carousel

illinoisfan11 · Mar 8, 2017

IntenselyOrange said:
I get that and you can add me to the group of people who have this outlook. Like most people, I'm busy. Illinois basketball is no longer appointment television for me. I like to watch games. I watched on Saturday. But I watched because I didn't have anything better to do. It was cold out and my kid just wanted to play xbox instead of going out and shooting baskets or throwing a ball around. So I watched. He loves college basketball, but won't watch Illinois games with me.

My lack of enthusiasm, which began last year, is why I have been disappointed that Groce was retained for this season and struggle to comprehend the fear of things getting worse. I've checked out. I guess that's relative given that I'm posting here, but that's the case. For me, whether they are 9th in the conference or 13th matters little. It doesn't anger me. I don't throw things at the TV. I simply find better things to do. And there used to be few things that were better to do than watch Illinois basketball.

I'm considering printing this and mailing it to JW. You made multiple points in here about why Groce not only needs to bit HAS TO go if he wants to see the basketball team regain its past stature. The fact that you're a fan and have a son who loves the game but won't watch Illinois games is so sad. We're losing an entire generation of fans, and that will not change without a change at the top.

Illwinsagain · Mar 8, 2017

Fighter of the Nightman said:
Which is exactly why this job is about as attractive as it's going to get, and we need to put it out there (with lots of $$$) NOW!

- Historical success (including as recently as 2006), proving you can win here
- Rabid fan support that is both hungry to be great again (so it will reward a winning coach with MUCHO love) but also defeated enough to not expect 2001-2006 success just yet (so reasonable expectations, unlike NC State)
- Top coaches reaching retirement in the Big Ten (Izzo, Matta, Ryan already gone) and no true Blue Blood in the conference (sorry, Loosiers)
- A newly renovated facility that at the very worst ranks among the top 4 in the conference
- A new AD that, by all accounts, seems like a great guy to work for
- Administrative stability finally at the U of I
- Same old instate recruiting advantages we've always had
- A seemingly new commitment to supporting our programs with big-time money (think Lovie hire, renovations) that wasn't present in the RG era
- Underrated: a rapidly transforming Champaign-Urbana community that, for the first time since I've been alive at least, is starting to routinely make Best College Town lists
- Routinely covered in the Chicago and St. Louis media markets (and, despite what anyone here says, the coverage is MORE than fair when we don't suck)

All we gotta do is get out the checkbook and have an AD who can articulate what an opportunity there is here ... I think we finally have both, and I just hope enough people in Illini Nation BELEVE that, including some influential donors and Josh Whitman himself. GO ILLINI!

Thank you, better than I would have written. Also, good year to hunt for a coach. Not a lot of competition.

Illwinsagain · Mar 8, 2017

EJ33 said:
The way Mike Thomas treated Bruce Weber in his final season was absolutely terrible. I'm sure other coaches saw that and wondered why they'd ever want to work for him. Weber's behavior was far from perfect, but he deserved better from his boss. It's also in stark contrast to what we see with Whitman, which is an AD supporting his coach and staying out of the way. Regardless of what people think about Groce's coaching, there's no denying that he has been a class act throughout this season. I admire that about him.

Correct, there is not a coincidence that the teams free fall occurred after MT's interview.

Illwinsagain · Mar 8, 2017

Roundball Shaman said:
I can (almost) completely agree with everything you said. We know that sports in one sense is a lot about nothing. But from your point about national identity, geopolitical instability, etc., this is where I jump off. As the really important problems intensity and multiply, our sense of powerlessness and national fracture grow. We need something tribal to feed our souls. We need something we can feel good about. We need something from our past to hold on to and be proud of in a world that seeks to strip us of our identity and sense of worth. We NEED our sports teams more than ever. Yes, in a real sense sports is a distraction from the problems of life and ultimately meaningless. But in other sense, sports is a way we can hold on to ourselves and feel better about facing real problems out there. Sports can be a way to hold ON to what is important as well.

I used to take sports way too seriously, literally driving myself into a fever after a loss. It was 25 years ago. Now, if I am not entertained, I stop watching. I started warching again during NW, then Nebby and MSU. Rutgers sucked! I will be at work tomorrow and not watch the game. If tbey win, I'll find a way to carch the Purdue game.

I do care if UI wins. I won't watch a bad team. Sorry, I have too many obligations as it is, I don't neex to put myself through the aggregation. But when they are decent or good, I won't miss a single second.

FeelYourPaign · Mar 8, 2017

Ohio state confirms Matta's return. Not a huge surprise, but there was speculation

Rafale · Mar 8, 2017

FeelYourPaign said:
Ohio state confirms Matta's return. Not a huge surprise, but there was speculation

Probably should have been canned. He's lucky they have a much lower standard for basketball than football.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Illwinsagain · Mar 8, 2017

FeelYourPaign said:
Ohio state confirms Matta's return. Not a huge surprise, but there was speculation

Actually, good for us, assuming we are in the market this yeat.

FeelYourPaign · Mar 8, 2017

Even less important to us than Matta, but evidently Tim Miles also got the vote of confidence today and will return to Nebraska next year.

Obelix · Mar 8, 2017

Rafale said:
Probably should have been canned. He's lucky they have a much lower standard for basketball than football.

No way. His health has affected him, but no reasonable person could make a case that he should have been canned. Speculation revolved around him stepping down for health reason, but Matta was not getting fired.

Deleted member 626650 · Mar 8, 2017

Obelix said:
No way. His health has affected him, but no reasonable person could make a case that he should have been canned. Speculation revolved around him stepping down for health reason, but Matta was not getting fired.

+1. I was reading an article where he was asked if his health (back surgery and nerve damage in one of his legs) was used against him on the recruiting trail. He said that a recruit told him that another coach had told that recruit that Marta was dying.

Recruiting is an ugly game to play.

AJsDad · Mar 8, 2017

Fighter of the Nightman said:
I'll say one more thing before I let this go. Not having gone to Illinois and having grown up most of my life in a bordering state (where the people literally HATE the state of Illinois), it is really disheartening to see people wanting UI athletics to resemble, for lack of better phrase, "East Central Illinois" attitudes. We aren't a lovely little small state where everyone loves the home team and everyone is friendly and everyone is forever loyal. We're not a homey college with a local feel. We are the state flagship university for a massive state of 13 million people (5 million of which have NOTHING to do with the Chicago area, if someone is going to start that BS about it being a separate state, disregarding it has over 225,000 of our alumni!) with a massive alumni base, world class academics, huge media markets covering us and a rich tradition to draw from. We shouldn't and, quite frankly, CAN'T settle for results that would fly at Minnesota. Anything below excellence SHOULD be unacceptable, but given how things have shaken out, I understand not having the cajones to come out and say we should be challenging Ohio State and Michigan and Penn State in everything EVERY year ... but holy cow, if our own fans don't believe in the IMMENSE potential here, why should any recruits or prospective fans or media personalities who drive the narrative around the Illini?! It starts with our loyal fans, and the attitudes displayed here by some (a desire for anything less than the Illini to be a force in the Big Ten) are just disappointing.

When Iowa fans love Fran for what he's accomplished and have a fierce, small-timey loyalty to "Coach," it's somewhat understandable, maybe even a little bit commendable. They have a mediocre history, are in a tiny state (that they share with another power 5 team with a large alumni base and no academic requirements restricting it from success) and have far inferior facilities ... when our fans act the same way, it's just simply pathetic.

Speaking of Ohio State, they had quite a rough stretch in the 90's, along with the vacated seasons in the early 2000's. Next thing you know, they're ruining our perfect record and becoming a powerful program with new facilities and a rejuvenated fan base. We all know our sad decline since then, but we can get back to the top of the conference and beyond with the right recipe and there's no reason to deny the possibility that we can do it just as fast as OSU did after the mess they had on their hands. I miss the days of having to struggle to get pumped to watch us play the games against Minny, NW, PSU, etc. because it was likely we'd blow them out.

zhawks · Mar 9, 2017

IntenselyOrange said:
I get that and you can add me to the group of people who have this outlook. Like most people, I'm busy. Illinois basketball is no longer appointment television for me. I like to watch games. I watched on Saturday. But I watched because I didn't have anything better to do. It was cold out and my kid just wanted to play xbox instead of going out and shooting baskets or throwing a ball around. So I watched. He loves college basketball, but won't watch Illinois games with me.

My lack of enthusiasm, which began last year, is why I have been disappointed that Groce was retained for this season and struggle to comprehend the fear of things getting worse. I've checked out. I guess that's relative given that I'm posting here, but that's the case. For me, whether they are 9th in the conference or 13th matters little. It doesn't anger me. I don't throw things at the TV. I simply find better things to do. And there used to be few things that were better to do than watch Illinois basketball.

This is exactly how I feel, I used to take monthly day trips from hours away just to see a game with my dad. We got singles just to drive 3-4 hours each way to sit across AH/SFC from each other just to cheer on the Illini.

That's no more, we haven't been to a game together in over two years, and have already agreed that's 3 if Groce is retained. It's sad. I LOVE the Illini. I was at the Kohl Center when we broke the Badgers streak, one of my fondest memories with my dad, we couldn't have been happier. I was at the Indiana game when Tyler hit the game winner with him, we didn't expect to win but such a great experience.

Now we don't even talk about getting to a game. I'm not excited, I expect more from this team and university and it just doesn't appear that commitment is there from the other end. I want to find a way to be excited about our future, but where is it?

I hope I'm wrong. I want JW to prove me wrong. I looked forward to these long travels just to enjoy an Illini game with my dad and unfortunately to this point that's been ruined. I would love it if Groce was the man to turn Illini basketball around, it's just hard to see that being the case.

ILLINI IN NE · Mar 9, 2017

Tim Miles will be back for a 6th year at Nebraska.

Golfer63 · Mar 9, 2017

FeelYourPaign said:
Ohio state confirms Matta's return. Not a huge surprise, but there was speculation

They're waiting for Groce to get fired so they can hire him back on as an assistant. They're recruiting really fell off after he and Boals left for HC jobs.

Golfer63 · Mar 9, 2017

ILLINI IN NE said:
Tim Miles will be back for a 6th year at Nebraska.

He literally accomplished something in his second year that hadn't been accomplished in 25 years at Nebraska. I do not understand why his job status at Nebraska is even a question right now.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Mar 9, 2017

Golfer63 said:
Ohio State was nothing prior to Matta, Groce, and co. arriving in 04. Illinois was literally head, shoulders, and sacks ahead of "The" Ohio State University as a basketball program.

Well, that's not really true. We were better than they were in the 80s, but they have a national title and had been to the Final Four in '99. They had some very up and down seasons under Ayers and O'Brien before Matta arrived and got things going.

Golfer63 · Mar 9, 2017

WesterveltVictoryCigar said:
Well, that's not really true. We were better than they were in the 80s, but they have a national title and had been to the Final Four in '99. They had some very up and down seasons under Ayers and O'Brien before Matta arrived and got things going.

Just to clarify, I wasn't implying that they never did anything prior to Matta. I was saying that prior to Matta and co. arriving, their program was pretty much on par with where the Illinois program is right now.

Calvin · Mar 9, 2017

CAHALL15 said:
I would respectfully disagree as their silence or refusal to talk about the future seems to give credence that his job is on the line. I won't get caught up on the meaning of a single word, however.

I've considered this and it makes sense. Again, if Groce was going to return no matter the result, I'd think that Whitman would have said so.

+1 If Groce was coming back, why wouldn't you say something as soon as you could, since it affects recruiting. I seem to recall one of the recent articles quoting Groce as saying we've sort of agreed we're not going to talk about it. To me that says that Whitman isn't talking about it and isn't going to until later. Anything's possible, but it seems more likely that that's the result of a change coming, rather than an extension being negotiated.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Mar 9, 2017

Golfer63 said:
Just to clarify, I wasn't implying that they never did anything prior to Matta. I was saying that prior to Matta and co. arriving, their program was pretty much on par with where the Illinois program is right now.

OK, that's more reasonable although still not sure I agree as they had won 24 games and been to the NCAA just 2 years prior to Matta's arrival. But yes we were definitely in better shape than they were.

dmac279 · Mar 9, 2017

Golfer63 said:
Yeah I love when people or media (*coughDoug Gottliebcough*) proclaim that Illinois can never surpass a program like Ohio State in basketball. Ohio State was nothing prior to Matta, Groce, and co. arriving in 04. Illinois was literally head, shoulders, and sacks ahead of "The" Ohio State University as a basketball program.

You are wrong, they were very good in the jerry Lucas era.

Calvin · Mar 9, 2017

Fighter of the Nightman said:
Meh, wasn't it vacated? Whether or not you want to argue about including or excluding vacated results when evaluating programs all-time, I think 90%* of posters here would be VERY down if we were coming off a good season a few years ago that was vacated. There certainly wouldn't be a "buzz."

*or 0.00001% of Kentucky fans

dweebs19 · Mar 9, 2017

well, let's hope that Whitman has started talking to prospective coaches

MadMan · Mar 9, 2017

HE. HAS. TO. GO.

Illinifan533 · Mar 9, 2017

Golfer63 said:
Yeah I love when people or media (*coughDoug Gottliebcough*) proclaim that Illinois can never surpass a program like Ohio State in basketball. Ohio State was nothing prior to Matta, Groce, and co. arriving in 04. Illinois was literally head, shoulders, and sacks ahead of "The" Ohio State University as a basketball program.

This misconception, along with others who say Illinois' "place" is in a middle of the pack Big Ten team, ticks me off to no end. We all know about the fertile recruiting grounds, prior history, etc. but the East-Coast/Chicago media elites who spew this garbage just believe that the status quo must be maintained. They associate the school itself instead of the program's leader with the perceived success. A major program in a power conference like NC State or Illinois wants to better? Nope, they need to learn their place. By that logic, Northwestern, Minnesota, and even mid-majors like Gonzaga, Wichita State, and VCU should be irrelevant right now. Billy Gillespie should have been wildly successful at Kentucky. Wisconsin certainly wasn't considered a basketball power before Bo Ryan, but now their "place" is apparently at the top of the Big Ten.

zhawks · Mar 9, 2017

Losing is one thing, we didn't even show up. We might be at the point that change is needed just for the sake of change... and that's never good.

2017 Coaching Carousel

illinoisfan11

Illwinsagain

Illwinsagain

Illwinsagain

FeelYourPaign

Rafale

Illwinsagain

FeelYourPaign

Obelix

Deleted member 626650

Guest

AJsDad

Cesaroe

zhawks

ILLINI IN NE

Golfer63

Golfer63

WesterveltVictoryCigar

Golfer63

Calvin

WesterveltVictoryCigar

dmac279

Calvin

dweebs19

MadMan

Illinifan533

zhawks