Why would anybody look at your profile photo. I'm 65, and my profile is better than yours
Bret Bielema Takes Reins of Illinois Football
Please Stop
Makes me wonder how JW let this happen and if he did anything about it. It's one thing to have a down recruiting year or two, but to be as deficient (negligent?) as Lovie was over 5 seasons, at some point the boss has to step in and asses and make changes and much earlier in the process.
I love when the boss reps in as asses things.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I think JW is more hands-off with the football program than people think, and more hands-off than Guenther was.
Which is fine and arguably preferable. Let your coaches coach. And be willing to hold them accountable, something Guenther failed at multiple times.
Not saying JW has to be in daily staff meetings, but for heaven's sake, at the end of the year when you're reviewing the program w/ Lovie, JW's gotta at least say "hey, what do you need? How can we help?". We'll never know if he did that, of course. Very interesting that the ink is barely dry on Lovie's separation papers, and high school coaches are notably vocal on how bad in state recruiting was under Lovie.
Anyway, onward and upwards. Recruiting will be much better under BB.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Oh I'm sure he said exactly those things. Whitman gave Lovie everything an AD possibly could.
At the end of the day, Lovie was never going to run the program up to college football standards. JW couldn't force him to do it.
Lovie must have wow'd the heck out of JW in the interview, as I'm sure that type of question was asked.
I'm starting to question Robert's point that it wasn't that Lovie didn't care (which to me is code for "didn't work hard"), but rather that he was fixed in his ways, stubborn, etc. I'm starting to think it was both.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
That's the original sin of the whole thing. Whitman hadn't been in D1 football since 2000. Lovie hadn't been in D1 football since 1995. Both guys supremely confident, some might say overconfident, that they know everything there is to know about everything. They got together in secret in Lovie's Tampa home in February-March 2016 and convinced each other they had the can't-miss formula to turn around a program neither of them really understood.
And you know what's funny? It would have been so much clearer what was going on at the time if it weren't for Garrick McGee. McGee as a sitting Power Five OC, poached away from a winning program in March, former D1 head coach himself, regarded as an excellent recruiter, it covered so much of the stink of what was a horribly misguided staff that until Thad Ward was added as a late afterthought basically had no one that could get players. But McGee was a gem in the all-important OC spot. Welp.
Trust but verify this time around, for me.
Great info and perspective. I too had the thought that JW was so enamored that Lovie would show interest and take his call, that maybe some key issues and questions really never went too deep. Sort of the "who cares, I got a Super Bowl head coach on my first shot, this is gonna go great!".
Will make for a good read in JW's memoirs someday.
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I agree, and I see it as an additional reason to look more favorably on hiring BB.
Last year's 6-6 probably put that off by one year.
BB not my first choice because of off-field rumors and baggage.
I think he knows what got him sideways at Arkansas. I hope JW cross-examined him and is convinced that BB has his vices/demons under control.
I don't want to get embarrassed again. Beckman and whoever that women's coach was the MT hired really put a stain on Illinois athletics.
We'll see in 3-5 years if my fears are unfounded. In the meantime, I look forward to some competitive football!
I think he knows what got him sideways at Arkansas. I hope JW cross-examined him and is convinced that BB has his vices/demons under control.
I don't want to get embarrassed again. Beckman and whoever that women's coach was the MT hired really put a stain on Illinois athletics.
We'll see in 3-5 years if my fears are unfounded. In the meantime, I look forward to some competitive football!
At the time I thought Lovie was a great hire. He didn’t win games but otherwise worked out In many ways. First of all, who else would take the job?
Zook was clearly bitter about being fired, and in hindsight the program wasn’t that bad. He just needed to figure out how to win 1 or 2 more games a year - the talent was there to do it.
Then instead of finding the right guy to get those couple extra games everyone turned down the job until we ended up with Beckman. I’m pretty sure at the Beckman hiring most people would’ve wished we could just forget the whole thing and bring back Zook. I know I did.
The Lovie hire saved the university more embarrassment, and brought some credibility. He was at least a palette cleanser, and I think the narrative of his failure regarding his refusal to recruit actually benefits Bielema and the university. I think it helps foster some optimism that another coach could come in here and get the job done.
Zook was clearly bitter about being fired, and in hindsight the program wasn’t that bad. He just needed to figure out how to win 1 or 2 more games a year - the talent was there to do it.
Then instead of finding the right guy to get those couple extra games everyone turned down the job until we ended up with Beckman. I’m pretty sure at the Beckman hiring most people would’ve wished we could just forget the whole thing and bring back Zook. I know I did.
The Lovie hire saved the university more embarrassment, and brought some credibility. He was at least a palette cleanser, and I think the narrative of his failure regarding his refusal to recruit actually benefits Bielema and the university. I think it helps foster some optimism that another coach could come in here and get the job done.
Losing put a stain on illinois athletics. What you are referring to disappeared as soon as Beckman was fired
BZuppke
- Plainfield
And Babs Wilson
BZuppke
- Plainfield
Since John Mackovic left in 1992 I’ve advocated hiring an experienced power 5 head coach who had been successful and Josh finally does it. Our best success in the modern era was under Mike White and Mackovic. I think we will soon have a football program to be proud of.
*Zook doesn’t count because although he was a power 5 head coach he never had success at Florida of all places - he underachieved.
*Zook doesn’t count because although he was a power 5 head coach he never had success at Florida of all places - he underachieved.
I don't like him as a person, but if Whitman is convinced, I'm convinced.
I admittedly don’t know much about football. But to me, a big part of winning football games is a. Getting guys that are bigger/stronger/faster than the competition and b. Getting the players motivated enough to want to run through a brick wall.
I thought Lovie was a great hire because although he was never what I would call an ace as far as scheme or in game coaching, his guys always loved him and played for him (b.) and I thought his nfl/super bowl pedigree would be of interest to players with nfl ambitions (a.).
Although he did uncover some gems, I knew we were toast when recruiting never really took off and we remained at or near the bottom of the big ten. Lovie just hasn’t proven a good enough coach to overcome a talent deficit. Disappointing there wasn’t more effort expended on that part of the program and a big part of what doomed the LS era.
And as far as the product on the field, I’m wondering if a lot of the discipline/assignment issues that seemed to plague us were the result of not understanding the level of teaching that needs to happen at this level. Guessing pros are expected to figure that stuff out on their own (like any job), with the understanding they can be quickly be out of a job if they don’t.
What we were left with was a group of inferior athletes who lacked understanding of the system and/or lacked the discipline to execute. Or, 63-0.
I’m optimistic BB has a high floor and can at least get us to respectability. He isn’t playing Bama and Auburn every week. Should be able to compete with Minnesota and Iowa and stop them from poaching Illinois kids.
I thought Lovie was a great hire because although he was never what I would call an ace as far as scheme or in game coaching, his guys always loved him and played for him (b.) and I thought his nfl/super bowl pedigree would be of interest to players with nfl ambitions (a.).
Although he did uncover some gems, I knew we were toast when recruiting never really took off and we remained at or near the bottom of the big ten. Lovie just hasn’t proven a good enough coach to overcome a talent deficit. Disappointing there wasn’t more effort expended on that part of the program and a big part of what doomed the LS era.
And as far as the product on the field, I’m wondering if a lot of the discipline/assignment issues that seemed to plague us were the result of not understanding the level of teaching that needs to happen at this level. Guessing pros are expected to figure that stuff out on their own (like any job), with the understanding they can be quickly be out of a job if they don’t.
What we were left with was a group of inferior athletes who lacked understanding of the system and/or lacked the discipline to execute. Or, 63-0.
I’m optimistic BB has a high floor and can at least get us to respectability. He isn’t playing Bama and Auburn every week. Should be able to compete with Minnesota and Iowa and stop them from poaching Illinois kids.
DReq
Always Illini
- Central Illinois
I haven't heard an interview yet that I did not come away from feeling positive about what BB will do. He seems like a very genuine guy and he also seems to have learned from his past errors. I hope he continues to move forward and gathers several more B1G Championships in the years to come. I was not sold on him initially from past impressions but I am ready to go all in.
Illinivek23
- Gurnee
I was not in favor of this hiring - but everything he is saying feels like a great fit between what he wants to accomplish and where we want to get to. Haven't heard a bad answer yet in all of the interviews I have listened to - seems like a genuine football guy who has coached at a high level as a really young guy and learned valuable lessons as his career progressed.
I am definitely all in and can't wait to see how much we will improvement we are going to show in Year 1 alone. Excited for the team, as it seems we got this right.
I am definitely all in and can't wait to see how much we will improvement we are going to show in Year 1 alone. Excited for the team, as it seems we got this right.
Couldn't say it any better, well said.