Also need to fill Nate McNeal position which was Director of Player Personnel. He left for Syracuse to be their general manager.
Coaching Carousel (Football)
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
To give perspective of the other side, I grew up in LaSalle County. I wanted to go to UIUC very badly due to their chemistry program. I visited campus in 1983 during my senior year of high school and loved it. I transferred there in 1986. Growing up, I hated Illinois athletics. To me, they always seemed like they had "little brother syndrome" (and to some degree, I still think that's true). Every chance I got, I bet against Illinois football in 1983 and lost a lot of sodas
.At the time I was looking at colleges/university, I couldn't have cared less about any schools athletics. But, I will say that after going to my first Illini football game (I think it was Louisville at home in 1986), I was hooked. Game day was quite a bit different back then.
Hopefully we can add keep adding to our support staff and analysts. Former Simeon player and coach Jordan Diamond is a ga at Miami of Ohio. Low cost move and he would bring cpl ties. Kofi Hughes, Mike Buchanan, Arthur Ray, Greg Holcomb are some people i would try to get on in some capacity
chiefini
- Rockford, Illinois
Thank you, @therealmiket86. I’m not sure anyone else has posted that your Illini knowledge, analysis, and advice are truly appreciated.
Sustained winning football teams at Alabama are considered to have helped general admissions increase significantly over the last 2 decades... General admissions help the university's finances, which in turn has helped pay for better teachers...
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yep. I saw somewhere Alabama pulls a high number of kids from places like NJ who probably can’t get into an Ivy and literally goes there for the football. Those kids’ tuition = $$$$.
AL (andmany other state schools) has free tuition and maybe room&board for national merit scholars from any state. UIUC has had virtually no academic scholarships for 40 years
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
yes
Bama is very inexpensive if you are really intelligent
UIUC had free tuition if you were an Illinois State Scholar when I enrolled. When both my daughter and son went, they had equal or better academic credentials to me and they had no chance to get in. (Daughter was admitted based on athletics after a LONG waiting period. Son was recruited by other D1 schools and moved on pretty quickly).
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
There has obviously been a lot of talk over the past year or so over on the basketball page of where we might turn if Brad Underwood, for one reason or another, was no longer our coach. But as far as I can recall I don't think we have discussed as much here on the football page. Now, I don't bring this up to say that Bielema has to go or that he hasn't been a satisfactory coach so far. Despite the couple of five win seasons, I have been very impressed with what Bielema has done, and I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that would be better at helping us stay afloat in the B1G.
But I am more curious as to where we stand in this current college football climate. Let's say that Bielema decides he is over coaching and just wants to be a dad and steps down. What kind of coach are we looking to hire? What kind of coach could we actually pull in? Is there anyone specific out there that is a no brainer most likely candidate? I feel like we are in an really interesting spot of not having been a top half of the Power 5 job, but now that we are moving into the Power 2 how desirable of a job do we have? Also keep in mind that you have coaches like Chip Kelly leaving bottom half of the B1G job to be a coordinator at OSU. Does a coach want to take a Big 12 or ACC job and try to win that conference, or does a coach want to take perhaps a higher paying job here to fight to be bowl eligible? Thinking of the main grouping of candidates, I am curious as to where we are looking:
MAC head coaches: There was a period of time where it made all the sense in the world to look to the cradle of coaches. But other than Leipold, who was an explicable exception, the pipeline of MAC to B1G has seemed to dry up. Too many whiffs and the MAC is just not on a competitive enough level to be ready to take over a B1G program. I'm also not sure if there is any logical candidate for us in the MAC right now. The only name I can think of is Jason Candle, but as obviously as Candle is not Beckman, can we really hire another Toledo coach? So I just see this as our likely path.
Non-Power 2 Power 5 head coaches: This is also a path I would be surprised if we went, although perhaps it is becoming more and more possible. Here you have Leipold, Kleiman, Campbell, maybe Dave Doeren. All fantastic coaches (not sure about Campbell but maybe) who I'm sure we'd be thrilled to get. They would never have previously taken a lateral job to Illinois. But this is where maybe this is where being in the Power 2 will pay off. Does someone want to lock themselves into the financial top tier of coaching? I could still see most saying no, as they have already said no to better coaching openings. But does a guy like Matt Campbell decide to "reset the clock" by coming over to Illinois? Not sure. But that would be a great think for us in the new world of college football if that would be considered.
Non-MAC Go5 head coaches: This is what Indiana did getting Curt Cignetti. These conference are obviously a better "minor league" for the Power 2 than the MAC is right now. But there is a lower likelihood of midwest or Illinois roots, so I am not sure there will be many candidates who are obvious fits for us. But perhaps this is where we go.
Wild cards / retreads: This is where we have gone in the past. Zook, Lovie, Bret. Do we go back to the Wisconsin tree and get Paul Chryst? Or even bring back Jim Leonhard?
NFL: I don't see any NFL coordinator taking our job. It would have to be a position coach, and its hard to predict who that could be.
College football coordinators du jour: Another common path, but also hard to predict because the hype around those candidates ramps up throughout the season. But idk, if things go well there do we go after a guy like Kirk Campbell who just got the OC job at Michigan? Young, somewhat inexperienced, and try to grab him before he builds a resume good enough that he gets a better job?
I know my post is a bit rambling, but I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on what type of coach we would be looking for the next time around and what that says about where Illinois is in this new era of college football.
But I am more curious as to where we stand in this current college football climate. Let's say that Bielema decides he is over coaching and just wants to be a dad and steps down. What kind of coach are we looking to hire? What kind of coach could we actually pull in? Is there anyone specific out there that is a no brainer most likely candidate? I feel like we are in an really interesting spot of not having been a top half of the Power 5 job, but now that we are moving into the Power 2 how desirable of a job do we have? Also keep in mind that you have coaches like Chip Kelly leaving bottom half of the B1G job to be a coordinator at OSU. Does a coach want to take a Big 12 or ACC job and try to win that conference, or does a coach want to take perhaps a higher paying job here to fight to be bowl eligible? Thinking of the main grouping of candidates, I am curious as to where we are looking:
MAC head coaches: There was a period of time where it made all the sense in the world to look to the cradle of coaches. But other than Leipold, who was an explicable exception, the pipeline of MAC to B1G has seemed to dry up. Too many whiffs and the MAC is just not on a competitive enough level to be ready to take over a B1G program. I'm also not sure if there is any logical candidate for us in the MAC right now. The only name I can think of is Jason Candle, but as obviously as Candle is not Beckman, can we really hire another Toledo coach? So I just see this as our likely path.
Non-Power 2 Power 5 head coaches: This is also a path I would be surprised if we went, although perhaps it is becoming more and more possible. Here you have Leipold, Kleiman, Campbell, maybe Dave Doeren. All fantastic coaches (not sure about Campbell but maybe) who I'm sure we'd be thrilled to get. They would never have previously taken a lateral job to Illinois. But this is where maybe this is where being in the Power 2 will pay off. Does someone want to lock themselves into the financial top tier of coaching? I could still see most saying no, as they have already said no to better coaching openings. But does a guy like Matt Campbell decide to "reset the clock" by coming over to Illinois? Not sure. But that would be a great think for us in the new world of college football if that would be considered.
Non-MAC Go5 head coaches: This is what Indiana did getting Curt Cignetti. These conference are obviously a better "minor league" for the Power 2 than the MAC is right now. But there is a lower likelihood of midwest or Illinois roots, so I am not sure there will be many candidates who are obvious fits for us. But perhaps this is where we go.
Wild cards / retreads: This is where we have gone in the past. Zook, Lovie, Bret. Do we go back to the Wisconsin tree and get Paul Chryst? Or even bring back Jim Leonhard?
NFL: I don't see any NFL coordinator taking our job. It would have to be a position coach, and its hard to predict who that could be.
College football coordinators du jour: Another common path, but also hard to predict because the hype around those candidates ramps up throughout the season. But idk, if things go well there do we go after a guy like Kirk Campbell who just got the OC job at Michigan? Young, somewhat inexperienced, and try to grab him before he builds a resume good enough that he gets a better job?
I know my post is a bit rambling, but I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on what type of coach we would be looking for the next time around and what that says about where Illinois is in this new era of college football.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
A very good question, and no matter how secure your head coaching situation is there should always be a shortlist in the top drawer of an AD's desk, but man, the landscape is changing so fast and so hard to understand at the moment, I'm kinda left scratching my head thinking for an answer.
I guess thing #1 for any school in our position would be seeing if we could prise away a coach you wouldn't expect who was in the Power 5 but isn't in the Power 2.
Chris Kleiman seems insanely unrealistic, but is it? Dave Doeren same. Those would be unbelievable grand slam hires.
Another name I'd keep on my bingo card is Sean Lewis, Dino Babers protege, very au courant offensive mind, did okay at the impossible Kent State job then was the architect of the Deion boom at Colorado before Deion very stupidly sidelined him, and he just took over at San Diego State. Chicagoland guy, played for Bielema at Wisconsin incidentally.
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mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
Now this is different than the other hires. This is a guy who's never been in the pros and he's jumping to a job that isn't clearly a promotion. First obvious sign for those saying the college coaching profession is being hurt by NIL in a tangible way.
It’s a good career move for him to be part of the McVay coaching tree
It is absolutely a promotion.
Great move by Nathan. Get NFL experience under one of the best offensive minds in NFL. If Bret moves on or flames out Nathan should be on Jay's speed dial. The kid is going places fast!
theramswire.usatoday.com
Sean McVay coaching tree: All the Rams assistants who became head coaches or coordinators
Sean McVay has now helped five of his former assistant coaches land head coaching jobs since 2017 and even more became coordinators
theramswire.usatoday.com
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
yup
he’ll make more money
AND
it’s the NFL
it’s step up .
Iowa St is not on the right side of realignment . gonna be tough for them in the new B12 and new FBS landscape
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Playcaller to non-playcaller, so it's a downgrade in that sense, but he's leaving ISU with a full Matt Campbell merit badge, and now he's off to get his Sean McVay merit badge, he's building an extremely strong resume here with name guys who command respect in the industry.
He's 33 years old. Getting the full time RB coach gig at like 24 when Beckman got fired really supercharged his career. And obviously he's been mature beyond his years from the day he arrived as a player, he was capable of handling it.
Just kind of a question now of where he wants to go and what he wants to do, he'll be a member of staff in good standing anywhere he wants at this point, but to get the big spotlight and the big payday he will eventually have to cross the bridge to a job where he could fail. But he's got the time to be selective about it.
Not so much first obvious sign as lots of little signs, but yeah, a certain ambivalence to college jobs is a thing now, no denying it.
One man's waste dump is another man's opportunity though.
Don't see how they'll be anything above 6-6 or 7-5 most years. The new B12 additions may not be OU or Texas, but they're no slouches in football.
the national
- the Front Range
Edit: others beat me to it
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
they will be lucky to win 6 games
the new B12 will compete with the B1G on the field, they just can’t compete in the boardroom
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Leaving aside the revenue disparity, leaving aside all their good coaches fleeing for the hills, there is just an ocean of meh in that conference.
They've been AAC-ified.
Who the hell is JayGreat move by Nathan. Get NFL experience under one of the best offensive minds in NFL. If Bret moves on or flames out Nathan should be on Jay's speed dial. The kid is going places fast!
Sean McVay coaching tree: All the Rams assistants who became head coaches or coordinators
Sean McVay has now helped five of his former assistant coaches land head coaching jobs since 2017 and even more became coordinators