Coaching Carousel
- Status
Good to see you back
I don't even know anymore...
I'm completely exhausted from it all. I can't even imagine being BU or JW.
Naw this is news, thank you
Last edited:
Right - OA is possibly the best assistant in the game. Chin is good, but there are a lot of other good assistants out there
No buzz/talk on Ostrom?
Seems like a good fit...
Seems like a good fit...
TheFameProtector
- Champaign
MoCoMdIllini
- Montgomery County, Maryland
That's a take...
Not saying he did, but I seriously doubt Underwood fed that kind of line to Miller.
That's pure nonsense. Antigua is ONE of the best recruiters, but isn't the only one. As far as Coleman, even I could find a half dozen better coaches than him. It isn't about finding a recruiter as good as Antigua, it's about finding a staff that recruits better than the last one. And with all the opinions expressed in this thread about different names for assistants, just remember no one has the insight that Underwood does on each potential candidate. I have read about and formed opinions on those that I think will be good, but I still don't know about personal habits or personality traits that would make that individual good or bad as an assistant coach for the Illini.
Just my take with no inside information at all, ever, but I don't necessarily think it is a bad thing that the announcements aren't coming in rapid-fire. In the end, I am confident that BU and JW will get the best assistants for the team as it is. Waiting now could be nothing more than letting the Frazier announcement get its due acknowledgement.
ILFaninFL
- Nature Coast in Florida
I agree. Chin got his start coaching Mac Irving Fire and then ended up at Whitney Young before becoming a college assistant. That was why Brad offered him the job and I think it paid dividends. I don't think anyone was happy when he left, but that doesn't mean there aren't equally talented guys out there.
The hard one will be replacing OA with his recruiting chops. Everyone gives him high marks for his work with Georgie and Kofi, but Georgie didn't seem to continue to improve and Kofi is just a freak. Who is to say another coach couldn't have done more ...?
One telling thing is that when lists are made of the top assistants neither guy seemed to pop up until OA started to make lists when he went to Kentucky again.
I have every confidence that Brad will find his guys that will make us all scratch our heads in a few years and wonder what all the hand wringing was about.
sacraig
- The desert
Most likely a troll account anyway.
JFGsCoffeeMug: “During the season, sometimes we lose games. I really don't like that. When we lose games, I look for people to blame... Sometimes we win games. I like winning games... But when we lose, I get so upset that I forget all about the games we won. I don't like losing. I only want to win.”
Such is the beauty of playing the game with the big round ball. Each time down the floor is a new beginning. A fresh start. Whatever happens next, it may sometimes look like something you’ve seen before but it isn’t. It’s brand new and happening right in front of you. And when it’s done, it’s gone forever and quickly replaced by the next new trip down the floor. And it keeps happening, possession after possession. Game after game. Season after season. Generation after generation.
And when it’s all done for that one night, it’s the ultimate reflection of hard work and merit. If the Zebras (as they used to be called) on the floor stayed out of the way and called things straight, it’s a test of Mano a Mano. This is what you earned out there on the floor. Tally it up and count your chips. One winner, and one other participant that’s not a loser but just a group who fell a bit short that night.
It’s the perfect blend of individual and team performance. It’s the great test of performing under pressure, or not. It’s a test out on the floor, and maybe more so after the game is over and the lights are turned off. What does one learn from what just happened out there tonight?
JFGsCoffeeMug: “But I will criticize the people making these decisions, because I feel personally offended by their failures. Focusing on others helps me to avoid self-reflection.”
We all watch sports – including the Illini – for different reasons. We see what we want to see, or avoid looking at things we want not to. We can learn much about ourselves when we ask why we watch – why do we care – and what is it I really want out of all this. A National Title? Sure. Everyone wants that. But next year, that is gone and the quest starts again.
Win or lose, it’s about the enjoyment of the game and relationships we make along the way. And that is what endures. It's not always easy being an Illini fan. But we wouldn't want to be anything else.
Thanks ‘JFGsCoffeeMug’ for the stimulating post. And now, back to finding the Next Great Illini Assistant Coach.
Such is the beauty of playing the game with the big round ball. Each time down the floor is a new beginning. A fresh start. Whatever happens next, it may sometimes look like something you’ve seen before but it isn’t. It’s brand new and happening right in front of you. And when it’s done, it’s gone forever and quickly replaced by the next new trip down the floor. And it keeps happening, possession after possession. Game after game. Season after season. Generation after generation.
And when it’s all done for that one night, it’s the ultimate reflection of hard work and merit. If the Zebras (as they used to be called) on the floor stayed out of the way and called things straight, it’s a test of Mano a Mano. This is what you earned out there on the floor. Tally it up and count your chips. One winner, and one other participant that’s not a loser but just a group who fell a bit short that night.
It’s the perfect blend of individual and team performance. It’s the great test of performing under pressure, or not. It’s a test out on the floor, and maybe more so after the game is over and the lights are turned off. What does one learn from what just happened out there tonight?
JFGsCoffeeMug: “But I will criticize the people making these decisions, because I feel personally offended by their failures. Focusing on others helps me to avoid self-reflection.”
We all watch sports – including the Illini – for different reasons. We see what we want to see, or avoid looking at things we want not to. We can learn much about ourselves when we ask why we watch – why do we care – and what is it I really want out of all this. A National Title? Sure. Everyone wants that. But next year, that is gone and the quest starts again.
Win or lose, it’s about the enjoyment of the game and relationships we make along the way. And that is what endures. It's not always easy being an Illini fan. But we wouldn't want to be anything else.
Thanks ‘JFGsCoffeeMug’ for the stimulating post. And now, back to finding the Next Great Illini Assistant Coach.
Chin has already been replaced with a better coach and we'll see about the next hire but OA is not the best or even close to the best AC out there.
Deleted member 228346
D
Guest
Is it possible for Chester to get even less respect as a coach than as a player?
Sure looks like it jeez
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
It's just casual fans with drive by takes. Anybody with actual CBB connections and/or a semblance of understanding can see Frazier has the goods, and the experience to carry the goods.
Ask almost anyone in college hoops….OA is probably the best and most valuable AC out there….hence why he’s getting paid over a million dollars and why he’s the only AC we would offer that much to.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
It's funny the narrative some fans will create to feel better about losing a coach/player. Like UK would have come after him as high and hard as they did..if he wasn't the most valuable/best AC on the list.
sacraig
- The desert
*Looks squarely at AM thread, which amazingly continues to be active*
I think the discussion about who is the world's greatest AC is futile.
The absolute value of a given Asst coach to a team will always vary...depending on team. For example I think Juwan Howard would make a great case for Phil Martelli,..and I'm sure many other similar compares.
OA is a great recruiter and we will miss him..
Arguably is a more valuable AC for Illini than UK. I doubt his presence will make or break UK...but they are lucky to have him. And UK is a great step stone that worked for him before going to South Florida previously. Good for him.
For our AC hunt....Alot of AC options that may be gettable and some that we won't have a shot at.
I think the Chester hire was very good and relatively fast. Next hire... I' m good with being deliberate (less fast)..careful vetting/ selection is good thing.
The absolute value of a given Asst coach to a team will always vary...depending on team. For example I think Juwan Howard would make a great case for Phil Martelli,..and I'm sure many other similar compares.
OA is a great recruiter and we will miss him..
Arguably is a more valuable AC for Illini than UK. I doubt his presence will make or break UK...but they are lucky to have him. And UK is a great step stone that worked for him before going to South Florida previously. Good for him.
For our AC hunt....Alot of AC options that may be gettable and some that we won't have a shot at.
I think the Chester hire was very good and relatively fast. Next hire... I' m good with being deliberate (less fast)..careful vetting/ selection is good thing.
uofi7477
- Silver & Gold Vandals
Why bother, Kentucky would just steal him from us.
Antigua is very good, but how much of his reputation is a result of his prior stint at Kentucky? At Illinois he recruited better than any assistant since Self's staff, but if he didn't have his time at Kentucky, his rep wouldn't be that he is the best assistant in college basketball. I think Mennenga's time at Oregon shows that he can recruit to a college with a lesser reputation with better results. If Antigua had recruited 5 stars consistently at Illinois, I'd agree with your assessment, but while I love the recruits that came here, those same recruits would not have got him the great rep he has as a recruiter. His work with Kofi would definitely give him strong marks as a big man coach. Kenny Payne took Antigua's role at Kentucky and he pulled in numerous studs. Schools like KY, Duke, NC, KS. and Michigan St. are going to get 90% of the 5 stars to at least listen to their pitch. Before Antigua left Kentucky, there were also questions about the school's recruiting practices. How much did that help with those one and done commitments?
- Status