Coaching Carousel

RockfordIllini · Dec 9, 2022

On Fickell, of course he won a ton of games and getting a group of 5 team to the playoff is an amazing accomplishment. But I got curious so I started looking at game by game results, and he actually didn’t have that many impressive wins. Probably the most impressive was over a very good ND team last year. Will be interesting to see what kind of results he gets in the BIG.

Definitely a splashy hire and shows Wisky is serious about being a player, but I think it’s far from a given that he pushes them past this sort of 8-4 plateau they’ve seemed to stall out at the last few years. I think you take our team this year and play Cincy’s s schedule last year you’d get a very similar result.

A shakeup was probably needed but I’m not sure he’s 100% a sure thing and I don’t know if that’s worth leaving behind your identity of the past 30+ years. Can ask Nebraska fans how well that can go. I’m thrilled to have BB and will take my chances of year 3 of a BB program over year 1 of Fickell.

MDchicago · Dec 9, 2022

RockfordIllini said:
A shakeup was probably needed but I’m not sure he’s 100% a sure thing and I don’t know if that’s worth leaving behind your identity of the past 30+ years. Can ask Nebraska fans how well that can go. I’m thrilled to have BB and will take my chances of year 3 of a BB program over year 1 of Fickell.

Good points. Also heightens the need to recruit multiple skill positions at a higher level to be consistently successful. Maybe they will be able to, but it is a bit off-brand and far from certain...

spotter · Dec 9, 2022

MDchicago said:
Good points. Also heightens the need to recruit multiple skill positions at a higher level to be consistently successful. Maybe they will be able to, but it is a bit off-brand and far from certain...

Wonder if any players we were in on and lost out to might be having second thoughts now or might be eying the portal a year from now.....

Captain 14 · Dec 9, 2022

Mr. Tibbs said:
nothing surprises me. He was very corporate looking

I asked Mackovic one time very casually about wearing long sleeved shirts on the sideline and was informed that "long sleeved shirts are the mark of a well dressed man."

BZuppke · Dec 10, 2022

The myth of Mackovic as a great coach. He was a great in game coach. Even the great Dick Vermeil admired his play calling. But he was a very weird dude who alienated his players and alums. His record was declining when he exited. Illinois’ failing was hiring a coach without an AD and that coach being Lou Tepper. We could have poached an experienced head coach at the time and who knows?

SoCal Illini · Dec 11, 2022

BZuppke said:
The myth of Mackovic as a great coach. He was a great in game coach. Even the great Dick Vermeil admired his play calling. But he was a very weird dude who alienated his players and alums. His record was declining when he exited. Illinois’ failing was hiring a coach without an AD and that coach being Lou Tepper. We could have poached an experienced head coach at the time and who knows?

Mackovic did leave when Illinois had some momentum. 4 straight bowl games I believe? My pops played for Blackman in the 70s, and he’d say tepper reminded him of Moeller (he wasn’t a Blackman fan either). Meaning too ‘old school’ and behind the times. Coming from a guy that loved illlini tradition.

I’ll just add this, those Blackman illini teams had some mean dudes on those teams… a few a which were, especially by today’s standards, crazy as eff

champaignchris · Dec 11, 2022

SoCal Illini said:
Mackovic did leave when Illinois had some momentum. 4 straight bowl games I believe? My pops played for Blackman in the 70s, and he’d say tepper reminded him of Moeller (he wasn’t a Blackman fan either). Meaning too ‘old school’ and behind the times. Coming from a guy that loved illlini tradition.

I’ll just add this, those Blackman illini teams had some mean dudes on those teams… a few a which were, especially by today’s standards, crazy as eff

I think Blackman did better here than he’s generally given credit for. If he had been allowed to schedule like today’s teams are and if Big 10 teams were allowed to go to Bowls like today’s teams are, his teams would have gone to 4 straight bowl games.

ChiefGritty · Dec 11, 2022

champaignchris said:
I think Blackman did better here than he’s generally given credit for. If he had been allowed to schedule like today’s teams are and if Big 10 teams were allowed to go to Bowls like today’s teams are, his teams would have gone to 4 straight bowl games.

24-11-1 against B1G opponents other than the peak Woody and Bo era OSU and Michigan who didn't lose to anyone other than each other.

DaChief4ever · Dec 11, 2022

Captain 14 said:
I asked Mackovic one time very casually about wearing long sleeved shirts on the sideline and was informed that "long sleeved shirts are the mark of a well dressed man."

I asked my Austin, TX relatives about Mack, when he left Illinois.....they said..."...round here we call em the wine and cheese coach"

IlliniFaninHoosierLand · Dec 11, 2022

Navy has fired head coach Ken Niumatalolo. He was the coach at Navy for 15 seasons but had went 11-23 the last 3 seasons.

Chillinini · Dec 11, 2022

IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
Navy has fired head coach Ken Niumatalolo. He was the coach at Navy for 15 seasons but had went 11-23 the last 3 seasons.

Even though he had a good overall record against Army, Navy was struggling lately against Army and AF.
Plus yesterday’s game was probably the proverbial final nail in the coffin.
Good guy though, he really was committed to the Naval Academy.

Mr. Tibbs · Dec 11, 2022

really kind of surprised there isnt more talk about either Dan Mullen or Gary Patterson to Purdue.

Not saying either is ideal, but both are "available" and both are very capable

bluemountain · Dec 11, 2022

champaignchris said:
I think Blackman did better here than he’s generally given credit for. If he had been allowed to schedule like today’s teams are and if Big 10 teams were allowed to go to Bowls like today’s teams are, his teams would have gone to 4 straight bowl games.

Under today's scheduling and bowl criteria, Blackman would have to gone 6 for 6 in bowl games here

bluemountain · Dec 11, 2022

SoCal Illini said:
Mackovic did leave when Illinois had some momentum. 4 straight bowl games I believe? My pops played for Blackman in the 70s, and he’d say tepper reminded him of Moeller (he wasn’t a Blackman fan either). Meaning too ‘old school’ and behind the times. Coming from a guy that loved illlini tradition.

I’ll just add this, those Blackman illini teams had some mean dudes on those teams… a few a which were, especially by today’s standards, crazy as eff

He was a strange dude, but an excellent coach. Not only did he go to bowls all 4 years here, but he set up Tepper to be highly competitive in his first 4 years here. And as noted by someone else, Tepper was roughly as competent as Moeller was.

Captain 14 · Dec 11, 2022

DaChief4ever said:
I asked my Austin, TX relatives about Mack, when he left Illinois.....they said..."...round here we call em the wine and cheese coach"

I remember the UT faithful made fun of his apparent liberal use of lip balm as he strode the sidelines there. And I know he didn't like being called Mack! Was he the first Illini football coach to ever leave the program for a 'better' job (i.e., not fired or retired)...hmmm, and the last too?

champaignchris · Dec 11, 2022

Captain 14 said:
I remember the UT faithful made fun of his apparent liberal use of lip balm as he strode the sidelines there. And I know he didn't like being called Mack! Was he the first Illini football coach to ever leave the program for a 'better' job (i.e., not fired or retired)...hmmm, and the last too?

First and I believe to this point only football coach to leave for a better job.

SKane · Dec 12, 2022

champaignchris said:
First and I believe to this point only football coach to leave for a better job.

I believe that you are correct. Even Bob Zuppke and Ray Elliot did not leave ILL for better jobs.

Fired - Pete Elliot, Valek, Blackman, Moeller, White, Tepper, Turner, Zook, Beckman, Smith. Maybe I have forgotten someone. There have been so many.

There were a few coaches before Coach Zuppke who actually had good records. Maybe one of them left for a better job (which may not have been coaching back in those days)..

List of Illinois Fighting Illini head football coaches - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Illiniguy74 · Dec 12, 2022

SKane said:
I believe that you are correct. Even Bob Zuppke and Ray Elliot did not leave ILL for better jobs.

Fired - Pete Elliot, Valek, Blackman, Moeller, White, Tepper, Turner, Zook, Beckman, Smith. Maybe I have forgotten someone. There have been so many.

There were a few coaches before Coach Zuppke who actually had good records. Maybe one of them left for a better job (which may not have been coaching back in those days)..

List of Illinois Fighting Illini head football coaches - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Pete Elliot was fired by a conspiratorial Big10.

DeonThomas · Dec 12, 2022

SoCal Illini said:
Mackovic did leave when Illinois had some momentum. 4 straight bowl games I believe? My pops played for Blackman in the 70s, and he’d say tepper reminded him of Moeller (he wasn’t a Blackman fan either). Meaning too ‘old school’ and behind the times. Coming from a guy that loved illlini tradition.

I’ll just add this, those Blackman illini teams had some mean dudes on those teams… a few a which were, especially by today’s standards, crazy as eff

Interesting "ties" to Illini football you have! I was a huge fan of Blackman in grade school. Loved his Sunday morning TV Show recapping the prior day's game. (I got most of the live games on radio only, so it was always nice to see video highlights the day after.)

In fact, Blackman was one of the huge reasons I attended Illinois. He had a great TV persona........sorta like Santa Claus' first born son.

MustangWally · Dec 12, 2022

DeonThomas said:
Interesting "ties" to Illini football you have! I was a huge fan of Blackman in grade school. Loved his Sunday morning TV Show recapping the prior day's game. (I got most of the live games on radio only, so it was always nice to see video highlights the day after.)

In fact, Blackman was one of the huge reasons I attended Illinois. He had a great TV persona........sorta like Santa Claus' first born son.

My freshman year, we went 0-9 under Valek. Blackman was much better than his predecessor and successor. I liked him, too. I think he went back to the Ivy League.

SKane · Dec 12, 2022

MustangWally said:
My freshman year, we went 0-9 under Valek. Blackman was much better than his predecessor and successor. I liked him, too. I think he went back to the Ivy League.

You are right.

He coached at Cornell for seven years after Illinois.

Point-Illinois · Dec 12, 2022

SKane said:
You are right.

He coached at Cornell for seven years after Illinois.

bluemountain · Dec 12, 2022

SKane said:
You are right.

He coached at Cornell for seven years after Illinois.

He was a pretty legendary coach at Dartmouth. They finished 1970 ranked #14 in both polls, which is absolutely remarkable. They won the Lambert trophy in 1965 and 1970, beating out the likes of Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, etc.

He came into a difficult situation at the UI - we were still dealing with the aftershock of the slush fund scandal, there was no bowl eligibility outside the Rose Bowl, it was the height of Big 2/little 8 era, big 10 schools had academic restrictions other conferences didn't have to deal with, typical non-conference schedules include the likes of Washington, PSU and USC, and he had to deal with a pr**k in the AD position who wanted his own guy in the job. Given the circumstances, he did remarkably well

MustangWally · Dec 12, 2022

bluemountain said:
He was a pretty legendary coach at Dartmouth. They finished 1970 ranked #14 in both polls, which is absolutely remarkable. They won the Lambert trophy in 1965 and 1970, beating out the likes of Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, etc.

He came into a difficult situation at the UI - we were still dealing with the aftershock of the slush fund scandal, there was no bowl eligibility outside the Rose Bowl, it was the height of Big 2/little 8 era, big 10 schools had academic restrictions other conferences didn't have to deal with, typical non-conference schedules include the likes of Washington, PSU and USC, and he had to deal with a pr**k in the AD position who wanted his own guy in the job. Given the circumstances, he did remarkably well

Cecil Coleman?

illini0440 · Dec 12, 2022

Walters has interviewed at Purdue