So bullen is staying…goodone bullet dodged
Edit: this is just my wild guess as one of the guys I least want to lose.
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Edit: this is just my wild guess as one of the guys I least want to lose.
This is probably my bias showing but I really think we need a guy with southern ties here. I think this staff, in general, can develop potential into reality. Grab some athletic southern linebackers, even if a tad raw, develop them, and get us more speed in that area of the field than we normally have. Especially with Big Ten changing, the style/level of athletes we will see is changing, we need to do our best to get those kinds of athletes as well. I think we do decently on the lines, and in skill and in secondary. I think the Big Ten in general needs more speed at linebacker.
Central IL Illini
- Springfield, IL
Because it's a fun game for the fans and we aren't going to the playoff anytime soon regardless. Give me this over Toledo or Western Michigan
As long as we are competitive I agree. Getting blown out is my least favorite outcome. We have sucked for so long being close with good teams and winning a few is my hope.
If Thad Ward moves to WR coach, is Dre Brown even a darkhorse candidate? I know we all fall in love with the idea of former players as coaches, but he’s gotten his feet wet at Tennessee and ND, and while not a position coach yet, he has worked with RB’s. He also played it for 5yrs with us and seemed like a smart player, which usually transfers to coaching. We’ve taken chances on minimally experienced college coaches recently with Patterson and Fenelus. Rolling the dice on Dre Brown doesn’t seem all that crazy especially when considering getting some young recruiting energy on staff.
www.on3.com
Dre Brown — An important name to know on the Notre Dame staff
Notre Dame director of high school scouting Dre Brown has been a key part of the Irish staff for the past two years.
I think going forward if your not getting 7-8 wins a year you put yourself at risk of losing some of your better players to the portal who want to be part of a more successful program. It also hurts you on getting recruits and transfers to come here if you are not stacking winning seasons. We have to get good and stay good if we want to stay out of the bottom tier of the big 10. I don't see that happening unless we start pulling in top 25 range classes now and then and staying at least in the top 50.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
You’re right … 1 position coach is not make or break …
But when you fire Buh … Have McDonald leave … Have 2 more assistants that are actively looking and interviewing at other programs … And another assistant who is telling people he is open to the right move …
It’s cause for concern … And losing them all (which I’m not saying is happening, but it’s on the table depending how the chips fall) …
Could define the tenure … IMO …
Agreed. Losing one coach is noise. Losing several assistants after a five-win season is signal.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
If Thad Ward moves to WR coach, is Dre Brown even a darkhorse candidate? I know we all fall in love with the idea of former players as coaches, but he’s gotten his feet wet at Tennessee and ND, and while not a position coach yet, he has worked with RB’s. He also played it for 5yrs with us and seemed like a smart player, which usually transfers to coaching. We’ve taken chances on minimally experienced college coaches recently with Patterson and Fenelus. Rolling the dice on Dre Brown doesn’t seem all that crazy especially when considering getting some young recruiting energy on staff.
Dre Brown — An important name to know on the Notre Dame staff
Notre Dame director of high school scouting Dre Brown has been a key part of the Irish staff for the past two years.
For all of the non-starters and weird fits that are proposed on here for Illinois football alums, this is one that seems plausible.
I'm surprised we haven't heard Belichick's name thrown around for the LB opening. Would give me flashbacks to the Monty Williams as a lock "rumor" prior to BU being hired.
It turned into famILLy
TentakilRex
- Land O Insects between Quincy-Macomb-Jacksonville
FamILy is better anyway
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Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
meh
Brett uses “ I L L “ on just about everything he texts .
pretty sure he’s connecting the front half of our 6 letter chant to that
BZuppke
- Plainfield
Or 12-0
Outscored by opponents 353-294. Sounds like a losing record
Only if you know how to count.
If we want alumns, what about j leman? Or Scott studwell…. Retired but knows a lot about personnel and make it linebacker u again.
If it’s recruiting ability we’re worried about, then how about anyone with nfl experience… something like Eugene Wilson in your living room with a couple Super Bowl rings could help. Perhaps not as coaches, but possibly make them part of some nil collective with the message, ‘we will get you to the nfl’. That’s gotta be the biggest pitch in recruiting, the promise for a shot at the nfl if they play at Illinois. Rather than rely solely on coaches recruiting, use the vague nil rules to use former and current nfl guys to communicate with the recruits. Not sure how exactly that’d work though…. Thinking out loud
“I’ll get you to the nfl if you come here and do what I say” was basically urban meyer’s main pitch… although some of his ‘advice’ was strange to say the least. But it worked
If it’s recruiting ability we’re worried about, then how about anyone with nfl experience… something like Eugene Wilson in your living room with a couple Super Bowl rings could help. Perhaps not as coaches, but possibly make them part of some nil collective with the message, ‘we will get you to the nfl’. That’s gotta be the biggest pitch in recruiting, the promise for a shot at the nfl if they play at Illinois. Rather than rely solely on coaches recruiting, use the vague nil rules to use former and current nfl guys to communicate with the recruits. Not sure how exactly that’d work though…. Thinking out loud
“I’ll get you to the nfl if you come here and do what I say” was basically urban meyer’s main pitch… although some of his ‘advice’ was strange to say the least. But it worked
We are on message boards after a 5 win season. I’m not sure you know what a fair weather fan is.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
I get you and respect all here. I just hate the negativity. Kansas St, Oregon State, Duke and so many others were never going to be winning programs until they were. Going back, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and NW absolutely sucked until they became competitive. Don’t tell me for one minute there’s some special handicap that prevents us from being a competitive program. Will we be elite and playoff competitive? Most likely not. Neither have Iowa and Wisconsin achieved this level after decades of winning. But we can certainly compete with everyone else. So it so irks me to hear our ‘fans’ say BS like we’ll be lucky to be a 6-6 team. Or Josh and Illinois are content with 6-6. We are not. They are not. And we CAN push our way into the Iowa/Wisconsin level. And I believe Bret will do so. He’s been here 3 seasons. We will not get there overnight. But I have faith we have the best HC since Mike White and We Will Win.
Much of the negativity is based on missing expectations in year 3 by a lot. Jeremy Werner was at 8 wins, and he’s normally conservative. Years 3-4-5 are the judgement years for football and we just took a step back after a lot of talk last offseason. It’s absolutely critical to make a bowl this year. I can’t emphasize that enough.
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I was sky high last year, but reality slapped me in the face. Getting run off the field by Kansas and going 0-3 vs first year coaches really killed the vibe. To make matters worse I was talking up Bielema/Illinois to some Mizzou buddies of mine. Ouch.
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