Coaching Discussion/Carousel
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He is a very good DC, doubt he would come here to be DC is we hired a offensive minded HC.
Top 3 candidates:
1. Hugh Freeze (Liberty)
2. Billy Napier (Louisiana)
3. Steve Sarkisian (Alabama OC)
They really want Freeze. (Assuming he calls his escorts on his personal phone in the future).
The fans may want Freeze but I don't think the AD is sold on it just yet. Napier, Chadwell, Tony Elliott, Fickell
Lol at the Lovie haters comment as well, don't hate Lovie or think he is a bad guy. He jut isn't a good college football coach. Game has passed him by and he does nothing in recruiting.
100% right. No reason to hate Lovie. He is a good man and a great role model. Sad that he hasn't been more successful because he is the perfect figurehead for a football program.
how is he at recruiting?? i used to live in chicago, then had to move to worthless arkansas, tough to keep up with the recruiting news!
Lovie is horrible at recruiting. Just look at this state. He needs to recruit smart football players, not athletes. He doesn't recruit this state well at all. Nobody is questioning his character. But he is not the perfect figurehead for this program. Extending his contract is so Illinois like. Good riddance this program is in dire need of a coach that has some emotion and discipline. Lovie does not demonstrate any of this.
He doesn't actively recruit at all sooo that would be a good start.
There has been absolutely zero bump, from Lovie doing recruiting. If anything, he's gotten super lucky via harvesting the transfer portal, which effectively wasn't even around when he was hired 4.5 years ago.
- Western Illinois
It just blows my mind that you would have a head coach that doesn't recruit. As a person I don't think you could have a better person. Unfortunately that doesn't win football games. Head coaches need to be dynamic and out going and relate to these young kids. As a HC you can have an Offensive and Defensive coordinator and let them do their jobs. But as a HC you need to be out in front of the recruits being the face of the program and getting them to buy into what you are doing.
When we first hired Lovie I thought "yes" we finally have a black HC that can relate to the Black athletes that he will bring in. And I do think he relates to them, he just needs to realize that his defense isn't working in the college game. And in my opinion he hasn't hired the right assistants. With the pool of money we had to pay assistant coaches, we should have much better coaches.
All of that to say this, I think it's time for Lovie to move on and for our beloved to start the rebuild once again. I just hope that I live long enough to see a consistently good product on the field. I was at the game that we beat Michigan at home the year we won every BIG 10 game. What was that 1983? Those were the good old days when we were relevant in football. Anyway, thank you for your insight 0440, I really enjoy you posts.
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Lovie is a nice guy but her doesnt have the passion or the fire we need. I like a coach to get upset on the sideline and fights for his team. Players love to see a guy get upset or does high fives when a great play happens. Lovie is not a game manager type which we see could have hurt us against RU late in the game. Napier and Chadwick are my top choices as both can take the talent IW has and advance it. Napier has a great resume and with him being with both Sweeney and Saban makes him a huge get. Would he come here? That is where JW needs to push a sell job that he cannot refuse. Not sure how many jobs comes open but the Big10 will at most only have two. Us and Michigan. He is a SE coach guy so he may want to get a gig in either the SEC or ACC but we will see.
Also if he is not participating in recruiting, that's a knock on his character. By now you can't call it ineptitude, he knows recruiting is important. He's making big money and isn't doing everything in his power to get the job done.
It is incredibly frustrating that we cannot shake the basement mentality. Illinois falls way short of paradise, but I have seen worse geographic locations produce good football programs (Manhattan, KS) as an example. We are starved for a guy who will sell the program and the state of Illinois. We have more than enough football talent in the surrounding areas, but we consistently lose out to Purdue, ND, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mizzou, Michigan, even Miami for crying out loud....Anyone good in the state looks elsewhere first because we have been so bad for such a long time. I was a huge Zook fan because of his energy, personality and his I will never get out worked mentality. It will take a young guy with passion and energy to convince these kids that our program can and will be different. If IU can be a top 10 team, why can't we?! Watch Allen on the sidelines, those kids love him (sorry, that will be the only positive thing I will every say about IU again). Go Illini!
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
If Lovie Smith isn't doing much coaching (based upon our play), and he's not recruiting either, then I can't for the life of me figure out what he does all day.
Cash his paychecks
You can't win without athletes.
It is very creative for anyone to believe that Lovie doesn't participate in recruiting.
I believe it because I've heard first hand. Talk the coaches off the record and they will tell you how Lovie recruits. Look at recruiting since Ward and Clark left.....really nothing going on. There is a reason we try for so many transfers every year, its easier than grinding on the recruiting trail.
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