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Butch JonesBrett Bielema
Lane Kiffin
Ken Niumatalolo (would be an incredible get)
Butch Davis
Manny Diaz
Jim McElwain-meh
Butch JonesBrett Bielema
Lane Kiffin
Ken Niumatalolo (would be an incredible get)
Butch Davis
Manny Diaz
Jim McElwain-meh
Brett Bielema
Lane Kiffin
Ken Niumatalolo (would be an incredible get)
Butch Davis
Manny Diaz
Jim McElwain-meh
Butch Jones would NEVER come to Illinois
Mark Stoops would NEVER come to Illinois...
Exactly. I just don’t see Lovie wanting to stay here much longer after three bad years. Maybe I’m wrong but his demeanor seems uninterested, but then again it is Lovie.Does anyone think that Lovie really wants to be here?
Just look at his body language and demeanor on the sideline.
Listen to him in news conferences.
Lethargic and disinterested.
Just like a large number of his players and coaches.
Umm yes he most certainly did. He was our DC and Maryland connection and the reason we pulled in guys like Rejus Benn.Locksley didn't recruit FYI
Did you watch him in Chicago? This is who he is, not an indication of his current feelings.Does anyone think that Lovie really wants to be here?
Just look at his body language and demeanor on the sideline.
Listen to him in news conferences.
Lethargic and disinterested.
Just like a large number of his players and coaches.
Dave Aranda, LSU?
Been wanting Aranda for a while. He would be at the top of the List, IMHO.
Not a personal thing. I just don’t believe any coach/regime that could be as incompetent as we’ve seen the past three weeks also has within his/its capacity to build a successful P5 program. It’s a question of when, not if.
Been wanting Aranda for a while. He would be at the top of the List, IMHO.
Bielema would come here and he would be successful. He’s kind of a jerk but he would be successful.
Did you watch him in Chicago? This is who he is, not an indication of his current feelings.
The thought behind this is obviously that firing Lovie is undesirable and maybe not possible and the defense is atrocious and Hardy is the guy with the "defensive coordinator" title. And while the 2016 and 2017 defenses were better, they weren't great and it's not like Hardy is an elite recruiter or otherwise hugely qualified for the job.
But you don't fire a coach as punishment for a poor job, you fire a coach in order to be stronger moving forward. This is going to be Lovie Smith's defense going forward from a scheme perspective if he's the head coach, HE is the real defensive coordinator, and look at what Hardy has to work with from a staff perspective at the current moment:
- A 28 year old whose only previous experience was as a grad assistant and was still in college in 2014
- An NFL DB's coach with zero previous college coaching experience who stepped up to the title of "Passing Game Coordinator"
- Another 20-something with no college coaching experience who was still in college in 2013 and only has the job because he's Lovie's son
Hardy is the "Defensive Coordinator" but the thing he has most control over is defending the run game and linebacker play. To the extent there's an area of our defense that is something short of embarrassing, that's it.
To summarize, it's not like Hardy Nickerson is doing some hidden excellent job with his piece of the coaching staff work. He's not. But if you believe firing him and bringing in some name guy with success elsewhere solves the problem of Lovie's scheme and an unqualified staff, I think you're fooling yourself.
Assuming Lovie himself is not fired, what I would do is clean up the responsibilities on defense, make Hardy the proper DC and playcaller, get rid of Clark and Miles Smith and hire a dedicated LB coach, a new DL coach, and "demote" Byrd to just DB's coach where he can focus on technique across our DB group.
I don't think you should look at that all as one thing. An exodus of active players is unlikely regardless of what would happen with a coaching change, but losing IWill and Beason is probably something close to a certainty even with the most miraculous possible hire. Maybe not IWill if the new coach wants to stick with the promise of making him a QB, but that's just speculation on my part.
It's a bit like the Jeremiah Tilmon situation, don't overthink what it means to fire a recruit's coach. That's who they're coming to play for. But existing players already live in Champaign and have formed bonds with their teammates and face higher hurdles to going elsewhere. It's a different situation.
Maybe it's possible that a new HC would keep Rod Smith, C Patterson to try and keep William's on board. He can be good in this offense with a solid line and a couple receivers.
Agree. I think we are arguably in a better place than Purdue when Brohm took over. Or Shiano at Rutgers. Or Fitzy at NW. It can be turned around quick with the right guy.Don’t be so quick to dismiss Champaign as a place that quality candidates will dismiss out of hand. Top 20 salary, brand new football facility, weaker half of a P5 conference, national TV coverage and an AD who is an alumni of the program and will do anything within reason to support the coach make the gig more attractive than some others. The right guy can turn this around. Becoming clear that Lovie isn’t it. We need great recruiters AND teachers. Lovie proven neither. Someone else will get a turn unless next year shows improvement.
There is 0% chance Lovie Smith is fired before the 2019-2020 season. You people are living in fantasyland.