Illini Basketball 2025-2026

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#101      
BretMyBeachHouse
RabidDawgClassic said:
Careful. These exact qualifications have been considered as “not good enough” by some when it comes to another particular assistant.
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They aren't good enough. That's why it's good to note his first job was not with his father and got hired for other jobs not with his father.

Excellent player in his own right.

We're you trying to point out the proper way to leverage your father in college basketball?
 
#102      
skyIdub
RabidDawgClassic said:
Careful. These exact qualifications have been considered as “not good enough” by some when it comes to another particular assistant.
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But then there's...you know.... that pesky actual experience thing.

Prior to Illinois....

Kruger- graduate assistant at OU in 2013-14
two-year stint (2014-16) as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona,
three seasons (2016-19) as an assistant coach on his father's staff at Oklahoma,
six seasons (2019-25) at UNLV where he served as an assistant coach under T.J. Otzelberger before being elevated to head coach prior to 2020-21.

Unnamed "particular assistant" -
chirp-cockroach.gif


Unnamed "particular assistant" Part Deux-
dzudw5s42ppc1.gif
 
#103      
EyeoftheIllini
skyIdub said:
But then there's...you know.... that pesky actual experience thing.

Prior to Illinois....

Kruger- graduate assistant at OU in 2013-14
two-year stint (2014-16) as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona,
three seasons (2016-19) as an assistant coach on his father's staff at Oklahoma,
six seasons (2019-25) at UNLV where he served as an assistant coach under T.J. Otzelberger before being elevated to head coach prior to 2020-21.

Unnamed "particular assistant" -
chirp-cockroach.gif


Unnamed "particular assistant" Part Deux-
dzudw5s42ppc1.gif
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And though Kruger was fired from UNLV, his total overall and conference records was over .500. I think he only had one season he finished sub-.500 in conference (none overall).
 
#109      
Oracle21
Dan said:
Underwood Adds Kruger to Fighting Illini Staff

"Kruger returns to Champaign, where he lived for four years and played two seasons at Centennial High School while his father, 2022 College Basketball Hall of Famer Lon Kruger, served as head coach of the Fighting Illini program from 1996-2000."

fightingillini.com

Underwood Adds Kruger to Fighting Illini Staff - University of Illinois Athletics

Veteran coach named Assistant to the Head Coach for the Fighting Illini.
fightingillini.com fightingillini.com
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The resemblance to his Dad is near identical
 
#112      
the juiceman cometh
BretMyBeachHouse said:
They aren't good enough. That's why it's good to note his first job was not with his father and got hired for other jobs not with his father.
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Which the post he was responding to also did not note.

Also, this practice of finding the slightest difference in resume to justify continuing to complain about TU is just weird. Yes, Kruger was on staff for two seasons at Northern Arizona (the second of which the team only won 5 games). No, this short stint of independence doesn't change the fact that every other job he had has at least the whiff of nepotism about it. Yes, Kruger has also proven himself as a coach (and to this point so has TU - he's coached strong offenses and a team he coached made it to the Elite Eight). Nepotism is everywhere in college ball, it's part of the culture, just because it's a second job and not a first doesn't make it not nepotism, but also sometimes it actually works out ok.
 
#117      
JJB
doowink said:
Can’t put to words how much I love this addition…Coach K has always been a good X an O guy…Will add 3-4 more wins to this years schedule …super hire by BU and JW!!
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So, he shores up some of BU's clipboard weaknesses and Tyler and Hammer's inexperience? And either brings some recruiting chops of his own or assumes operational responsibilities that help free up OA, Alexander, BU, etc to focus further on recruiting?

Splendid.
 
#120      
PepeSilvia
Joel Goodson said:
can't speak to specifics, but he's literally been immersed in hoops since he's been a toddler and his dad was a pretty darn good coach. I'm more than good with his expertise. yeah, it will be interesting to see how Brad utilizes him.

plus, he loathes leggings
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Kevin could legitimately play. Was the best player on ASU under his dad and then was an All mountain West selection at UNLV his final year when they made a sweet 16 run(beating Wisconsin). Then he played professionally for several years after college.

As far as a coach, he worked at Northern Arizona before joining his dad at Oklahoma and then spent two years with Otz at UNLV before taking over as their HC when Otz went back to Iowa State.

As a head coach he wasn't really bad at UNLV just mediocre. Career record of 76-55(40-34 in conference) and finished 5th, 7th, 4th, and 6th in the MWC. Not great but depends on the resources UNLV gave him and seems overly qualified for an assistant and like he still could have gotten a gig at a mid major.

Seemed to do a decent job of identifying talent at UNLV even if the results were mediocre. Dedan Thomas was great for 2 years and is now at LSU, initially recruited Keyshawn Hall(Auburn) and Keshon Gilbert(Iowa State), then Harkless and Donovan Williams both have played in the NBA.
 
#123      
PepeSilvia
the juiceman cometh said:
Which the post he was responding to also did not note.

Also, this practice of finding the slightest difference in resume to justify continuing to complain about TU is just weird. Yes, Kruger was on staff for two seasons at Northern Arizona (the second of which the team only won 5 games). No, this short stint of independence doesn't change the fact that every other job he had has at least the whiff of nepotism about it. Yes, Kruger has also proven himself as a coach (and to this point so has TU - he's coached strong offenses and a team he coached made it to the Elite Eight). Nepotism is everywhere in college ball, it's part of the culture, just because it's a second job and not a first doesn't make it not nepotism, but also sometimes it actually works out ok.
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I don't think anyone is saying nepotism doesn't run rampant in college basketball or really just sports in general.

However, comparing Kruger to TU is a little unfair to Kruger. Kruger was an all conference player and played professionally. That's a strong enough resume as a player where he could have broken into coaching on his own.

Also, I kind of doubt Otz took him as a nepo hire. They coached against each other in the Big12(assistants at ISU and Oklahoma). Sure, Kruger had the connection to UNLV because he played there and his dad coached there but I doubt he was forced on Otz.

I don't think Tyler would be getting the nepotism criticism if he had been an all conference level player and played professionally before being hired as an assistant.
 
#124      
Emerson Bigguns
PepeSilvia said:
I don't think anyone is saying nepotism doesn't run rampant in college basketball or really just sports in general.

However, comparing Kruger to TU is a little unfair to Kruger. Kruger was an all conference player and played professionally. That's a strong enough resume as a player where he could have broken into coaching on his own.

Also, I kind of doubt Otz took him as a nepo hire. They coached against each other in the Big12(assistants at ISU and Oklahoma). Sure, Kruger had the connection to UNLV because he played there and his dad coached there but I doubt he was forced on Otz.

I don't think Tyler would be getting the nepotism criticism if he had been an all conference level player and played professionally before being hired as an assistant.
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I fail to see how being an all conference player makes a person a better coach. There is no direct correlation to that being the case. There are enough examples in both categories to safely say they are different skill sets.
I’d argue that coaching having always been Tyler’s plan A, probably made him pay more attention to the nuances of coaching while he was still playing, rather than focusing on getting to the next level.
 
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