Illini Women's Basketball Coaching Search

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#27      
Lets hope one of the terrific coaches who have been referenced is willing to try to climb out of the hole that is Illini women's basketball.
 
#28      
Complete and total faith in JW on this next hire. Besides the close friendship with Josh's wife, GCU coach seems to fit who he hires. Whitman hires coaches who have track records of winning. Fahey's success at Wash U. Lovie's NFL/Super Bowl Success. BB's success at Wisconsin. Underwood's crazy win/loss record at SFA. GCU coaches win/loss record seems to be exactly the coach he targets.
If Whitman's strategy is to hire coaches with a good track record, then why were Fahey and Smith such failures? Whitman takes the easy way in hiring coaches. What other college was wanting to hire Bielema? Whitman is a good administrator, but I'm still not sold on his ability to hire coaches.
 
#29      
Former Illini point guard I heard mentioned on Werner’s pod. Been a long time assistant at TAM

I've been a fan of Kelly Bond-White for years. I had hoped that Whitman would have hired her when he hired Fahey. Bond-White is known for her recruiting.
 
#30      
Whitman should without a doubt give Kelly Bond White an interview as she is an alum who has had great success at Illinois as well as in her coaching career. Who are other candidates that have been mentioned?
 
#31      
Whitman should without a doubt give Kelly Bond White an interview as she is an alum who has had great success at Illinois as well as in her coaching career. Who are other candidates that have been mentioned?
Since the coach at A&M is retiring, is Kelly going to get that position? She's been there about 20 years, so maybe she knows she's the next head coach.
 
#32      
I’ll say it again. HIRE GILLESPIE from ISU. She took over ISU the same time as Fahey took over IL. She has went 87-60 at ISU, and took over a last place team. Today she won the Valley, rebuilt an in-state program, and is going to the NCAA tourney. This should be us! Hire her before someone else does.
 
#33      
Is there any suggested name who is not coaching in the ncaa tournament? Does Whitman need permission to talk to someone else’s coach?
 
#34      

Neale Stoner Fan Club

Tailgreat
Chiraq
I’ll say it again. HIRE GILLESPIE from ISU. She took over ISU the same time as Fahey took over IL. She has went 87-60 at ISU, and took over a last place team. Today she won the Valley, rebuilt an in-state program, and is going to the NCAA tourney. This should be us! Hire her before someone else does.
and she's from Joliet!!!:)
 
#35      
Get it right this time JW. And raise some money to pare down the debt load hovering over Illini athletics.
 
#36      
Molly Miller?

Hmm, I just worry that our last two WBB head coaches were stars at the lower level, only to struggle at Illinois. I hope Whitman shoots his shot with some home-run candidates first, but I know that's wishful thinking.
She is a friend with Josh's wife, Hope Hunt. I'm guessing Molly thinks she has a lock on the job. There are 32 Division 1 conferences. The WAC is ranked 31st.
 
#37      
I would be happy with Amak Agugua-Hamilton or Kristen Gillespie.
 
#38      
I would like Whitman to consider Dawn Plitzuweit from the U of South Dakota. She won a DII National Championship with Grand Valley and has done well at Northern Kentucky and now USD. She's from Wisconsin and was an assistant at Michigan, so she knows the Midwest and the BIG. Keep Corey Irvin for Chicago recruiting and hire 2 more assistants that are good recruiters with contacts in other parts of the country. However, after listening to Candace Parker yesterday, I could get behind her hire in a second. Unfortunately, she's still playing in the WNBA, unless I missed her retirement.
 
#39      
Any thoughts on Josh considering moving Corry Irvin up to head coach?
 
#40      
Any thoughts on Josh considering moving Corry Irvin up to head coach?
I hope not. It's time to commit to the other programs besides FB and MBB. Fahey is a HOF coach and she couldn't win at this level. I would hope that Whitman wouldn't turn the program over to a coach that doesn't have any college head coaching experience.
 
#41      
I hope not. It's time to commit to the other programs besides FB and MBB. Fahey is a HOF coach and she couldn't win at this level. I would hope that Whitman wouldn't turn the program over to a coach that doesn't have any college head coaching experience.

Irvin spent the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons as the head coach at Saint Xavier University (SXU), where she led the program to back-to-back Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) championships. Under Irvin’s guidance, the Cougars ranked in the top-20 and posted a record of 46-8 (.851) overall, including a dominant 32-1 (.969) mark in league play. Irvin’s team advanced to the 2021 NAIA national tournament after also qualifying in 2020 prior to the event’s abrupt cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While very limited, that's some pretty gaudy stats.
 
#42      
Okay, so she's got 2 years of coaching at the NAIA level. That still is a big leap to coaching a P5 school. There are good coaches out there that have better and more experience. Whitman needs to find that coach. I just don't think he cares about any sport except FB and MBB.
 
#43      
In my mind WBB doesn't need an NAIA or another DIII coach. The jump between those levels and DI is too wide of a gap. It needs someone who has great potential to become a solid DI coach (Molly Miller) or already has had some success on the DI level (Gillespie, Agugua-Hamilton). Either Whitman cares enough for the program or he doesn't and lets it become more of a rotten tomato than it already is.
 
#44      
In my mind WBB doesn't need an NAIA or another DIII coach. The jump between those levels and DI is too wide of a gap. It needs someone who has great potential to become a solid DI coach (Molly Miller) or already has had some success on the DI level (Gillespie, Agugua-Hamilton). Either Whitman cares enough for the program or he doesn't and lets it become more of a rotten tomato than it already is.
All three of these coaches ended their season this weekend. With the end of our basketball season Whitman hopefully is hitting the road and hiring one of these three talented coaches. Personally I would prefer Agugua-Hamilton, then Miller and finally Gillespie.
 
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