Lovie Smith Named Illinois Football Coach
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robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
- Austin, TX
B&B really like the hire.
Yes, they have a program alert crawler saying they are going to it live at 2:55 ET.
PaytonHighstep
- Downers Grove, IL
I agree 100% with what B&B are saying right now on their intro... Good Lord, I might burst into flames. 
Brad Biggs was very down on the hire. Put together a poor staff in TB, his defenses were leaky, he questions Lovie's personality and ability to recruit, interact with donors and university administrators. And most importantly....he is going to have trouble "winning press conferences".
The concerns about a staff are legit. But when you start talking about the quality of interviews he gives the press....good grief. Any high school kid who wants to make it in the NFL, especially on D/ST, Lovie HAS to be a top option in the midwest. Amazing some of these goofs are taken as omniscient beings.
The concerns about a staff are legit. But when you start talking about the quality of interviews he gives the press....good grief. Any high school kid who wants to make it in the NFL, especially on D/ST, Lovie HAS to be a top option in the midwest. Amazing some of these goofs are taken as omniscient beings.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
I don't think we'll ever know for sure. But yeah, that could've been the plan all along - to give Cubit a 2 year contract, then when the permanent AD came in, he could either:
A.) Fire Cubit and hire someone else.
B.) Extend Cubit's contract with a vote of confidence from the AD to save our recruiting.
IlliniDrums89
- Indianapolis
Hell just froze over... B&B were positive about Illini football.
I know, I'm absolutely shocked. I expected him to come out drums blazing.
edit: Meant to say guns blazing. I just can't get away from them...
I agree 100% with what B&B are saying right now on their intro... Good Lord, I might burst into flames.
What's B&B?
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
I cannot WAIT to read Robert's take on this over at IlliniBoard (since he was waiting on all this actually be "official" and all).
I still can't believe this whole thing happened and I'll probably still be in shock a week from now. Maybe longer. If I still lived in IL I'd be buying season tickets, no question.
To JFW: :congrats:
I still can't believe this whole thing happened and I'll probably still be in shock a week from now. Maybe longer. If I still lived in IL I'd be buying season tickets, no question.
To JFW: :congrats:
I am very excited about this hire. Talk about changing the entire narrative all at once.
Some thoughts:
1) I hope the excitement lasts, especially if we struggle this Fall, when all we'll have is the coaching of the new staff (i.e. no new talent).
2) How long is this the solution for? Lovie is about to be 58. What you'd hope is that it all goes well, and one of the coordinators is younger and is groomed to step in and take over in 6 or 7 years.
3) Is there speculation as to who is paying all this additional cash? Our favorite NFL owner? The one that was vilified during the AD search.
Some thoughts:
1) I hope the excitement lasts, especially if we struggle this Fall, when all we'll have is the coaching of the new staff (i.e. no new talent).
2) How long is this the solution for? Lovie is about to be 58. What you'd hope is that it all goes well, and one of the coordinators is younger and is groomed to step in and take over in 6 or 7 years.
3) Is there speculation as to who is paying all this additional cash? Our favorite NFL owner? The one that was vilified during the AD search.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlT7_fGmd3I
I don't know why I instantly felt like I had to watch this..but yea my eyes welled up watching Illini fans jumping around after Harvey's td. 1999 Michigan game
I don't know why I instantly felt like I had to watch this..but yea my eyes welled up watching Illini fans jumping around after Harvey's td. 1999 Michigan game
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If Lovie is here for 6 or 7 years, this team will likely be great.
TO BE CLEAR, this is in response to Brad Briggs, not the good poster miggytorres.
frankfortillini
- Frankfort, IL
It really happened. Welcome back Mr. Whitman.
I'm amazed and cannot wait to get to Memorial Stadium this fall.
I'm amazed and cannot wait to get to Memorial Stadium this fall.
You're right... just my opinion or guesswork. It seems a lot more plausible to me that there was some planning, than it was the result of a series of spectacularly lucky random events.
IlliniDrums89
- Indianapolis
Of course B&B didn't take long to show how much they don't understand what the Chief is at all.
Whitman lands like half a block, almost on accident, that springs that run after the catch.
There are some things I see that will help Lovie in the college game. He’s not constrained by a salary cap and a league that is completely QB driven. Yes, you need a good QB in college, but you can win without an elite QB. Lovie has never had an elite QB in the NFL and still won football games. Yes Winston may be good in the future, but as a rookie he was just good. He will be limited by his ability to recruit. I don’t see many people questioning his ability to coach and communicate with this players.
LubbockIlliniFan
- Savoy, IL
sounds like Coach Smith will be on Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 at 4:45 today and on with Kaplan on CSN sport talk tonight
I mean they don't like the Chief. They've always had that stance -- and that's okay. The Chief was retired almost a decade ago. We can move on, right?
PaytonHighstep
- Downers Grove, IL
Boers and Berstein, Score 670 radio afternoon show. Typically, very negative towards the Illini in general. I mean, not that Illinois has done much to deflect that negativity the last 10 years, but they were very positive just now.
illynifan34
That's a winner!!
- OH
On Tay and Jay at 5:00 they are saying
IlliniDrums89
- Indianapolis
I mean they don't like the Chief. They've always had that stance -- and that's okay. The Chief was retired almost a decade ago. We can move on, right?
No Marching Illini members can ever just move on.
http://www.scout.com/college/illinois/story/1649394-lovie-mania-hits-illini-campus
Werner just posted a video of Lovie addressing students and fans at Illini Union.
Werner just posted a video of Lovie addressing students and fans at Illini Union.
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