Wow. I had completely forgotten (if I ever knew it) that Tepper was promoted to HC the day after Mackovic left. That speaks even more to the disaster of a sudden AD vacuum at the time.
As to another question about Guenther's DIA status, my recollection is that when Stoner was fired RG served as interim AD but was passed over for the formal job given to Mackovic. He then went to work for the UI Foundation raising $$. I can't find any Web link substantiating that but recall I read it a while ago.
[EDIT: Here we go...
https://fightingillini.com/honors/hall-of-fame/ron-guenther/
"Guenther was interim Athletics Director at Illinois in 1988, then named permanent AD from 1992 to 2011, when he retired from the University."]
I also believe he served as interim AD after Mackovic departed in Dec. 91, and then was given the job formally in early '92. Morton Weir was still UIUC Chancellor, IIRC. He's the one who forced Stoner to resign in '88 and may have been the one who hired Guenther for the full-time AD role.
Tepper was a good man and an excellent defensive coordinator, as someone pointed out above. But, as
@BZuppke notes, he wasn't HC material at this level. I recall a glowing
Wall Street Journal article from around '94 or '95 about
the unusually strong racial harmony on Illinois' football team, a direct result of Tepper's active efforts toward that end.
Also, HT to
@BZuppke. I was long gone from C-U and the U.S. by early '92. Never realized that Mackovic's manner was so abrasive, until I read years later about his Arizona problems.