The Illinois AD Search

Joel Goodson · Dec 16, 2015

SaltLakeIllini said:
Well, and this is just an example, every time she referenced Janet Rayfield being on the search committee she felt compelled to add "currently under investigation for..." in parenthesis after listing her name. I saw that multiple times. Today Rayfield gets cleared....and it's radio silence from Shannon on that.

I don't know if you want to take her being cleared as a "positive" but SR certainly has a specific POV that she expresses when it comes to UI athletics. If I was in the ADept at UI, I'd probably revoke her press pass...but I suppose that's why I'm not in the ADept.

Nailed it. No one expects a cheerleader (e.g., slobbering Purplestain). But there is a level of condescension from more than a few big city scribes/media types when it comes to UofI. Is criticism warranted? Of course. But sneering/snide potshots are beyond the pale.

IlliniOllie · Dec 16, 2015

mattcoldagelli said:
What was the last positive thing Illini athletics actually did?

Of the two revenue sports, Griffey's last-second shot to beat IU in 2012.

There was a basketball highlight video played at the Notre Dame game. Highlights from the Whiz Kids... A lot from about 1979-1989... A lot from 1999-2006... and then Griffey's shot and that's it. One basketball highlight in the last 10 years. *sigh*

mattcoldagelli · Dec 16, 2015

SaltLakeIllini said:
Well, and this is just an example, every time she referenced Janet Rayfield being on the search committee she felt compelled to add "currently under investigation for..." in parenthesis after listing her name. I saw that multiple times. Today Rayfield gets cleared....and it's radio silence from Shannon on that.

I don't know if you want to take her being cleared as a "positive" but SR certainly has a specific POV that she expresses when it comes to UI athletics. If I was in the ADept at UI, I'd probably revoke her press pass...but I suppose that's why I'm not in the ADept.

These vacancies exist because of player abuse. To not mention that a member of the search committee is under investigation for the exact same thing would be ridiculous.

I'm sorry you guys don't like someone pointing out the asinine manner in which this university had chosen to conduct itself. But you should be mad at the university, not the person making entirely correct and true observations about it.

Jimmy McNulty · Dec 16, 2015

mattcoldagelli said:
These vacancies exist because of player abuse. To not mention that a member of the search committee is under investigation for the exact same thing would be ridiculous.

I'm sorry you guys don't like someone pointing out the asinine manner in which this university had chosen to conduct itself. But you should be mad at the university, not the person making entirely correct and true observations about it.

I have no problem with her pointing out the bad. God knows there's been plenty of that lately. But when she tracks all the bad hires that the search firm has assisted in she should mention the positive. Harbaugh to Michigan McElwain to Florida the Arizona St AD who got Todd Graham(at the time a great hire). It's just simply being objective. I don't think many people are asking for a sugar coated version because one likely doesn't exist.

Serious Late · Dec 17, 2015

mattcoldagelli said:
These vacancies exist because of player abuse. To not mention that a member of the search committee is under investigation for the exact same thing would be ridiculous.

I'm sorry you guys don't like someone pointing out the asinine manner in which this university had chosen to conduct itself. But you should be mad at the university, not the person making entirely correct and true observations about it.

Agreed.

Shannon Ryan = A real person willing to put her name behind the statements she puts out in the public domain.

Every Single Illinois Loyalty Poster Questioning Her Statements = Anonymous Posters with no requirement to stand behind statements made.

Illinois Loyalty Posters Directly Refuting Shannon Ryan's Statements = Likely Trolls, based on years of witnessing anonymous posters being proven wrong while attempting to refute actual reporters with actual access to sources of information.

While the recruiting thread has "chased off" potential anonymous insiders with more information than the likes of Jerry Meyer and other prognosticators could ever have, it is quite the coincidence that the information in said threads has become much more accurate in recent months without said insiders that have no responsibility to put their name behind said information.

But yeah, Rick George has made a series of demands that have been made clear to someone willing to run to a free message board and post the specifics of the demands. I can't wait until the legend of George's demands become facts that were the downfall of U of I's Athletics for the next 15 years.

#GeorgeWasInTheBag
#BlameTheBOTForPreventingTheHire
#BlahBlahBlah
#WeWereThisClose
#HughHefnerTriedToGiveUsOneBillionDollars

Chilliniwek · Dec 17, 2015

Serious Late said:
Agreed.

Shannon Ryan = A real person willing to put her name behind the statements she puts out in the public domain.

Every Single Illinois Loyalty Poster Questioning Her Statements = Anonymous Posters with no requirement to stand behind statements made.

Illinois Loyalty Posters Directly Refuting Shannon Ryan's Statements = Likely Trolls, based on years of witnessing anonymous posters being proven wrong while attempting to refute actual reporters with actual access to sources of information.

While the recruiting thread has "chased off" potential anonymous insiders with more information than the likes of Jerry Meyer and other prognosticators could ever have, it is quite the coincidence that the information in said threads has become much more accurate in recent months without said insiders that have no responsibility to put their name behind said information.

But yeah, Rick George has made a series of demands that have been made clear to someone willing to run to a free message board and post the specifics of the demands. I can't wait until the legend of George's demands become facts that were the downfall of U of I's Athletics for the next 15 years.

#GeorgeWasInTheBag
#BlameTheBOTForPreventingTheHire
#BlahBlahBlah
#WeWereThisClose
#HughHefnerTriedToGiveUsOneBillionDollars

i iike this post so much.

Deleted member 3875 · Dec 17, 2015

mattcoldagelli said:
What was the last positive thing Illini athletics actually did?

Hired Dee Brown.

Crazy Joe Davola · Dec 17, 2015

Why is everyone so worked up about hiring a search firm when everyone else involved is clearly in over their heads?

Should have been done within 10 days of firing Thomas.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 17, 2015

Serious Late said:
But yeah, Rick George has made a series of demands that have been made clear to someone willing to run to a free message board and post the specifics of the demands. I can't wait until the legend of George's demands become facts that were the downfall of U of I's Athletics for the next 15 years.

#GeorgeWasInTheBag
#BlameTheBOTForPreventingTheHire
#BlahBlahBlah
#WeWereThisClose
#HughHefnerTriedToGiveUsOneBillionDollars

:hail:

Illiniwek06 · Dec 17, 2015

mattcoldagelli said:
These vacancies exist because of player abuse. To not mention that a member of the search committee is under investigation for the exact same thing would be ridiculous.

I'm sorry you guys don't like someone pointing out the asinine manner in which this university had chosen to conduct itself. But you should be mad at the university, not the person making entirely correct and true observations about it.

BZuppke · Dec 17, 2015

Well I guess we shouldn't expect the Chicago media to say anything positive when a majority of posters here wring their hands and condemn every move made by the University. Not hiring a search firm is a sign of incompetence. Hiring a search firm is a sign of incompetence. The search firm hired is wrong. The search firm should have been hired 6 weeks ago. This is a message board and we're all free to debate and discuss but some of us here find fault in every move made. I for one am waiting to see how this plays out and will give Wilson et al. the benefit of the doubt. Additionally, I think they'd have to be completely stupid not to understand what needs to be done and I think they are far from stupid. There is no urgency at this point. They could hire a new AD in March or June and it will not hurt us in any appreciable way. At the end of the day, if a strong AD is hired, the rest of this won't matter.

FeelYourPaign · Dec 17, 2015

BZuppke said:
Well I guess we shouldn't expect the Chicago media to say anything positive when a majority of posters here wring their hands and condemn every move made by the University. Not hiring a search firm is a sign of incompetence. Hiring a search firm is a sign of incompetence. The search firm hired is wrong. The search firm should have been hired 6 weeks ago. This is a message board and we're all free to debate and discuss but some of us here find fault in every move made. I for one am waiting to see how this plays out and will give Wilson et al. the benefit of the doubt. Additionally, I think they'd have to be completely stupid not to understand what needs to be done and I think they are far from stupid. There is no urgency at this point. They could hire a new AD in March or June and it will not hurt us in any appreciable way. At the end of the day, if a strong AD is hired, the rest of this won't matter.

You are correct that there is no urgency at this point. In fact, urgency at this point would be bad.

What some are not done with . . . and I count myself in this group . . . is pointing out that just because they are now doing their very best from the corner that they painted themselves into, it was pretty stupid in the first place to do so. And that is why people are concerned with their next decision. It is not fun to watch something important being done by people who are learning on the job.

AutoPoster 3000 · Dec 17, 2015

BZuppke said:
Well I guess we shouldn't expect the Chicago media to say anything positive when a majority of posters here wring their hands and condemn every move made by the University. Not hiring a search firm is a sign of incompetence. Hiring a search firm is a sign of incompetence. The search firm hired is wrong. The search firm should have been hired 6 weeks ago. This is a message board and we're all free to debate and discuss but some of us here find fault in every move made. I for one am waiting to see how this plays out and will give Wilson et al. the benefit of the doubt. Additionally, I think they'd have to be completely stupid not to understand what needs to be done and I think they are far from stupid. There is no urgency at this point. They could hire a new AD in March or June and it will not hurt us in any appreciable way. At the end of the day, if a strong AD is hired, the rest of this won't matter.

That much is clear. Watching this so-called hiring process stumble forward is like being stuck in line behind an old lady trying to order a Chipotle burrito for the first time in her life.

"What's that, deary? I need to choose a rice and a beans? What's the difference between all these sauces? Is that one spicy? I don't want spicy. I get the heartburn, you know. I'm sorry, when you're done can you slice it into four halves? I'm going to give some to my grandson."

And you're behind her, thinking "Arrrgh! White, black, carnitas, hot, sour cream, cheese ... this is not difficult, people!"

Second and Chalmers · Dec 17, 2015

BZuppke said:
At the end of the day, if a strong AD is hired, the rest of this won't matter.

The end of that day comes 6-7 years from now, and possibly longer in terms of regenerating the fan faith, loyalty, and interest that was Texas Chainsaw Massacred in the past month, but this is true.

The Cubit decision is really the only unforgivable sin in the sequence here. It was the single most deplorable administrative action ever taken in the history of college athletics, so that has a tendency to, y'know, bum people out, but everything else that has gone on is pretty garden variety for an inexperienced administration trying their best to feel their way though a time of turmoil.

sigint · Dec 17, 2015

BZuppke said:
Well I guess we shouldn't expect the Chicago media to say anything positive when a majority of posters here wring their hands and condemn every move made by the University.

This is what happens when you try to fit hundreds of individual opinions into one generic Illinois message board opinion. Of course individuals are going to like and dislike individual things like search firms. You can't just tie them all together and pretend like the same people are always complaining about conflicting things.

BZuppke said:
At the end of the day, if a strong AD is hired, the rest of this won't matter.

In the long run, I agree with you. A good AD could come in and fix all our problems. And, I do believe Wilson wants to get this hire right. Whether or not you believe this group is capable, I suppose is up for debate.

However, the rest of all this absolutely does matter. All those years that we suffered through the miserable Beckman/Cubit teams (including the year to come)? They are now all wasted time. We just tore down whatever little was built to go back to square one when the new coach takes over, and we're going to have to go through another rebuild. I'm sure the fans will love the new coach when he starts losing because he doesn't have the roster to compete.

It didn't have to be this way, but the powers that be decided that this was the way it was going to go down. I don't like it when people waste my time.

BZuppke · Dec 17, 2015

I would have kept Cubit on as an interim in name as well (since that's what this is). tOSU did it with Fickel and while they can recruit with no head coach at least it would have been more honest on our part. That being said, I can see the other side of the coin, that Kowalczyk could have been given the green light to hire a coach as well, which appears to be what he wanted to do. Depending on his hire, however, we could have had the same hue and cry here that we should not have let an interim AD make this hire and screw it up. Sort of as I said earlier, if we get a good result at the end of the day (great AD and HC hires), how we got there won't matter. I don't think any route would have guaranteed to get us where we want to go, except firing Thomas a long time ago and having your great AD in place well before December. Why he was fired at all or at such a late date is still perplexing to me. The only way I can understand it is whoever was making the decision did not want him to make the next football hire.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 17, 2015

BZuppke said:
I would have kept Cubit on as an interim in name as well (since that's what this is). tOSU did it with Fickel

Totally, 100% incorrect.

Jim Tressel resigned as Ohio State's coach on May 30, 2011, months after the class of 2011 had signed. That was well after the recruiting season was over and well past the time where a coaching search would be viable, so Fickell was given the interim job. A couple months earlier, but essentially the same situation as replacing Beckman with Cubit for this season. Or when John L. Smith replaced Bobby Petrino at Arkansas after his incident there. When you lose your coach past coaching carousel season, you keep the staff, name an interim, and hunker down until carousel season arrives again.

A head coach without a long-term commitment from the University during the signing day period is totally unprecedented in the history of major college football. This is the first time anyone has ever done something like this. That point needs to be very well understood.

illveteran1 · Dec 17, 2015

Search firms can contact representatives on behalf of the university as well as contribute in the vetting process of whichever candidates the university asks them to vet. We're paying $140,000 for anonymity, background screenings, and setting up meetings between a coaches representation and the people conducting the search.

They are almost quasi-PIs, once you give them a candidate to vet, they come back with a comprehensive report, a list of people who the AD/hiring committee may want to talk to about said person, and will set up meetings with the candidate's representation, with the idea it stays anonymous.

That's how it's supposed to work with a firm, Korn Ferry is one of the best. They don't just do coaching searches either, many large companies, law firms, etc. will use them to fill positions in management.

In regards to Tim Beckman, I believe Mike Thomas ultimately chose him because of the recommendations given to him by Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, and Mike Gundy, etc.

BZuppke · Dec 17, 2015

He certainly didn't hire him based on the in person interview!

DeadPanic · Dec 17, 2015

Macho Man said:
What is anyone going to say if Cubit goes 10-2 or even 11-1 next year? He is putting together a decent coaching staff. Stranger things than that have happened.

K.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Dec 17, 2015

Macho Man said:
What is anyone going to say if Cubit goes 10-2 or even 11-1 next year?

When is the alarm clock going to go off?

84Illini · Dec 17, 2015

Macho Man said:
What is anyone going to say if Cubit goes 10-2 or even 11-1 next year? He is putting together a decent coaching staff. Stranger things than that have happened.

I'm going to try to make my peace with God, as I assume it will be the apocalypse.

IlliniJim20 · Dec 17, 2015

Macho Man said:
What is anyone going to say if Cubit goes 10-2 or even 11-1 next year? He is putting together a decent coaching staff. Stranger things than that have happened.

No worries. Obviously the NFL,or the sec will snap hm up in no time if that happened

AutoPoster 3000 · Dec 17, 2015

Macho Man said:
What is anyone going to say if Cubit goes 10-2 or even 11-1 next year? He is putting together a decent coaching staff. Stranger things than that have happened.

All he has to do is go 6-6 and there will be a lot people pushing hard for him to be extended through 2019. Can't happen? Uh, Tepper 1995. Turner 2003. Zook 2009. Beckman 2014. And Cubit 2015. It absolutely will happen. And I think he has a decent chance at getting six with Dudek back and this group of returning starters. That's the part of this equation nobody wants to talk about.

DeadPanic · Dec 17, 2015

AutoPoster 3000 said:
All he has to do is go 6-6 and there will be a lot people pushing hard for him to be extended through 2019. Can't happen? Uh, Tepper 1995. Turner 2003. Zook 2009. Beckman 2014. And Cubit 2015. It absolutely will happen. And I think he has a decent chance at getting six with Dudek back and this group of returning starters. That's the part of this equation nobody wants to talk about.

That would probably be more accurate if we weren't about to hire a new AD, who will want/need to make his own hire.

The Illinois AD Search

Joel Goodson

IlliniOllie

mattcoldagelli

Jimmy McNulty

Serious Late

Chilliniwek

Deleted member 3875

Guest

Crazy Joe Davola

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

Second and Chalmers

Illiniwek06

BZuppke

FeelYourPaign

AutoPoster 3000

Second and Chalmers

sigint

BZuppke

Second and Chalmers

illveteran1

BZuppke

DeadPanic

WesterveltVictoryCigar

84Illini

IlliniJim20

AutoPoster 3000

DeadPanic