If you want to hear Tay & Jay talk about the coaching search.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoh2OKpRR0DSQ2WJBeZZ7Pg/live
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoh2OKpRR0DSQ2WJBeZZ7Pg/live
There seem to be two prevailing opinions on the Illinois job:
1. That it's a sleeping giant, top 15 job in the country with plenty of resources to be successful at the highest level.
2. That it is overrated and nothing more than a middle-of-the-road P5 job.
IMO the truth is somewhere in the middle.
There seem to be two prevailing opinions on the Illinois job:
1. That it's a sleeping giant, top 15 job in the country with plenty of resources to be successful at the highest level.
2. That it is overrated and nothing more than a middle-of-the-road P5 job.
IMO the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Scene from the near future: A young recruit is escorted on to the floor at the State Farm.
He looks around in amazement unable to speak. Finally, he whispers, "Is this Heaven?"
Voices comes back from everyone standing nearby: "No, it's Champaign Illinois".
I still feel that Loyalty members tend to overrate the basketball job at Illinois at least in the eyes of the coaching fraternity. Yes we are in a talent rich state; however, if you look at recent list of top 100 to play HS basketball we only landed about 18% of them. The Chicago recruiting landscape has a reputation of being dirty, which I feel turns off potential coaches. The state itself is a laughingstock nationally. Champaign/Urbana is not a desired locale and it has been rated as one of the top 5 areas for crime in the state.
With all of that being said, Josh Whitman seams like he could be the type of AD to somehow sell all of this as a top 20 job
There seem to be two prevailing opinions on the Illinois job:
1. That it's a sleeping giant, top 15 job in the country with plenty of resources to be successful at the highest level.
2. That it is overrated and nothing more than a middle-of-the-road P5 job.
IMO the truth is somewhere in the middle.
If I were him, I'd assign a couple of interns to comb through the boards and random articles daily. Rumors trickle out, people dig up dirt...there's even the definite possibility that random fans think of out-of-the-box coaching candidates that could be worth investigating. Fans also occasionally identify talented high school players before the scouting community does. In the information age, every organization should (with extreme caution and skepticism) channel the public hive mind. If Whitman does anything like this, it's probably not his time he's spending - probably low level staffers who prepare weekly one-pagers for him or something.
Steve Masiello, Cunzo Martin, or Larry Krystowiak are who I am keeping my fingers crossed for. All realistic options, all knockout recruiters. All would leave current job (save maybe Masiello) for C/U.
Steve Masiello, Cunzo Martin, or Larry Krystowiak are who I am keeping my fingers crossed for. All realistic options, all knockout recruiters. All would leave current job (save maybe Masiello) for C/U.
That plane has already been the subject of speculation on here. More than likely not even related to the search. Just for fun though...
Plane went CU -> Wichita -> DC -> CU.
AKA: Josh Whitman -> Gregg Marshall -> John Thompson III -> Back home!!!??
(Note: the above post is filled with utterly worthless speculation based on zero facts)
Scene from the near future: A young recruit is escorted on to the floor at the State Farm.
He looks around in amazement unable to speak. Finally, he whispers, "Is this Heaven?"
Voices comes back from everyone standing nearby: "No, it's Champaign Illinois".
Steve Masiello, Cunzo Martin, or Larry Krystowiak are who I am keeping my fingers crossed for. All realistic options, all knockout recruiters. All would leave current job (save maybe Masiello) for C/U.
All these comments about what it's like in Champaign, IL REALLY show that reality takes a while to catch up with perception! Champaign in 2005 is nothin' special. Champaign in 2017 is regularly making top college town lists, has exploded in new commercial growth and is the fastest growing community in the state besides the newer Chicago suburbs.
So according to the Illinois message board community, we'd have to eliminate every coach that has ever beat Illinois for a recruit.
Scene from the near future: A young recruit is escorted on to the floor at the State Farm.
He looks around in amazement unable to speak. Finally, he whispers, "Is this Heaven?"
Voices comes back from everyone standing nearby: "No, it's Champaign Illinois".
Kind of the opposite of our basketball team, huh?
I still feel that Loyalty members tend to overrate the basketball job at Illinois at least in the eyes of the coaching fraternity. Yes we are in a talent rich state; however, if you look at recent list of top 100 to play HS basketball we only landed about 18% of them. The Chicago recruiting landscape has a reputation of being dirty, which I feel turns off potential coaches. The state itself is a laughingstock nationally. Champaign/Urbana is not a desired locale and it has been rated as one of the top 5 areas for crime in the state.
With all of that being said, Josh Whitman seams like he could be the type of AD to somehow sell all of this as a top 20 job
Steve Masiello, Cunzo Martin, or Larry Krystowiak are who I am keeping my fingers crossed for. All realistic options, all knockout recruiters. All would leave current job (save maybe Masiello) for C/U.
Why?