The Illinois Coaching Search

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#3,376      
FinalFour88
OurMottoisOskeeWowWow said:
I'd be ecstatic with Keatts. He turned around North Carolina Wilmington pretty quickly. He was a part of Rick Pitino's staff at Louisville when they won the Championship in 2013. He was CAA Conference Coach of the year during his first year at UNC-Wilmington. If he can talk Walker into staying I think he could be successful at Illinois. I realize the CAA is not the Big Ten. He also was the head coach at Hargrave in 2003 and served as the head coach until 2011. During his ten years (over two stints) as the head coach at Hargrave, Keatts had a record of 262–17, and won two national championships.
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What's the big deal with keeping Walker?
 
#3,377      
Poe's Law
GoIllini40 said:
Groce didn't even beat up on the MAC. He was mediocre in the MAC, just had his teams get hot at the right time.
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Don't disagree with any of that. But the Horizon league is kind of crap now that Butler's moved onward and upward. You don't think he was poised to go on a bit of a run in that league with Caris Levert coming in? Not intended to defend Groce, but if the best thing we can say about Drew is he's better than Groce but not as good as Weber that's faint praise in deed.
 
#3,379      
Deleted member 4723
I'm thinking I could enjoy Buzz Wiliams prowling the Assembly Hall sidelines.
 
#3,380      
Poe's Law
illynifan34 said:
I have 9 years of evidence that Groce can't beat up on teams in his team's conference.
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I think there's a long line of coaches that failed to beat up on teams in the Big Ten... Drew may be better than Groce, I just don't see him as somebody who's going to put us back in the top 25. If that's who it ends up being I hope I'm wrong.
 
#3,384      
jbutts718
This I agree.....

AutoPoster 3000 said:
Josh Whitman is a bronze tablet winning NFL veteran summa cum laude law school graduate ex-federal circuit court of appeals clerk white-shoe D.C. law firm sports law associate three-school athletic director. He may still be on the wrong side of the learning curve as a P5 AD but he's exponentially more capable of reading a candidate and seeing through to his true intentions than his predecessor ever was. I'm certain that Whitman would have sized up Beckman for everything he really was (and wasn't) in all of 30 seconds. So we might not get our splash, but I'm confident we're not going to get played. If Drew or Keatts is the best we can do in this market, Whitman will be the first in the room to figure that out, not the last.
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Whitman isn't going to embarrass us by chasing candidates we can't get. I'm sure he has spent the last few weeks gauging candidates interest......if we are going after Tier 2 candidates.....it's because Tier 1 wasn't intersted.

Recruiting is a 2 way street......we can want all kinds of coaches......but they need to want us back.
 
#3,389      
Obelix
OurMottoisOskeeWowWow said:
If he can talk Walker into staying I think he could be successful at Illinois.
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I am a big Keatts fan for many other reasons, but if a coach's success at Illinois depends on keeping an assistant, then that coach should not be the HC at Illinois.

I do not think Keatts' success depends on Walker.
 
#3,390      
MadSeason
Obelix said:
I am a big Keatts fan for many other reasons, but if a coaches success at Illinois depends on keeping an assistant, then that coach should not be the HC at Illinois.

I do not think Keatts' success depends on Walker.
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I think Keatts will put together a staff that will recruit at a high level here with or without Walker.

I cannot say I have the same confidence about some of the other candidates being mentioned.
 
#3,391      
Burt Toast
I think Mizzou's move changes everything if Whitman can't close on the top 2-3 so-called "big splashes". Need to be able to counter Martin's recruiting prowess in his own backyard with a young, energetic, dynamic recruiter who will be a player in Chicago/Midwest. He will need a talented staff with hopefully Walker staying on - and it would help if he can coach a little bit. That's why I think,you close with Keatts ASAP. I think you consider Bryce Drew because of his energy and Midwest connections only if Keatts says no. I am still intrigued by Musselman but the Martin move forces us into a different direction IMO.
 
#3,392      
IllinistuckinGopherland
Whitman2020 said:
I don't like where this is heading.
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The only things that have changed since Whitman's press conference are:
1) Martin to Mizzou
2) Indiana job opening

That's it. Literally everything else is message board nonsense. Whitman may have had his guy since the press conference - waiting for said guy's season to end. Or maybe not.

I'm loving all the reading here - but we have learned nothing. Nothing has changed.
 
#3,393      
FinalFour88
MadSeason said:
In a word Tilmon. Plus any hope of competing against Cuonzo in St. Louis/Metro East area
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I think too much is made of assistant coaches. I recall all of us getting totally wrapped up in Jerrance Howard and Tracy Webster back in the Weber era, and what came of that? If you have a head coach who can recruit, you don't need to depend on your assistants to do it. If you need to depend on your assistants to get good recruits, you hired the wrong head coach. As for Tillmon, that's a short-term issue.
 
#3,395      
Poe's Law
jbutts718 said:
You can only coach where you are located.....Drew dominated the Horizon 5 of 6 years. Why should I assume Groce would? He was average in the MAC.

And, by your logic, Keatts is only dominating a weak conference.

If you don't like Drew, Keatts hasn't done anything more.

If none of the big names are interested, we are going to be hiring someone that is less than proven IMO.
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Ah but it's about what they could become. And I value Keatts time at Hargrave Academy and his reputation as a recruiter at Louisville. I think he has a higher ceiling. I don't see Drew getting us back to competing for conference titles. I think Keatts might. 100% rational, of course not.

Compare their 1st three seasons and where there programs started. I still take Keatts.
 
#3,396      
IllinistuckinGopherland
Burt Toast said:
I think Mizzou's move changes everything if Whitman can't close on the top 2-3 so-called "big splashes". Need to be able to counter Martin's recruiting prowess in his own backyard with a young, energetic, dynamic recruiter who will be a player in Chicago/Midwest. He will need a talented staff with hopefully Walker staying on - and it would help if he can coach a little bit. That's why I think,you close with Keatts ASAP. I think you consider Bryce Drew because of his energy and Midwest connections only if Keatts says no. I am still intrigued by Musselman but the Martin move forces us into a different direction IMO.
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You honestly believe JW should change his hiring approach to counter the fact that Cuonzo Martin will be coaching a school in a different conference for the next three years? I disagree. A lot.
 
#3,397      
FinalFour88
Burt Toast said:
I think Mizzou's move changes everything if Whitman can't close on the top 2-3 so-called "big splashes". Need to be able to counter Martin's recruiting prowess in his own backyard with a young, energetic, dynamic recruiter who will be a player in Chicago/Midwest. He will need a talented staff with hopefully Walker staying on - and it would help if he can coach a little bit. That's why I think,you close with Keatts ASAP. I think you consider Bryce Drew because of his energy and Midwest connections only if Keatts says no. I am still intrigued by Musselman but the Martin move forces us into a different direction IMO.
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Are we really that scared about losing recruiting battles in East St. Louis? This is the first I'm hearing about this fertile recruiting ground. Guys, no one assistant coach is that critical. There's a good chance our new head coach will NOT be keeping Walker. And that's okay.
 
#3,398      
mattcoldagelli
IllinistuckinGopherland said:
You honestly believe JW should change his hiring approach to counter the fact that Cuonzo Martin will be coaching a school in a different conference for the next three years? I disagree. A lot.
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#3,399      
illynifan34
tjjohnso said:
I think there's a long line of coaches that failed to beat up on teams in the Big Ten... Drew may be better than Groce, I just don't see him as somebody who's going to put us back in the top 25. If that's who it ends up being I hope I'm wrong.
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What do you want Drew to do? He beat up on the Horizon League at Valpo. He beat Florida 3 times this year and add South Carolina and Iowa State among other tournament teams. He competed with Kentucky.
 
#3,400      
Deleted member 4723
Here are my picks in order of preference:

1. JW's #1 pick.
2. JW's #2 pick.
3. JW's #3 pick.
4. JW's #4 pick.
5. JW's #5 pick.
6. JW's #6 pick.


:cool:
 
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