ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
"Ignore the insiders" is always a useful reminder
The Illinois Coaching Staff Search
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Looks like he was with BB at Wisconsin
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Now this one I like much much more. Obviously would have preferred Hiestand, but alas.
Remember in 2012 when Bielema fired his offensive line coach after two games and replaced him with a 20-something grad assistant? Bart Miller was the 20-something grad assistant.
Got swept out with Tracy Claeys at Minnesota in 2016 (which was a really good staff) and ended up with Craig Bohl at Wyoming (another really good staff) and they promoted him to Run Game Coordinator this year to try and hold onto him.
That's a guy who has Power Five value.
Yes it is and many of my insider Longhorn friends agreed. In 2019 that vaunted Texas D gave up 48 points to Kansas. Yes, Kansas who is one of the worst programs in America. Ash took this D, which was poorly constructed and made them more competitive. The biggest difference is that they did not give up as many big plays as they did in 2019. The Texas D still gave up more than 30 points a game. If Ash stays another year there, he will have that number lowered as he weeds more people out of that horrid D.
While we may not be thrilled with the Peterson hire, I agree with others who have mentioned the great hires over the last decade that turned out to be duds. Let’s keep in mind a couple examples of those on the opposite side.
Luke Butkus got absolutely trashed on this board the first time he was here. When he was brought back, people were not happy. Once he left, everyone was clamoring for him to come back, and we saw a dropoff in the OL play as a whole.
Vic Koenning would have been welcomed back in a second. But which VK would we have gotten: the one whose defenses were the best at the school arguably since Tepper? Or the one whose defense was terrible at NC?
I want to see the staff as a whole before making judgments. For those that have never been on a coaching staff, just realize that fit and cohesiveness is just as important as having a bunch of stud coaches and recruiters. If they don’t get along and aren’t on the same page, it will fail (beginning of Beckman and Lovie eras ring a bell?). I like the OL hire, and I think it shows what direction BB wants to go.
Luke Butkus got absolutely trashed on this board the first time he was here. When he was brought back, people were not happy. Once he left, everyone was clamoring for him to come back, and we saw a dropoff in the OL play as a whole.
Vic Koenning would have been welcomed back in a second. But which VK would we have gotten: the one whose defenses were the best at the school arguably since Tepper? Or the one whose defense was terrible at NC?
I want to see the staff as a whole before making judgments. For those that have never been on a coaching staff, just realize that fit and cohesiveness is just as important as having a bunch of stud coaches and recruiters. If they don’t get along and aren’t on the same page, it will fail (beginning of Beckman and Lovie eras ring a bell?). I like the OL hire, and I think it shows what direction BB wants to go.
Agreed, this is a great guy for our OL and the type of football Bielema likely wants to play. Midwest guy with strong ties out west (it will be a while before we are stealing OL from Iowa and Wisconsin) to recruit with. Love the zone scheme blocking he has employed at his stops. Our OL is going to be very technically sound and our RBs are going to be given the chance to show their skills.Now this one I like much much more. Obviously would have preferred Hiestand, but alas.
Remember in 2012 when Bielema fired his offensive line coach after two games and replaced him with a 20-something grad assistant? Bart Miller was the 20-something grad assistant.
Got swept out with Tracy Claeys at Minnesota in 2016 (which was a really good staff) and ended up with Craig Bohl at Wyoming (another really good staff) and they promoted him to Run Game Coordinator this year to try and hold onto him.
That's a guy who has Power Five value.
Most of the guys in this business job security just isn't a huge deal. I'd say the list of guys you actually want that are hoping to stay for 6 years is miniscule.
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I want to just keep in mind we all have expressed a desire to have coaches that "need" to succeed here for their careers. I do not know Petersen personally, let's hope he feels he needs to succeed. One could make the argument he does looking at his history
Love this OL hire. Younger guy whom I assume will still have fire for recruiting. D1 starting OL himself. Illinois guy - played high school ball at Elk Grove so hopefully familiar and connected with the suburban Chicago hs fb scene. Got his start under BB so good relationshi. Top it off with 10 years of upward trajectory since he got his start.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
That is an interesting tidbit!
(The HC at FAU at that time btw was Charlie Partridge, Bielema's AHC/DL at Wisconsin and Arkansas)
I would not hire Gritty for janitorial duty at the stadium. His doom and gloom posts are truly sad. I like the hires. BB seems to get the most out of his players which is a complete 180 from Lovie. Player development, game prep and motivation were Lovie's downfall. BB got 4 and 5 star ability out of 2 and 3 star talent. Putting players in position to succeed is a foreign concept to Illini coaches. Peterson, I believe, will get the most out of IW. I hope during the off season Peterson gives IW ways of improving his throws. I am hoping by spring that IW has improved 30% and by 50% by fall.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
In case anyone would like 70 minutes of Miller talking about O-Line play:
He mentions in the beginning that before getting into coaching he had a job on the business side of the Blackhawks front office.
He mentions in the beginning that before getting into coaching he had a job on the business side of the Blackhawks front office.
So far you’ve got a guy in Miller than has produced solid OL units and a coach in Peterson that develops QBs and isn’t married to one scheme. I agree with those who think this will benefit IW but also anyone who the can recruit above IW. Good teams have good QBs. Were Miller and Peterson together at Minnesota? I’m too busy to look that up.
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Bart Miller Mic'd Up: 2016 Gopher Football Spring Practice - Bing video
I believe we have been lacking some intensity with our O line since Butkus left, who from certain reports was too intense with the other coaches. This guy seems to be brining it back. Favorite line - Roll His !!!!
I believe we have been lacking some intensity with our O line since Butkus left, who from certain reports was too intense with the other coaches. This guy seems to be brining it back. Favorite line - Roll His !!!!
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
No, a whole decade apart.
Having been with Bielema at Wisconsin and Partridge at FAU, Miller is very much in the coaching tree, whereas Petersen is totally not. Best to wait for the full picture to draw any conclusions from that.
Deleted member 747671
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Never heard of Bart Miller before today either. But really like this hire. We need to stop acting like we're experts on assistant football coaches lol.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Wow, Miller was making $200k this year, same salary as Petersen.
You think of Wyoming and App State as the same thing, but App State is still a glorified (albeit very very good) 1-AA program, whereas Wyoming and the Mountain West are something closer to major conference football in terms of resources.
I'm guessing we've doubled-ish Miller's salary, as opposed to nearly quadrupling Petersen's. The money stuff can lead you a little astray, but it'll do as a sanity check.
You think of Wyoming and App State as the same thing, but App State is still a glorified (albeit very very good) 1-AA program, whereas Wyoming and the Mountain West are something closer to major conference football in terms of resources.
I'm guessing we've doubled-ish Miller's salary, as opposed to nearly quadrupling Petersen's. The money stuff can lead you a little astray, but it'll do as a sanity check.
Is it possible Petersen is sort of a transitional hire; with a certain up and comer as positional coach for a couple years until he's ready to be OC? No idea if this is true, or even makes sense; but his forte seems to be adapting to the personnel and maybe that makes him good for meshing old recruits with new. And one of the "splash hires" is someone being groomed to be the next OC?? I dunno.
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I actually see it as the opposite. Someone that will do his job well and could potentially stay for a good amount of time, hopefully reducing the chance of staff turnover at a crucial position.
Is the missing link Ed Meierkort? Petersen was his assistant head coach and wide receivers at South Dakota. Meierkort was HC at UW-Stout from 1993-2003, and South Dakota played at Camp Randall in 2011 (did a previous relationship of some sort help make that game possible?).
Or does BB have any connections to Gene Chizik?
Just grasping at straws.
If anything, Illinois should have a good shot at any players coming out of Elk Grove High School, between Miller as their Offensive Line Coach and Miles Osei being the head coach at Elk Grove
Looking at Miller’s OL recruitment at Wyoming, in 2021 class there are two recruits — one is center from Fremd and other OL recruit was from TX. Also had an athlete recruit from Marist. Overall 6 TX recruits and 3 from NE in that 17 man class. In 2020, class had 5 OL in it — 3 from CA and 2 from NE.
Any chance we are looking to have Co-OC's? Petersen appears to be a guy who has reached his coaching ceiling. He has been coaching for 30 years and for the last 20 years he has been at essentially the same level. I just don't see how you can look at his resume and justify paying him $800k+. To me that says maybe we are looking at Co-OC's. Instead of one coordinator making $1 million, we pay two coordinators $500k?
One thing that points me to believe that is the case is that Petersen was named the OC/QB coach. Typically the QB coach is the 2nd in command and if we aren't going to have a designated QB coach then we have to make up for that position somewhere else. Maybe we have a CO-OC/AHC position or a Co-OC/RB position?
One thing that points me to believe that is the case is that Petersen was named the OC/QB coach. Typically the QB coach is the 2nd in command and if we aren't going to have a designated QB coach then we have to make up for that position somewhere else. Maybe we have a CO-OC/AHC position or a Co-OC/RB position?
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, no, the "link", such as it is is just that the coaching profession is a tiny little fishbowl of a world and none of these guys are ever more than a couple degrees removed from each other.
Petersen was OC at Minnesota while Bielema was DC at Wisconsin. They know who each other are. And he worked with Dooley at Mizzou in 2019 then Dooley worked with Bielema in 2020. I have absolutely no doubt Dooley and Bielema bandied about ideas this year about what they'd do building their staffs at their next HC jobs (that's how coaches are), and perhaps Dooley had nice things to say about Petersen.
There's nothing surprising about a new coach hiring a coordinator he's not connected with, especially given some of the stuff Bielema has been saying about wanting to open up his offensive philosophy. That happens all the time.
What is surprising is that $750k and the chance to be poured into the foundation of a new major conference project couldn't command a better resume than Petersen's. We've frequently gotten more decorated guys than that (Paul Petrino, Bill Cubit, Rod Smith) to jump aboard obviously sinking ships for less money.
Saw on Twitter that Miller spoke at the IHSFCA coaches clinic in December. Does that mean U of I did have a “representative” when Lovie was too busy?
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