The Illinois Coaching Staff Thread

[Qwiksilvur]

According to Werner it is looking like it is Gill Byrd for the last assistant position

https://247sports.com/college/illin...aching-staff-as-a-cornerbacks-coach-115424642

 

[KnoxIllini2]

So he can coach, but can he recruit?

 

[Ramrod2010]

California native, went to SJSU, played for the Chargers (albeit forever ago). Hmmm...

 

[Deleted member 654622]

 

[SampsonRelpenk]

Byrd has never served on a college staff.

 

[Dren1]

I prefer to look at it this way:

Last season, the Bills had one of the stronger secondaries in the NFL. Buffalo ranked sixth in the NFL in interceptions and seventh in pass breakups. Rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team and safety Micah Hyde played in the Pro Bowl.

 

[Illiini]

A real texan would drink sweet tea or Dr Pepper.

Real Texans don't drink "sweet tea." They drink "ice tea." With enough sugar that it won't fully dissolve but form a slurry at the bottom of the glass, which is very large for maximum cooldown under the pecan tree outside the kitchen door because air conditioning hasn't been invented yet. At least anywhere but the movie theater.

 

[NScale]

What an outstanding coaching staff we have! This is great! I can't wait for helmets and shoulder pads. There is no downside to any of these fine gentlemen.

 

[FiveStar]

Real Texans don't drink "sweet tea." They drink "ice tea." With enough sugar that it won't fully dissolve but form a slurry at the bottom of the glass, which is very large for maximum cooldown under the pecan tree outside the kitchen door because air conditioning hasn't been invented yet. At least anywhere but the movie theater.

I know some of your response is a joke but it’s definitely referred to as sweet tea. Never heard of sweet tea till I moved down here. But you are correct on the slurry part. Have even seen students add sugar to sweet tea. Somehow they all still lived.

But on the actual topic, our staff is definitely filled with coaches(as opposed to recruiters). Our recruiting is not glamourous, but if the 18 class is as good as the 17 class, they’re gonna get coached up and have a solid 2-deep in a couple years. Also, with these guys being coaches first, I feel a lot better about their ability to identify talent, especially in the lower rates guys. Could be wrong, but I hope not.

 

[Deleted member 654622]

That could be an interesting discussion actually. The difference in the rebuild with a coaching staff with what is known as great recruiters, (ability to get highly ranked kids) and with great coaches (the ability to recognize talent at the lower ranks, and coach them up)....

 

[thunderwear]

Nice work! Flight tracker did show a flight to Texas and I wondered about Byrd based on the comment above.

I think you are right, with lack of resources, we need coaches that can identify talent more than anything. Because our locker room and facilities are maybe 1/1000th as nice as many of the big programs. Get some of great system players that seem to be over performing, and we pull a few playmakers and we have a great team for Illinois football

 

[TheGMan]

Never heard of sweet tea till I moved down here

You hadn't even heard of sweet tea?!?! I'm not from or in the South, but how is that possible? Haha

 

[Dan]

Officially official

#Illini make it official. Gill Byrd joining staff.

I originally reported cornerbacks coach. That was an error. He'll be safeties coach, as @FootballScoop reported.

Also...
- Donnie Abraham moves to CBs coach
- Hardy Nickerson now "assistant head coach"
- Illini announce additions of Cody Gibson (offensive analyst), Greg Gregory (offensive analyst), Miles Smith (defensive grad assistant) and promotion of Robert Wright (defensive analyst)

#illini officially have 3 former Pro Bowlers coaching in their back seven
- LBs: Hardy Nickerson
- CBs: Donnie Abraham
- Safeties: Gill Byrd

https://twitter.com/JWerner247

Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith named longtime NFL assistant coach Gill Byrd to the Fighting Illini defensive staff as passing game coordinator and safeties coach. Byrd comes to Champaign-Urbana after one season as defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills, following stops with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-15), Chicago Bears (2006-12) and St. Louis Rams (2003-05).

"I'm very pleased to have Gill Byrd join the Illini coaching staff," said Lovie Smith. "We've spent several seasons together in the NFL and I envision Gill bringing a great combination of knowledge and enthusiasm to our program. He will be a terrific influence on the young men he coaches, and, as good a coach as he is, he is probably an even better person."

http://fightingillini.com/news/2018/2/20/football-gill-byrd-named-illini-safeties-coach.aspx

 

[Deleted member 654622]

 

[FiveStar]

You hadn't even heard of sweet tea?!?! I'm not from or in the South, but how is that possible? Haha

Always heard it as sweetened or unsweetened iced tea.

When it says passing game coordinator for Byrd, what does that mean?

 

[Ransom Stoddard]

Sweet or unsweet here in GA. No "ened." And if you just say "tea" you either get a funny look or you get sweet tea..

For those who care, sweet tea is brewed with the sugar already in it. And it's way better than tea with sweetener added after brewing.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[DrCS01]

Since all the positions have been filled and this thread is off topic anyway. Anyone hear of putting peanuts in coca cola? Think it's a southern thing

 

[Deleted member 654622]

I don't like tea or coca cola

 

[Illini_1979]

I don't like tea or coca cola

Give me an Arnold Palmer any day. And, yes, I know this thread is way off track!