The Illinois Football Coaching Search

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#301      

mattcoldagelli

The Transfer Portal
So we pivot from a 62-year-old, two-time Super Bowl veteran, Methuselah doppelgänger to ISU’s receivers coach, making him literally the youngest HC in all FBS football by two years (bully for you, Kent State’s Sean Lewis), because it once worked at Northwestern and also it gives some gym teacher in schaumburg some feel-goody vibes? The snarky deadspin article writes itself.

Who cares? Wasn’t McVay the same age when the Rams hired him? There was much clutching of pearls, then he was awesome and NFL teams couldn’t hire guys under 40 fast enough.

If there’s a specific criticism (like that you think he needs to have been a coordinator or something), then at least make it. But “omg so young!” as a standalone doesn’t hold much water.

Haven’t we collectively gone through this enough times to realize we have no clue what the winning recipe is? Harbaugh is failing at Michigan, perhaps the clearest case of “well that guy is the obvious, can’t miss, back-up-the-money-truck candidate”
 
#303      
Good timing. Big and SEC still playing games. Other conf have conf championships.
Illinois not affected by top tier moves like auburn, but likely affected from wherever that coach comes up, or subsequent higher.
Keep pushing the narrative that not many openings will occur. May get the higher choice to make a decision sooner.

I have faith in Whitman. Even if the next higher doesn’t work out, I think he learns from the past years and will learn from future years. I think it’s a 10 yr rebuild anyways...going to need some time.
 
#304      

Illinivek23

Gurnee
Who cares? Wasn’t McVay the same age when the Rams hired him? There was much clutching of pearls, then he was awesome and NFL teams couldn’t hire guys under 40 fast enough.

If there’s a specific criticism (like that you think he needs to have been a coordinator or something), then at least make it. But “omg so young!” as a standalone doesn’t hold much water.

Haven’t we collectively gone through this enough times to realize we have no clue what the winning recipe is? Harbaugh is failing at Michigan, perhaps the clearest case of “well that guy is the obvious, can’t miss, back-up-the-money-truck candidate”
The positive for NS is that he has gone through an amazing culture build at Iowa State orchestrated by Matt Campbell. I would bet he has learned a ton there. Best thing for him that he didn't get the assistant gig here.
 
#305      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
I doubt you could get him out of Texas but Art Briles would be interesting in the BIG with his ability to recruit the Republic, I do see that most want a youth movement. TWO Things (1) Everything he did at Baylor was with 2 and 3 star recruits and a rare, very rare 4 star (2) As the cases against Baylor during his tenure are coming to trial, it is coming to light that Baylor was pre-mature in the way they handled Art and firing him (my daughter is a student at Baylor and we have friends that have been boosters for decades). Last thing about Briles, if he could get them to C-U, within 2 years Memorial Stadium would be home to "the Flying Illini" .... offense, offense, offense and his defense plan is being the last team in the 4th quarter playing offense, extremely entertaining football.

Also with Malzahn now on the market he was 68-32 at Auburn and obviously knows how to recruit.
Hoping for Bielema. He checks all the boxes of proven Big 10 winner, proven regional instate recruiter, and I think he’s put together an amazing staff. Given that Chryst is going to be at Wisconsin for a long time, I could see Bielema offering Jim Leonhard a “head coach in waiting” role to come over and be the DC. Get it done Josh.
Shock the world candidate: the football equivalent of snatching Brad Underwood from Oklahoma State is grabbing Matt Campbell from Iowa State.

However, I doubt Illinois is Matt's dream job!

We really are an irrational bunch. Campbell's agent would hang up on us in an instant. Hiring Briles would mean I would never ever root for Illinois football again. Leonhard would be a great hire for Illinois as HC but he likely is comfortable waiting for a bigger job to open up, but he would become our DC if we hired Bielema?
 
#307      

sacraig

The desert
Nah. Aim high. A tenure-track position could do real damage there.

If that is what you all want me to do, you'll have to wait a few years. If I leave this position before earning tenure here, then my tenure clock likely resets and I have to start fresh. At that point, industry would be looking pretty tempting.

And yet...
 
#308      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
Why are we so hung up on an alumnus or someone with ties to Illinois? Just get the best damn coach we possibly can.

This should be all of us. I get the desire for wanting someone that views the program in the same vein as the rest of us. Let's hire someone that's going to be so successful the university has to worry about keeping them.
 
#309      
I mentioned Marcus Freeman on another thread. If he could secure an OC and position coaches that can recruit, he'd be alright.
 
#311      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
I mentioned Marcus Freeman on another thread. If he could secure an OC and position coaches that can recruit, he'd be alright.

For those that believe Campbell was the better hire for Illinois instead of Beckman in 2011, Freeman has a much better track record than Campbell did at the time and plenty of folks down here in Cincinnati think he's the genius behind Fickell.
 
#312      
I apologize if I missed this but no chance at all for. Jamey Chadwell? If we’re throwing out Campbell and Fickel, then I’m throwing out Chadwell. Let the roasting begin.
He has Coastal Carolina playing incredible football. Unfortunately at his previous stop, he played ineligible players and got the school in pretty big trouble. JW won't take someone with this much baggage.
 
#313      
He would also have Isaiah Williams...who is starting to look like a very credible option...pun accidentally intended
That’s assuming IW is OK with being a triple option QB and stays. Not saying he wouldn’t, but don’t think it is a slam dunk that he would. One of the reasons he is at Illinois is because he wanted to be QB — and the triple option part wasn’t in the picture.
 
#314      
Ultimately, I just want to win, so yea, get the best damn coach. To me, I want a connection to the state and university, because I think you will get max effort all the time and succeed and win at all cost with a coach with a rooted connection. Our chances of keeping a coach like that for the long haul, assuming they pan out, is much greater than just some guy ready to get moving to the next.
In its 140 year history, Illinois has had 1 football coach that took a job at another school while under contract. John Mackovic. That's it. Illinois head football coaches are far more likely to never coach another game at any level than they are to move on to hypothetical greener pastures.

Beyond the fact that having a head coach that does so well here that they are in demand at bigger schools would be the best problem ever in the history of the program, it's just never happened here other than Mackovic leaving for one of the bluest of blue blood programs on earth in 30 years ago.
 
#316      

sacraig

The desert
For those that believe Campbell was the better hire for Illinois instead of Beckman in 2011, Freeman has a much better track record than Campbell did at the time and plenty of folks down here in Cincinnati think he's the genius behind Fickell.

I recall a sizable number of posters at the time saying it looked to the untrained eye like Campbell was the real reason for Toledo's success. He was the OC and Beckman called the defense. Those Toledo teams, if I recall, played outstanding offense and questionable defense. Hindsight is 20/20 so we now all know that Campbell would have been the better hire, but a lot of people were suggesting it contemporaneously as well.
 
#317      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior

Well...YYZ is London, Ontario, almost three hours from Buffalo. "Just over the border from Buffalo"....is Niagra Falls.

Really I just needed an excuse to come in and tell everyone that the largest concentration of the HOTTEST college girls you've ever been around is in London, Ontario.....absolutely not joking. I'd pit it against any major campus in the US.

Oh, and Lance Leipold or something football coach-ish search like.

London, Ontario, seriously. Ask a Canadian. I don't even understand it.
 
#319      
Well...YYZ is London, Ontario, almost three hours from Buffalo. "Just over the border from Buffalo"....is Niagra Falls.

Really I just needed an excuse to come in and tell everyone that the largest concentration of the HOTTEST college girls you've ever been around is in London, Ontario.....absolutely not joking. I'd pit it against any major campus in the US.

Oh, and Lance Leipold or something football coach-ish search like.

London, Ontario, seriously. Ask a Canadian. I don't even understand it.
All I can say to this is do not bother googling "London Ontario coeds". You will be surely disappointed.

This PSA brought to you by. . .
 
#320      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
I recall a sizable number of posters at the time saying it looked to the untrained eye like Campbell was the real reason for Toledo's success. He was the OC and Beckman called the defense. Those Toledo teams, if I recall, played outstanding offense and questionable defense. Hindsight is 20/20 so we now all know that Campbell would have been the better hire, but a lot of people were suggesting it contemporaneously as well.

Toledo Offensive Scoring (Campbell)
2009: 29.7 (33rd)
2010: 27.9 (52nd)
2011: 40.9 (8th)

Toledo Defensive Scoring (Beckman)
2009: 37.7 (116th)
2010: 28.5 (66th)
2011: 32.5 (94th)

My memory was after it was leaked Beckman was going to be hired there were a number of folks clamoring for Illinois to do what they could to have Campbell come with as OC.
 
#321      
Who cares? Wasn’t McVay the same age when the Rams hired him? There was much clutching of pearls, then he was awesome and NFL teams couldn’t hire guys under 40 fast enough.

If there’s a specific criticism (like that you think he needs to have been a coordinator or something), then at least make it. But “omg so young!” as a standalone doesn’t hold much water.

Haven’t we collectively gone through this enough times to realize we have no clue what the winning recipe is? Harbaugh is failing at Michigan, perhaps the clearest case of “well that guy is the obvious, can’t miss, back-up-the-money-truck candidate”
I’m comfortable making the blanket statement that I’m not a fan of hiring a 30 year old with three quality years as a position coach to lead a P5 football program based on the theory “Hey you lack a specific reason to argue that he is NOT an exceptional, transcendent, once in a generation coaching genius like Sean McVay or Bear Bryant circa 1945.” But yes, epistemologically speaking, you are correct that none of us can truly know how things will turn out.
 
#322      

SKane

Tennessee
I think the idea is that we want someone like NW has in Fitz or Ok St. Has in Gundy. You want someone that loves the school and will do anything to do right by the program. Hometown kids typically get given more time to right the ship and the fan base is willing to struggle a lot more because he is one of our guys. There is also the thing that a guy with ties to IL will likely win the HS coaches back after Lovie and Beanie Weanie ruined an already strained relationship.

Basically people want an Illini to be the guy so he can come bring us back to the promise land. Honestly I wouldn't hate either of the Monkens or Scheelhouse (though he needs an experienced staff). Just because the instate buzz would be back again.

Regarding your third sentence, Frost's honeymoon at Nebraska has ended pretty fast.

All else equal, we would like an Illini but I don't think all else is equal in our situation now.
 
#323      
Harbaugh is failing at Michigan, perhaps the clearest case of “well that guy is the obvious, can’t miss, back-up-the-money-truck candidate”
Also he's a pretty good argument that "Well [potential coach X] is an alum, he bleeds [school color A and B]! Unlike that other candidate, he has a personal connection and real love for the school so will obviously be successful here" is not really much to hang your hat on either.

Like Illinois fans always wanting to hire alums first and foremost, Michigan always gets caught up in this "Michigan Man" tripe any time they have an opening.
 
#324      
Disappointing to see Alex Grinch not on the list.

I get the love for Nate Scheelhaase- however if I’m into hiring WR coaches, Ohio state has the tops
 
#325      
I think the idea is that we want someone like NW has in Fitz or Ok St. Has in Gundy. You want someone that loves the school and will do anything to do right by the program. Hometown kids typically get given more time to right the ship and the fan base is willing to struggle a lot more because he is one of our guys. There is also the thing that a guy with ties to IL will likely win the HS coaches back after Lovie and Beanie Weanie ruined an already strained relationship.

Basically people want an Illini to be the guy so he can come bring us back to the promise land. Honestly I wouldn't hate either of the Monkens or Scheelhouse (though he needs an experienced staff). Just because the instate buzz would be back again.
Plus we have first hand experience here! Who among us doesn't look back longingly at the golden era of Illinois football under that hometown kid that loved the school and would do anything to do right by the program, Ron Guenther.
 
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