illiniCA
- DC Area
is it really a dumpster fire? Is the roster that bad?
The Illinois Football Coaching Search
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is it really a dumpster fire? Is the roster that bad?
I think you are misinterpreting the 5-6 guys thing...yes he has talked to at least that many, not offered the job to that many, gauging interest, vetting, etc to see about fit and interviews and stuff like that.
Josh Whitman strikes me as the type of guy that doesn't do anything on the "spur of the moment"
Yes....a bottom of the barrel job....why both those guys have their teams ranked in the top 10 and get paid more than we would offer....why leave?
If our AD, who was a former Illini TE, doesn't care about winning football games, he has the wrong job. Does the senior admin not realize that a winning football team leads to more exposure, which leads to more students, which leads to a more diverse donation base? Horribly short sighted on their part.
bdutts
- Houston, Texas
That’s what I figured...thanks for clarifying.
A little bit but I get you now. Just excited jw actually pulled the trigger so just a little amped up is all.
Our senior admin hires have been worse than our football head coach hires.
On the Lovie-is-fired thread, I said something similar to this. We know that Whitman is a dedicated institutionalist and very concerned with the program's image and perception. And clearly his goal is to project himself as leader in control with a strong forward vision. So I just can't imagine he'd risk a chaotic, indecisive, drawn-out coaching search, in which he gets publicly and embarrassingly rebuked and is seen as having settled for his eight choice (a la a certain former AD we all remember). That goes totally against type for him. And especially during a pandemic, when there will be questions why the school is bothering now. So my belief is that he already locked in the next coach and will just wait a certain time for the official process to play out before making the announcement.
TwoElevenEastDaniel
- Cochrane's-Orchid-Tonic
I would be fine with a good P5 assistant like Graham Harrell, Tom Manning or Jim Leonhard. Not saying they are attainable, but I think they would at least make sense.
I think Nate would be a dart throw that I wouldn't complain about as long as the university gives him five years to build a program. High character, young, energetic alum. He would practically be the mayor of Champaign the day they hired him.
But I think it will be a Leipold/Lewis/Candle type of hire. No inside information, it just seems like a distinct possibility based on the perceived need to program build here.
I think Nate would be a dart throw that I wouldn't complain about as long as the university gives him five years to build a program. High character, young, energetic alum. He would practically be the mayor of Champaign the day they hired him.
But I think it will be a Leipold/Lewis/Candle type of hire. No inside information, it just seems like a distinct possibility based on the perceived need to program build here.
Dream scenario: Luke Fickell
Most Likely: Lance Leipold
My Hopes: Clark Lea, Matt Entz, Marcus Freeman or **Joe Moorhead**
Most Likely: Lance Leipold
My Hopes: Clark Lea, Matt Entz, Marcus Freeman or **Joe Moorhead**
Deleted member 4333
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Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Much better than a coaching search at the end of Spring!
You must be trolling. He’s the biggest dbag to ever walk the sidelines
illiniCA
- DC Area
I didn’t mean those guys should leave to come here. Just wasn’t sure if this is really the worst of the worst jobs out there.
Deleted member 747752
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I was the director of admissions at Nebraska-Omaha when Lance was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for UNO football. Awesome guy, and a very accomplished recruiter who has developed into a highly successful coach. I would love to see him in Champaign.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
I would hope that decision is in the new coach's hands. Josh may give some insight, but it has to be the new coach's decision, if he is really in charge.
DaChief4ever
- Urbana
WE need a seasoned guy who's good at recruiting....that's just one part of Lovie's failures..... Younger guy with some experience and lots of Rah-Rah image....someone that can Sell the Program. No to Nate, not another " he might work out". Get the recruits and program goes forward.
You just described Mr. Row The Boat.
illinihawk16
- Chicago
Would love if the new guy brought in Nate as an assistant-OC or something, but if anyone is suggesting him as the new HC they are delusional.
ChiefIlliniwek
- Omaha, Nebraska
Its a bummer uno football is no more, but whatever makes tom Osbourne happy i guess. I beat marlin Briscoe heads up at the final table of a charity poker tourney about 10 years ago. Thats about as close to uno football as I got. Haha
I'm grateful for the national recognition lovie was able to bring back to the program. I wish it could have worked out better but I also wasn't figuring it would last.
Hope it's finally going to be the hire we have all been waiting for for... decades.
You and me are cut from the same cloth.
I do not think this was a spur of moment decision. I did notice, as I suspect many others did, that the coaching staff seemed to just let the game clock just wind down yesterday. Didn’t look right. You get possession with 6 minutes left, and you have your timeouts, so you should compete. They didn’t. It made me wonder if they knew they were done. Then Bob Golic said something about “we don’t know what the future holds” and I wondered if the word was already leaking around the press box. Not that you needed to be Kreskin to see this coming.
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