The Illinois Football Coaching Search

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#276      
My wish list wouldn’t align with the values I’d the admin at Illinois. It sounds like JW already has his guy and I know he contacted 5-6 coaches before making this decision. You guys should have an answer soon(I don’t know exactly who the choice is yet either)

I heard 2nd hand that it is one of two people. I haven't looked at the thread, but I think the names are out there. Monken or Leipold. I haven't read this thread, and a more credible insider probably said who it is. But figured id pass something along
 
#277      

Cook

Richmond, VA
Hello guys. I haven't posted in a long time, but wanted to get in on the coaching search thread. The one advantage to being a lifelong Illini fan is we get to discuss coaching searches, as much as we do the actual games themselves.
I would be very thrilled with Malzahn (but I don't think he would come here), but could live with Leipold or Monken. Absolutely no to Bielema or Fleck.
No way. Go watch the videos from his wife about Auburn/Cam Newton that came out after their NC when he was OC.
 
#278      
Are other fan bases as paparazzi as we, or is it a clear indication of our desperation for relevance? Not that I do not fully endorse the lengths we may go to for confirmation of any flight to Willard...or tagging coaching prospects like animals in the wild
We've just become good at the art of tracking because we seem to be always looking for coaches! Which would lend itself to being a "Thirsty" fan base. Ask a younger person what "Thirsty" means! :)
 
#280      
I heard 2nd hand that it is one of two people. I haven't looked at the thread, but I think the names are out there. Monken or Leipold. I haven't read this thread, and a more credible insider probably said who it is. But figured id pass something along
I would be happy with either of those. I listened to Monken give the commencement speech two years ago at Millikin. Super intelligent dude that just gets it!!
 
#281      

Deleted member 29907

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Just say "No" to the Triple O. If Monken is an option I seriously hope we are much more exciting than that.

And, yes, I get winning is nice (no guarantee here with the Triple O) but its beyond boring. FYI - I am also for dunks in basketball, overhanded free throws and jump shots.
 
#283      

Retro62

North Bethesda, Maryland
We've just become good at the art of tracking because we seem to be always looking for coaches! Which would lend itself to being a "Thirsty" fan base. Ask a younger person what "Thirsty" means! :)
I remember the “thirsty” references from Groce era recruits...we were the Gobi of college basketball
 
#284      

illini80

Forgottonia
I heard 2nd hand that it is one of two people. I haven't looked at the thread, but I think the names are out there. Monken or Leipold. I haven't read this thread, and a more credible insider probably said who it is. But figured id pass something along
Not saying they aren’t decent coaches, but I just wonder if they can get players to come here.
 
#285      

Collegeguy

O’Fallon
Todd Monken - The biggest weakness of Georgia is their offense.
Jeff Monken - A triple option offense...seriously?????
Why would we be excited about bad offensive coaches, or even good defensive coaches (hear me out). If you want to fill the stands you need a dynamic offense and pray the coach can hire a decent defensive coordinator that can recruit.

We laugh at coaches like Hugh Freeze, but he’s #1 on Auburn’s list. Hell, I’d take Jeff Lebby from Ole Miss. That offense is dynamic!!

I guess the perfect situation would be someone who wants to be in the Midwest, has recruiting ties to the Midwest and has a great offense...who the heck is that?!
(Sorry, I was thinking aloud!)
Look at Todd Monken’s background. He’s been a part of some explosive offenses and just hung 49 on Mizzou. Their QB play was hindered early in the year before Daniels took the reigns. I’m not sure how much Smart has held back the play calling but they had limited if any spring ball. Todd would have the ball in the air and make things interesting.
 
#286      
Why not invest wisely ?

Hire Ryan Day as Athletic Director ?
 
#287      

TMC999

Not Iowa
I was a graduate student at Texas A&M when Sumlin was hired. Other than catching lightning in a bottle with Manziel, it was awful.

I later took a job at Arizona. They then hired Sumlin. It was uniformly awful.

He's like a plague that keeps following me. I hope it doesn't continue.
Don’t take this personally but hold off on any moves back to central Illinois for like 6 weeks....
 
#288      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
Not saying they aren’t decent coaches, but I just wonder if they can get players to come here.
(Apologies; this is for those who don't recall the history here.) The tail end of Blackman's tenure in the mid'70s and then the three-season-long human neutron bomb that was Gary Moeller all but destroyed the program by the time Mike White showed up in early 1980. He built a team quickly using JC transfers when a "transfer portal" was nothing more than a sci-fi concept. After three seasons we were in a bowl game (back when that was a relatively difficult feat to achieve.) By that third season we really should have beaten Michigan (failed to score down six at home in the final couple minutes with a first and goal sitch), OSU (lost by five at home when we were favored) and Iowa (lost by one at Kinnick) and gone to the Rose Bowl with Tony Eason. By the fourth season we ran the BT table (the only team in history to have done that) and went to the Rose Bowl.

Yes, White ran afoul of the NCAA. He didn't have to and to this day I believe that if the university had proper controls within the DIA at the time, none of that would have happened and White would have coached us quite successfully into the '90s.

Anyone who takes the job will have to cobble together teams for a couple years, as Lovie has been doing for a while, using transfers. Talented transfers will come if the coaching staff is attractive. If he can also recruit then by 3-4 seasons down the road you have something substantial and talented H.S. players will to want to come. It's very difficult to do but it can be done. White at Illinois; Fry at Iowa; Alvarez at Wisc, to use three BT examples in the span of 10-15 years taking programs that were rock-bottom bad to the top fairly quickly. But you need a young, creative, very smart, dynamic guy. I.E., not Tim Beckman. Thank goodness Mike Thomas is so far in the rear view mirror at this point he's invisible.
 
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#289      
Disagree both with the POV stated here and the broader notion that anything we do would get panned worse than the Cubit fiasco (ok, maybe hiring Art Briles).

We’d all like to memory-hole that, I get it, but come on.

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.
 
#291      
I’m still on the Nathan Scheelhaase bandwagon. Long shot, but the time to grab him is early. He’s going to quickly move up and we will have missed our opportunity.
QB Coach/Assistant Head Coach
 
#292      
Jeff Monken certainly checks the integrity box and is a proven HC, which I just feel like JW prefers. Also originally from Illinois. And he would be risky. Not sure if he’d try to run a true triple option in the B1G, but that is the only offense he’s had success with so changing would involve risk.
Triple option with Isaiah, Cumby, Love, Brown? Might be fun.
 
#294      
Why are we so hung up on an alumnus or someone with ties to Illinois? Just get the best damn coach we possibly can.
That is easily answered.
Our program is a long running dumpster fire. It is presumed by many that only an alum or person with ties would take the job and then stay with it if successful.

Not saying that is true, but it is an understandable point of view.
 
#296      

Deleted member 746648

D
Guest
Jeff Monken has already stated a willingness to move away from the triple option if needed. Im sure he could incorporate option elements into a more traditional offense. It could be really effective.
 
#297      

Illinivek23

Gurnee
What did he run at Georgia Southern? Does Willie Fritz run the triple option at Tulane? Or has he adapted to his talent and fan interest.

I thought Jeff ran the triple option at Army because his lineman are smaller due to military restrictions. And his kids are smart there - could be interesting from a leadership perspective, especially.
 
#298      
I'm sick of whatever the hell it is that Rod Smith runs. Is it spread? Is it hurry up? Whatever it is, the no huddle, but stand at the line of scrimmage waiting for a play to get relayed just in time to get the snap of before the play clock ticks to :00 sucks. Not to mention his play calling shows absolutely no imagination. I can usually call out the play ahead of time. If I can see whats coming, then I guarantee that D-coordonators know what's coming. All that to say I really hope we end up with a really good O- coordinator and D-coordinator.
 
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#299      
I’ve been reading these posts and I’m astounded by the number of fans who are willing to settle (like we don’t deserve a great coach). I feel like most would be happy with 7-5, 6-6 etc...and yes, that’s better than what we’ve had the last few years, but shouldn’t we be striving for a national championship?! I know that’s almost impossible, but why settle for a triple option offense that will recruit average football players at best? Our goals should be higher than what I’m reading...Illinois fans are soooo beat down, it’s sad!!!
 
#300      
We didn’t build that performance center to
run the triple option with 2 star recruits.

Not saying we should strive to be Ohio State but no reason we should be content operating at a talent deficit relative to the peers in our division,

Note, with the exception of Wisconsin, not sure we are operating at a talent deficit now.
 
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