I don't think we'll see a HS coach go straight to D1 head coach anytime soon, if ever again. Too much $$ and expectations riding in the game now for that type of jump with no head CFB coaching experience.
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Gerry Faust??? Oh, never mind. Lol.I don't think we'll see a HS coach go straight to D1 head coach anytime soon, if ever again. Too much $$ and expectations riding in the game now for that type of jump with no head CFB coaching experience.
Without a doubt hire Jeff Monken. He's been a winner wherever he's been. Knows how to win with lesser talent. He has the Illinois ties to keep the in state talent. Will be tough to prepare for what he will do on offense in one week.
Beebe wants to be close to home, I don't see him leaving Aurora.I would love to see someone who has a good grasp of the Chicago and Illinois high school football scene. I'm going to go way outta the box...as the Illini learned with the Mike White hiring 40 years ago, a high-powered offense will put some butts in seats.
How about Don Beebe, the head coach at Aurora University? Obviously, he has a great high school coaching history with multiple titles at Aurora Christian. He has a great knowledge of the Chicagoland athlete, having run House of Speed. He quickly transformed a mundane Aurora U offense into one of the highest scoring machines in D3. I just don't know if the Illini have the horses to run his offense - nothing against Rod Smith, who has a good running first offense, but the systems are so different. If not the head coach, perhaps the new coach should consider him as OC...
Other Illinois oriented picks? Some of the previously mentioned - John Holecek, former Illini all big 10 linebacker & head coach at Loyola; Derek Leonard, Rochester; Rob Zvonar, Lincoln Way East.
JIm Harbaugh anyone?
I don't see them hiring him if the insists on the triple as run at Army, but I like him a lot. They need someone that develops players, like Bill Snyder did at K State, Or Tom Allen is doing at Indiana. They are not going to be able to recruit as well as the established programs in the B10, at least not in the beginning, they need to be able to take the 2 and 3 stars and develop their potential.Jeff Monken of Army is my guy!
1) He's from Joliet! His father coached at Joliet East, RIP! Illinois roots!
2) He has built a program when it was down at Army. Illinois needs someone who has built a program.
3) Triple option! Mike White succeeded at Illinois partly because he passed so much, something other schools were not used to seeing. Same with the triple option.
should be on the listLance Leipold from Buffalo (University)
He would not get a $5 million salary. He has zero negotiating power. He works at a high school making perhaps $80-100K. You do not pay someone 50 times their salary for a complete lack of resume that type of cash. Name a high school coach who has made that kind of jump without being an assistant or low level college coach in modern times? This is not the 50's (terry Brennan) or 80's (Faust)I cant ever see them making this move. And if offered, I cant see him turning it down, especially with a salary upwards of $5 million.
It's actually 50x's his salaryHe would not get a $5 million salary. He has zero negotiating power. He works at a high school making perhaps $80-100K. You do not pay someone 5 times their salary for a complete lack of resume that type of cash. Name a high school coach who has made that kind of jump without being an assistant or low level college coach in modern times? This is not the 50's (terry Brennan) or 80's (Faust)
Holecek wouldn’t get $5 million.I cant ever see them making this move. And if offered, I cant see him turning it down, especially with a salary upwards of $5 million.
A lot of Monken's success is due to a fairly weak schedule year in and year out. Other than Navy (which is not saying much this year), they have beaten no one.
Illinois would want someone who could recruit. If Monken abandons the option, then I could see it. WIthout doing that, in todays world the kids would not show up to Champaign to run the option.
Don't get me wrong, he is a class act and a great motivator but I think Illinois needs an offensive minded coach who can light up the scoreboard. That will bring recruits from all over IL to Champaign.
He would not get a $5 million salary. He has zero negotiating power. He works at a high school making perhaps $80-100K. You do not pay someone 50 times their salary for a complete lack of resume that type of cash. Name a high school coach who has made that kind of jump without being an assistant or low level college coach in modern times? This is not the 50's (terry Brennan) or 80's (Faust)
Northwestern, Stanford, etc. disagree.One thing that has not been talked about is the U of I admission standards. I know that the U of I is a selective admissions school. It is also my understanding that the admissions office has been of little help to the football program. I don't know if it is true or not but it does not matter who the coach is if he can't get the athletes in the school.
Ironically the guy from Northwestern had an hour to spare, as well as, the guy from Indiana.Northwestern, Stanford, etc. disagree.
You are correct in hearing this rumor. It is all about having the trust of the admissions office to get “exceptions” enrolled. Ironically Northwestern does a much better job of getting “exceptions” enrolled as football players b/c Fitz has the trust of admin and guarantees the football program will make sure their players succeed. This is often about taking kids from struggling backgrounds whose GPA/test scores are not exceptional and giving them a chance to prove themselves once they have all the help a Big10 school offers. From what I understand Fitz has had a couple each year and has proven that their academic support system successfully helps those kids achieve. I am not a U of I guy, I played at IU. But my former assistant coach was there years ago as a GA and said that they really struggled to get the school to accept borderline athletes. That is definitely an issue with this job.One thing that has not been talked about is the U of I admission standards. I know that the U of I is a selective admissions school. It is also my understanding that the admissions office has been of little help to the football program. I don't know if it is true or not but it does not matter who the coach is if he can't get the athletes in the school.
One thing that has not been talked about is the U of I admission standards. I know that the U of I is a selective admissions school. It is also my understanding that the admissions office has been of little help to the football program. I don't know if it is true or not but it does not matter who the coach is if he can't get the athletes in the school.