December 4th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
or someone of the like, i doubt it. Minnesota has to be praying that Zook stays.
thank GOD we won that game
December 4th, 2010 at 10:40 AM ^
... has been lobbying for nearly every job that opens up. I think he would take it.
December 4th, 2010 at 10:37 AM ^
But they improved enough to earn another year. Hotter seat next season. Bowl or Bust.
December 4th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
He has won 1/3 of his b10 games. I'm not sure what the norm is at Illinois but that has to be at least slightly below average. I think the only thing that would save him if he does keep his job is that one solid season.
December 4th, 2010 at 10:40 AM ^
They are improving, he's got quite a bit of talented players there, and he is genuinely liked by Uof I fans.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:01 AM ^
December 4th, 2010 at 11:27 AM ^
i know of no illini fan who "likes" zook.
December 4th, 2010 at 12:40 PM ^
I know of no Illini fans.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
What Illinois fans are you talking to? The Illinois fans in Chicago can't stand him and want him gone.
December 4th, 2010 at 1:23 PM ^
I don't know about that. I live in Champaign. I don't know anybody who would say they "like" him.
There does seem to be a consensus that he's the best recruiting Illinois has had, possibly ever, but that he's a terrible game coach. Hence the new coordinators this year, and the improvement.
December 4th, 2010 at 10:42 AM ^
December 4th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
I really doubt they would have overhauled the OC/DC last year if they were going to fire him this year.
Let's be honest, Zook is probably the best possible recruiter they can get. His recruiting combined with decent coaching from coordinators would probably make Illinois as good as they're capable of being.
December 4th, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^
Big Ten Recruiting Class Rankings 11-28-10
Illinois' not exactly pulling the players they have in previous years under Zook
December 4th, 2010 at 10:45 AM ^
My sense he was on a hotter seat than either Lynch or Brewster coming into the season, but Illinois' early season performance (esp against OSU and PSU) cooled it off. It has been all downhill from there. He lost to us, MN and now Fresno St (again). Gotta believe there are some cranky people down in Champaign right about now.
December 4th, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
Minnesota and Indiana are in the midst of making large capital improvements to their football programs. Both programs needed to make changes to entice more funding.
December 4th, 2010 at 10:54 AM ^
Good point.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^
December 4th, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^
He will get another year.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^
With the development of Sheelhaase (just a redshirt frosh), improvement defensively and being competitive in each game they played, I think he's earned at least one more year.
Keep in mind that Illinois was historically bad...averaging 3 total wins/season in the 3 years prior to his arrival.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^
But, Zook has only averaged 4.5 wins per year over his six years and that number is distorted by one unusually successful season (9-4 in 2007 looks more or less to be an outlier). In comparison, during the 80's and 90's, Illinois hit around .500 (maybe slightly higher).
December 4th, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
6 years and only 1 winning season??? He should have been gone sooner, but the 9-4 record in 2007 bought him some more time.
December 4th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^
He also lucked into the Rose Bowl that year b/c of their admirably blind devotion to the B10.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^
I think he stays. His team played well in spurts this year, and non-first-year QB next year they should be better (you know, like somebody else...).
December 4th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^
Moved.
December 4th, 2010 at 11:41 AM ^
I'm going slightly off topic here but I've actually been thinking about Zook's coaching at Florida and comparing it to RichRod's time here. Zook was fired before the final game of his third season. But there are plenty of similarities. Zook's time in Gainesville was a disaster but still better than what we have been experiencing lately.
OVERALL RECORD -
Zook: 23-15
RichRod: 15-21
RECORD AGAINST 3 MAJOR RIVALS -
Zook: 4-5 (1-2 against Tennessee, 2-1 against Georgia, 1-2 against Florida State)
RichRod: 2-7 (2-1 against Notre Dame, 0-3 against MSU, 0-3 against OSU)
BOWL RECORD -
Zook: 0-3
RichRod: Yet to play in first bowl
Florida was a combined 20-5 the two seasons before Zook took over. Michigan was a combined 20-6 the two seasons before RichRod took over.
Interesting yet depressing stats. Or does this not matter since we had to learn a new system under RichRod and Florida is the hotbed of great football athletes?
December 4th, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^
I do not want to get into the "Keep RR v. Fire RR" debate, but the reality is we will never know how Zook would have done at Florida if he had not been fired in year 3. Imagine if Mike Krzyzewski was fired after his first three years:
| Duke's Record | |
| (Coach K's 1st 3 Yrs) | |
| 1980 | 17-13 |
| 1981 | 10-17 |
| 1982 | 11-17 |
Anyone can have a losing (or winning) record over a three year period. You need to judge a coach's performance, especially when doing it over a short timeframe, using a broader view than just W-L record. IMO.
December 4th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
And the three years before Coach K arrived:
27-7 (NCAA runner up)
22-8 (NCAA 2nd round)
24-9 (NCAA Elite Eight)
Anyone taking just a cursory look at the records would have concluded that the guy was a total fuck up.
December 4th, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^
Those are some crazy stats. These days that would probably get you canned.
December 4th, 2010 at 3:06 PM ^
You can tell there was no 24-hour sports channels yet. I don't even remember sports talk radio stations back then, but I was only 10 at the time. Without the media needing to chew the same content repeatedly, I think AD's and fans had more patience back then.
December 4th, 2010 at 2:11 PM ^
As you nicely have shown his overall record is not great. But in his time he has beaten every other Big Ten team. If you look back at some other coaches particularly back when things were the Big 2 and the Little 8 very few coaches could say that. By beating OSU a few years ago and by playing competitively the effect of that one good year is extended beyond its usual expiration date.
For example had Michigan beaten just of the top four teams (MSU, OSU, Iowa or Wisconsin) but still ended up 7-5 I doubt there would be the same type of rumors swirling around the Athletic Department.
December 4th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
Is making it completely crap out on the App. Two posts appear.
December 4th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^
the guy can recruit, cannot coach worth a lick !
December 4th, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^
They would have won last night if not for two terrible calls in the 4th quarter. ILL should keep Zook. We all know how it turned out for Minnesota.
December 4th, 2010 at 2:34 PM ^
Zook probably would have already been fired if the school could afford it. His buyout was too large and the state of Illinois/U of I are basically broke and in a ridiculous monetary crisis the past couple years.