November 27th, 2011 at 1:18 PM ^
Ron English as a candidate?
November 27th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
This has a lot of potential
November 27th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
Very telling.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:09 PM ^
*grabs popcorn
November 27th, 2011 at 4:40 PM ^
You're joking, right?
November 27th, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^
I read on the Internet that they're looking hard at Mike Leach. You can always believe the Internet.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^
Mike Leach is in line for every job this off-season apparently
November 27th, 2011 at 3:49 PM ^
I heard that he's purchased a house in champaigne.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:27 PM ^
Leach is an interesting guy. I had a long talk with him this year at a sports analytics conference while he was dipping and spitting in his empty Coors bottle, and he said he wanted to a see a 64 team playoff and I was like woah. He's unconventional and very opinionated, but if he can get his players to buy in they would have a higher ceiling than Zook did.
Regardless, the man can coach offense and for a middle of the road BCS program like Illinois he might be just what they need. He would bring a dangerous offense and in the right years could be a contender in the B1G (gulp) Leaders division. I'm interested to see what kind of coaches Illinois goes after. Especially with them in the other division, I kind of hope they manage to make a good hire and become a more respectable program for the B1G than they were during the Zook years.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
I think Leach would be a good hire for any middle of the road BCS type school. While he hasn't had sustained successes, his teams can show up and beat anybody on any given day it seems. Only got to worry about the baggage he brings with thim. Illinois might want to go after him after the offensive woes they've had lately.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:43 PM ^
10 straight winning seasons at TEXAS TECH. that qualifies as sustained success. 76-39 at Tech...
November 27th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
I lived down there and success is to actually damn it with faint praise. Tech is an outpost school in a blah city, with a very average winning history, and he made it attractive to value type athletes who got overlooked by Texas and OU. He took guys who were a couple inches too short or whatever and didn't get the big notice from the scouting services, and won with them. He'd do even better with a place like Illinois or UCLA where he'd have a shot at attracting 4- star and better guys.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:15 PM ^
And I was surprised just how sharp he was. He's one smart MOFO. Very rough around the edges, but the guy would make Illinois a winner as soon as he got a little more talent there....
HOWEVA
I don't think Illinois has the balls to hire him. He's a bit too controversial for their base and if he didn't win immediatley, I don't think he'd be able to escape the mob of Champaign-Urbanans.
November 27th, 2011 at 3:05 PM ^
Whatever tiny residual chance Leach had at a future college coaching career before the James crap at Tech disappeared when he sued his former dean and institution. Once you do that your career in academia is over.
He might land a job at a high school or junior college somewhere; he'll never sniff another BCS-level job.
November 27th, 2011 at 3:18 PM ^
.....and that's the thanks he got for keeping a lid on James' violent history at SMU with the 5 hookers. Lesser men would have definitely talked about it to further his position in this law suit.
November 27th, 2011 at 3:37 PM ^
It really doesn't have much to do with the James thing--he'd get a pass on that. He won't get a pass on the lawsuit; he won't get a pass on the way he handled his annual contract renegotiations at Tech. Don't troll/beg prospective employers for interviews just to use them as leverage against your current employer--they'll find out about it, and eventually so will everyone you might look to for a job.
It's worth remembering that the Kentucky job (where he'd been OC) came open twice while he was at Tech; he wasn't even considered either time. There's more going on here than is visible to the public.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:20 PM ^
Maybe Urban Meyer will go there instead. It's the path Florida coaches take.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:21 PM ^
All along, his secret career ambition has been to prove that he could win in the aftermath of Ron Zook.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:20 PM ^
He can coach two places at once, I'm sure of it.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:21 PM ^
It will be hard to find a replacement for that hair. I can only think of one logical contender...
November 27th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
ETA: Smooth edit is smooth.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:21 PM ^
Part deux
November 27th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
That paves the way for Manny Diaz as DC at OSU, right?
November 27th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
No-brainer for the Illinois AD
November 27th, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^
I'm up for a million dollar salary. I can probably do as well as Zook did. Please consider me.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
They have so much talent on that team, but it is the Illinois curse. Any kind of pre-season hype will always be followed by major disappointment.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
November 27th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
Narduzzi
November 27th, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^
In no order...
1. Pat Narduzzi
2. Jim McElwain
3. Kevin Sumlin
4. Mike Leach
5. Mark Stoops
November 27th, 2011 at 6:40 PM ^
gets a serious look for the Akron job. Imagine Sparty losing those seniors and then Narduzzi next year.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
The Better Illnois is Directly Affects how Good Norte Dame will be since they routinely recruit the same players... If Illnois can be respectable and nap all them Chicago kids... The Golden Domers might even become more Irrlevant
November 27th, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^
I don't think there is a direct correlation. Notre Dame is rarely beaten by Illinois on the recruiting trail. This won't hurt them one bit. Plus, even if this was true, wouldn't you rather have Notre Dame stronger opposed a conference opponent?
November 28th, 2011 at 5:34 AM ^
I'd rather have another conference opponent since they're in the other division.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:48 PM ^
that Urban Meyer once called Illinois his "dream job" and reliable insiders say he's interested.
November 27th, 2011 at 5:43 PM ^
EDIT: Didn't realize sarcasm.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
I heard the Obamas have been visiting the state of Illinois recently and actually own property there. This can only mean one thing...
November 27th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
Luke Fickel...I am sure he could negative recruit Ohio all day long.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:03 PM ^
Think more critically! Illinois needs someone who can recruit that area of the country effectively! Somebody with a long history, stability. Not a flash in the pan. There is only ONE man for the Illinois job:
November 27th, 2011 at 4:14 PM ^
.....but what about someone who can speak without the NWS calling for a Flash Flood Watch?
November 27th, 2011 at 2:08 PM ^
November 27th, 2011 at 2:30 PM ^
He didn't do a particularly good job of recruiting at Illinois.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^
Do we really need help recruiting as it is?
November 27th, 2011 at 2:44 PM ^
We have a top 5 class coming in, and currently #1.We don't need Zooker.
November 27th, 2011 at 5:28 PM ^
We ought to check it out. Lord knows that central Illinois is a gold-mine for football talent.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:31 PM ^
What is it about Illinois that leads to perennial mediocrity? They have had some decent coaches through the years (and some not so good) and they have a decent team about once a decade, but then it's right back to their .500 or worse winning percentage. They've had two coaches with above .500 winning percentages in the past 50 years: Mike White at .533 and John Mackovic at .663. It's been all down hill since then: Tepper (.446), Turner (.380), Zook (.376).
http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/AnnualTeamRecords.pdf
November 27th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^
November 27th, 2011 at 5:45 PM ^
Yeah, they're essentially pre-Rodriguez Michigan State.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:54 PM ^
BTN just said it is official and he has been dismissed.
First team in modern college football history to win first 6 games and then lose 6 straight to finish 6-6 this season.