Lovie Smith new Illini coach?
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You need to consider that since Mike White left in the '80s, we've been the second worst program in the Big Ten and TIM BECKMAN was standing on our sidelines not long ago ... this is huge for us, if true.
Congrats..... And I mean that honestly. My first thought was.... Enjoy those press conferences with Lovie, He makes Kirk look like the life of the party in comparison after viewing his media sessions in all my years of being a die hard Bears fan.
All that matters is he wins and his boring personality will be overlooked. I am sure he will do a good job at Illinois. Its a name coach, a SB coach. Hard to argue with bringing him in if he is willing to recruit and deal with all the headaches that encompasses.
All that matters is he wins and his boring personality will be overlooked. I am sure he will do a good job at Illinois. Its a name coach, a SB coach. Hard to argue with bringing him in if he is willing to recruit and deal with all the headaches that encompasses.
Their D will definitely improve after that not much...now if he can keep all the talent instate lookout !
Yes.... Good defense, boring offense is my prediction. Ha ha. Just like we Bears were used to.
Hiring the right offensive coordinator will be key. Hearing a name that will shock people. Don't know if it's true, but I didn't think Lovie was true at first, either.
No, this will be another hire along the lines of Turner that will end in rock bottom. No high school player is going to sign up to watch paint dry. On the bright side, 3 or 4 candidates didn't tell you 'no' this time. On the flip side, you started your offers on what would be other programs' 5th choice
Pretty good hire as a coach. We'll see about recruiting. It's been a minute since he was in the college game. Illini should have some advantages in recruiting (namely, Chicagoland).
Don't bet your house on it ! Lovie is known around the NFL as a players coach. I could see high school kids getting excited to play for him. Like I said earlier, if Lovie can lock down the instate talent, things will change fast for the Illini.
No coach, let alone Lovie, will lock down in state talent at Illinois. There's too much competition from ND, Wisconsin, MSU, UM, and Iowa
We don't have to lock it down, we just have to get our fair share. And that should be the expectation here.
Do you think a few of these kids from Chicago are life long Bears fans ? Yes !!! Do you think some of these young African-American's would like to play for a African-American head coach ? Yes !!! Lovie is also a Texas native and former OSU asst. coach do you think that will help recruiting ? Yes !!! In three years Illinois will be relevant in the B1G West.
This is a great hire for Illinois. Anyone who thinks Lovie at Illinois is "good" or "meh" for Iowa is clueless.
Do you really believe a longstanding, generally successful Bears coach, will not get an audience with in-state Illinois and specifically Chicago area recruits?
You do realize parents have at least some influence on their kids as well.
On the BB board they are arguing about the importance of high level experience, but here being the coach of a Super Bowl team from the same area you are being asked to now coach college ball in draws a "meh" response. Man, there are so many comics on this board.
He will at least be listened to by every notable recruit in Illinois.
Again, great hire for Illinois. May or may not win titles, but huge step up the ladder.
Do you really believe a longstanding, generally successful Bears coach, will not get an audience with in-state Illinois and specifically Chicago area recruits?
You do realize parents have at least some influence on their kids as well.
On the BB board they are arguing about the importance of high level experience, but here being the coach of a Super Bowl team from the same area you are being asked to now coach college ball in draws a "meh" response. Man, there are so many comics on this board.
He will at least be listened to by every notable recruit in Illinois.
Again, great hire for Illinois. May or may not win titles, but huge step up the ladder.
No life long bears fan is going to play for Lovie. The only person in Chicagoland that liked the guy was Virginia McCaskey
Are those of you from outside of Chicago that clueless? His name triggered laughs all across Chicago last night
I'm a huge bears fan and I have always like lovie smith. I think he is a great hire.
I live in Chicago and think he would be a great hire for the Illini. I also don't get the comments about Chicago not liking Lovie. I think many knew his time was up but also respect that he got the Bears to a SB. The McCaskeys and a number of former GMs get a lot less respect than Lovie.
Players love him and that will go a long way in improving recruiting over the last few clowns the Illini hired. I'll be surprised if they aren't competitive in the west after 3 years or so.
Well looks like it is official he is the new Illinois coach. 21 years since Smith last coached in college. Enjoy the dumpster fire that you just inherited Lovie.
https://sports.yahoo.com/news/illinois-hires-lovie-smith-head-coach-135552055--ncaaf.html
https://sports.yahoo.com/news/illinois-hires-lovie-smith-head-coach-135552055--ncaaf.html
Very weird move. Fire the coach who took them to a bowl game when the season could have been a disaster in Spring only to hire a guy who hasn't coached in college for over 20 years. Lovie had some good years at Chicago but he isn't someone that recruits from Illinois or elsewhere are going to flock to. Their athletic department is horrible.
LOL, some of you guys' hate for Illinois is truly amusing. Given where our program is, this was a huge step up for us.
1. Did you see that eventually he will make $5 mil? at Illinois... By that time KF will be making about the same. So KF salary will finally not be an issue around here.
2. I dont things its about African American kids wanting to play for an African American coach. Its African American (and white kids) wanting to play for a a former head coach of several NFL teams. If that is your goal, then obviously playing for a guy with the experience, expertise and networks is a logical choice.
2. I dont things its about African American kids wanting to play for an African American coach. Its African American (and white kids) wanting to play for a a former head coach of several NFL teams. If that is your goal, then obviously playing for a guy with the experience, expertise and networks is a logical choice.
It's going to take Smith some time, I think. Schematically, he's missing spring practice. He's going to have to hire a coaching staff and implement an offense and defense over the course of fall camp.
And then more fundamentally, he's been out of college for a long time. He's going to have to readjust to less practice time, less sophistication of scheme, and recruiting.
Good hire, but there is certainly some risk.
And then more fundamentally, he's been out of college for a long time. He's going to have to readjust to less practice time, less sophistication of scheme, and recruiting.
Good hire, but there is certainly some risk.
I think it's an excellent hire for them. Brings instant credibility to the program and will get the Chicago media market interested at least for a while which should impact recruiting positively in the beginning. That alone could help snowball into some success.
As an Iowa fan I was perfectly content with them hiring that Tim Beckman's and the bill cubits of the world
As an Iowa fan I was perfectly content with them hiring that Tim Beckman's and the bill cubits of the world
This.
I think given the current condition of Illinois football, this is probably a high risk/high reward move worth making.
I often have a tough time getting my head around how former NFL coaches who have been out of CFB for a long time can all of a sudden get back in sync with sitting in the living rooms of 17 year-olds (thought the same thing when Gruden's name was floating around) - but I guess it's worked before.
Interesting perspective. IMO, it's closer to the Mackovic hire (the last Illinois football coach that wasn't fired). That worked out ok.
Even if he doesn't win, it's just a relief as an Illini fan to see the AD act like the AD at a power five flagship university of a huge state should act -- not pissing around with MAC losers.
Also agree that the staff will make all the difference here. I'm encouraged. I really think we'll be competitive in a few years. A week ago, I would have laughed at such a notion.
Their Spring ball runs from March 11 to April 16. While they aren't as prepared as other schools for Spring ball, they will be implementing their systems this Spring. They'll change some things by Fall camp, but it won't be totally new in August.
Spring camp is being rescheduled. Some of the former staff are being retained, in particular DC Mike Phair who worked with Lovie in the NFL. That should help with the transition, but no question there is always a lot of work putting in new systems whenever a new coach is hired, and they usually have at least a few month head start that Lovie won't have. It'll be challenge, but he's a pro.
