I was surprised by the number, too. But my guess is once JW knew who he wanted, he thought he didn’t want to waste a couple days negotiating over a few hundred grand. And if you’re a poor IL program trying to change, you dont want your HC position to be at the bottom of e conference..
Bret Bielema Takes Reins of Illinois Football
Agreed. Not sure what I think of the hire yet, but I do think we're getting a higher IQ than we've had in a long, long time.
If 90 pages of coach search thread and sitting through a MAC championship game taught me anything, it’s that there probably aren’t better options.
Do you think he is the only coach who didn't play for the university he is coaching?
i wonder how many coaches turned us down?
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
But our ground game is really the strongest and most consistent part of our entire game, so he at least has that to work off of.
If he wins, if the kids develop and if he treats the kids well, do you think the ESL coach may change his tune some?
Retro62
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I know it’s kids vs. an adult, and a different sport, but we were certainly happy that Luther Head and Kendrick Nunn got a second chance and redeemed themselves...even though one had to leave to do it.
The Sprouting Divot
Invisible and Bulletproof
- Miracle Mile
Goddammit.
That might have just been his “nice way” to turn down Kansas. Probably wouldn’t register well with ADs to say, “Ha, good one. Oh you’re serious. Big time pass.”
You’re wasting your wish... if you get one wish for his Wisconsin results (or better since we’re wishing).
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
So much of the chatter in this stuff is looking backwards and digging into the past of the coaches. And there is much to admire about Leipold in that regard.
But the trick is projecting into the future, of that coach in our job with the particularities of it and how a plan is going to work. And it just wasn't adding up to me. I am glad we didn't go in that direction, and I wouldn't have said that two weeks ago. The more I researched and thought about it, the less sense it made.
I'd have hired Monken. I thought Dave Clawson made a lot of sense too, if he was in fact available. I thought Jim Leonhard made a lot of sense, if he was in fact available. All of those guys would have been higher on my list, probably.
I think the case for Bielema is that, when you think about our brand new $80 million football facility, and the industry leading nooks and crannies of that, it was obvious that, as big of a name that Lovie Smith is, the slapdash crony operation he was running did not scale to that as a resource. Bielema is going to step in on day one able to operate that resource to its fullest potential. There is no learning curve in the actual day-to-day program oversight at a well-resourced 2020 Big Ten football program. That is appealing.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Let's be adults and acknowledge that it's more transactional than that.
Sunkett will like Bielema and Illinois if it is in Sunkett's interests to like Bielema and Illinois.
Much like it is now in Morgan Park and the Mac Irvin Fire's interests to like Underwood and Illinois.
Well said Gritty.
Who is available that is a proven winner in a situation like ours??
illini80
- Forgottonia
I agree if we let a HS coach dictate who we hire we will fail massively. This is going to take some time to develop relationships again. No way around that. If he proves he’s a good coach and a respectable man he will be successful and kids will want to come. It’s plainly obvious being a good man or a father figure will NOT bring in talent.
He didn’t get a scholarship offer to play at Illinois. I would assume if he’s discussing this with a kid he’s probably offering them a scholarship.
Deleted member 186590
D
Guest
The two programs we want to emulate are Wisconsin and Iowa- programs that can win consistently without having to beat OSU, UM and ND for recruits.
It’s logical to hire someone who actually knows what that takes and how to do it- the hire makes a lot of sense from that standpoint
there are a lot of reasons to pay $4M+ when you have the budget to do so- it establishes the program as a top 20 paying job and draws more interest than it would otherwise and helps you keep your coach if you do have a little success- I don’t mind the money at all
It’s logical to hire someone who actually knows what that takes and how to do it- the hire makes a lot of sense from that standpoint
there are a lot of reasons to pay $4M+ when you have the budget to do so- it establishes the program as a top 20 paying job and draws more interest than it would otherwise and helps you keep your coach if you do have a little success- I don’t mind the money at all
He mentioned two players. My response would be, out of how many?
Well, I was hoping our recruits would become successful football players, but if they end up becoming salesman after their Illini careers are over then I guess I’ll be happy for them in that regard.
Anyone not excited by this hire must have loved Lasagna’s first presser.
So you think he could have got Bielema for less or spent less on a different coach?
Not convinced Bret Bielema wouldn't eat Tim Beckman lasagna and all.