CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Garrick McGee, one of the nation's top assistant coaches, has been named Illinois' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, head coach Lovie Smith announced Thursday. McGee joins the Fighting Illini from Louisville, where he served as the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two seasons.
"My relationship with Garrick McGee goes back to when I recruited him to Arizona State, and have maintained that friendship as he has risen through the college ranks and become one of the top offensive coaches in the nation," Smith said. "We are fortunate to have him run the Illini offense, and our fans should be excited, because we'll showcase an exciting brand of football."
McGee's relationship with Smith started when Smith recruited McGee to Arizona State, where McGee played quarterback for two seasons. The two stayed in contact as each climbed the coaching ladder to prominent positions.
McGee has been a college assistant for the last 14 seasons, including stops at Toledo (2002), UNLV (2003), Northwestern (2004-07), Arkansas (2008-11), UAB (2012-13) and Louisville (2014-15). He has previously served as an offensive coordinator for three programs (Northwestern, Arkansas, Louisville) and was the head coach at UAB for two years (2012-13).
McGee's Louisville offense averaged 28.7 points per game and 416.1 yards per game last season, a year after the Cardinals scored 30+ points eight times and passed for 3,276 yards with McGee as offensive coordinator. He joined Bobby Petrino's staff at Louisville after spending two seasons at UAB and four at Arkansas, where he also worked under Petrino.
McGee helped Arkansas to final rankings of No. 12 in 2010 and No. 5 in 2011 during his two years as offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks. A year after leading Arkansas to a 10-3 record and the school's first BCS appearance in program history in 2010, McGee turned the Razorbacks into one of the most efficient offensives in the country in 2011. Arkansas led the Southeastern Conference in total offense and ranked No. 29 nationally at 438.1 yards per game, while scoring 40+ points on six occasions. The Razorbacks finished the year with a 29-16 win over No. 11 Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, before having three offensive players selected in the NFL Draft.
McGee was influential in the development of quarterback Ryan Mallet at Arkansas. The former Oklahoma transfer broke 45 school records and was just the third SEC quarterback to surpass 3,500 yards passing in consecutive seasons.
Before departing Arkansas for the UAB head job, McGee was a finalist for the 2011 Broyles Award, presented to the nation's top assistant coach.
Prior to being hired at Arkansas, McGee spent four seasons (2004-07) at Northwestern, including the final two as offensive coordinator. Using the spread offense, McGee's 2007 offense led the Big Ten and was No. 11 in the nation in passing (307.9 yards per game), while leading the Big Ten and ranking No. 31 in total offense (427.7 yards per game). McGee attended Booker T. Washington High in Tulsa and played for his father, the late Larry McGee. He played at Arizona State in 1991 and 1992 and went to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 1993 before transferring to Oklahoma. McGee earned a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma in 1996, where he played two seasons and ended his career fourth on OU's career passing yards list (2,449 yards). He was voted the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year by the league's coaches in 1994.
McGee and his wife, Tiffany, have two sons, Cameron, 5, and Grant, 4.
McGee Coaching History
Years Team Position
1996 Langston assistant
1997 Langston assistant
1998 Langston assistant
1999 Northern Iowa Wide Receiver
2000 Jacksonville Jaguars quality control
2001 Jacksonville Jaguars quality control
2002 Toledo Wide Receiver
2003 UNLV Wide Receiver
2004 Northwestern Wide Receiver/Punt Returns
2005 Northwestern Wide Receiver/Punt Returns
2006 Northwestern Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2007 Northwestern Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2008 Arkansas Quarterbacks
2009 Arkansas Quarterbacks
2010 Arkansas Offensive Coordinator
2011 Arkansas Offensive Coordinator
2012 UAB, Head Coach
2013 UAB Head Coach
2014 Louisville Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2015 Louisville Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016 Illinois Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
"My relationship with Garrick McGee goes back to when I recruited him to Arizona State, and have maintained that friendship as he has risen through the college ranks and become one of the top offensive coaches in the nation," Smith said. "We are fortunate to have him run the Illini offense, and our fans should be excited, because we'll showcase an exciting brand of football."
McGee's relationship with Smith started when Smith recruited McGee to Arizona State, where McGee played quarterback for two seasons. The two stayed in contact as each climbed the coaching ladder to prominent positions.
McGee has been a college assistant for the last 14 seasons, including stops at Toledo (2002), UNLV (2003), Northwestern (2004-07), Arkansas (2008-11), UAB (2012-13) and Louisville (2014-15). He has previously served as an offensive coordinator for three programs (Northwestern, Arkansas, Louisville) and was the head coach at UAB for two years (2012-13).
McGee's Louisville offense averaged 28.7 points per game and 416.1 yards per game last season, a year after the Cardinals scored 30+ points eight times and passed for 3,276 yards with McGee as offensive coordinator. He joined Bobby Petrino's staff at Louisville after spending two seasons at UAB and four at Arkansas, where he also worked under Petrino.
McGee helped Arkansas to final rankings of No. 12 in 2010 and No. 5 in 2011 during his two years as offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks. A year after leading Arkansas to a 10-3 record and the school's first BCS appearance in program history in 2010, McGee turned the Razorbacks into one of the most efficient offensives in the country in 2011. Arkansas led the Southeastern Conference in total offense and ranked No. 29 nationally at 438.1 yards per game, while scoring 40+ points on six occasions. The Razorbacks finished the year with a 29-16 win over No. 11 Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, before having three offensive players selected in the NFL Draft.
McGee was influential in the development of quarterback Ryan Mallet at Arkansas. The former Oklahoma transfer broke 45 school records and was just the third SEC quarterback to surpass 3,500 yards passing in consecutive seasons.
Before departing Arkansas for the UAB head job, McGee was a finalist for the 2011 Broyles Award, presented to the nation's top assistant coach.
Prior to being hired at Arkansas, McGee spent four seasons (2004-07) at Northwestern, including the final two as offensive coordinator. Using the spread offense, McGee's 2007 offense led the Big Ten and was No. 11 in the nation in passing (307.9 yards per game), while leading the Big Ten and ranking No. 31 in total offense (427.7 yards per game). McGee attended Booker T. Washington High in Tulsa and played for his father, the late Larry McGee. He played at Arizona State in 1991 and 1992 and went to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 1993 before transferring to Oklahoma. McGee earned a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma in 1996, where he played two seasons and ended his career fourth on OU's career passing yards list (2,449 yards). He was voted the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year by the league's coaches in 1994.
McGee and his wife, Tiffany, have two sons, Cameron, 5, and Grant, 4.
McGee Coaching History
Years Team Position
1996 Langston assistant
1997 Langston assistant
1998 Langston assistant
1999 Northern Iowa Wide Receiver
2000 Jacksonville Jaguars quality control
2001 Jacksonville Jaguars quality control
2002 Toledo Wide Receiver
2003 UNLV Wide Receiver
2004 Northwestern Wide Receiver/Punt Returns
2005 Northwestern Wide Receiver/Punt Returns
2006 Northwestern Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2007 Northwestern Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2008 Arkansas Quarterbacks
2009 Arkansas Quarterbacks
2010 Arkansas Offensive Coordinator
2011 Arkansas Offensive Coordinator
2012 UAB, Head Coach
2013 UAB Head Coach
2014 Louisville Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2015 Louisville Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016 Illinois Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
