Honest question, should Illinois be spending $8-$10 mil on a football staff and $75 mil plus on a football performance center? Would Illinois be better served spending the bare minimum for a B1G football program, cashing the BTN check and spending it on basketball, tennis, golf, baseball and other sports where Illinois can be competitive?
Is it really as simple as hiring the right coach or is there a structural problem at Illinois (location, administration, conference, legacy) that makes winning at Illinois near impossible. Would throwing more money at the football program help turn this thing around? Why is it so hard for Illinois and some other Power 5 Conference programs to hire the right football coach? I am sure some of these schools have smart athletic directors.
I love Illinois football. I am almost embarrassed to say that it is probably my favorite sports team. I loved the hiring of Lovie Smith at the time. I was excited to see Illinois spend big on football and commit to hiring an experienced football staff. I was excited to see Illinois commit to building the facilities it needs to compete. But that large investment does not seem to be paying any dividends. Performance on the field is not improving and recruits don't seem to really care.
I am willing to give Lovie a 4th year to show he can turn this around. I believe we should see how this year and next year play out before making a decision on the staff. Given the investment already made, Illinois Athletic's resources and the current circumstances, I don't really see any other choice.
But if we do end up firing Lovie after the end of the 2019 season, will Illinois have the resources to hire a big time up-and-coming coach? I fear we will we be required to gamble on a young coach that might not be ready and hope it works out.
Is it really as simple as hiring the right coach or is there a structural problem at Illinois (location, administration, conference, legacy) that makes winning at Illinois near impossible. Would throwing more money at the football program help turn this thing around? Why is it so hard for Illinois and some other Power 5 Conference programs to hire the right football coach? I am sure some of these schools have smart athletic directors.
I love Illinois football. I am almost embarrassed to say that it is probably my favorite sports team. I loved the hiring of Lovie Smith at the time. I was excited to see Illinois spend big on football and commit to hiring an experienced football staff. I was excited to see Illinois commit to building the facilities it needs to compete. But that large investment does not seem to be paying any dividends. Performance on the field is not improving and recruits don't seem to really care.
I am willing to give Lovie a 4th year to show he can turn this around. I believe we should see how this year and next year play out before making a decision on the staff. Given the investment already made, Illinois Athletic's resources and the current circumstances, I don't really see any other choice.
But if we do end up firing Lovie after the end of the 2019 season, will Illinois have the resources to hire a big time up-and-coming coach? I fear we will we be required to gamble on a young coach that might not be ready and hope it works out.
