Cubit out at Illinois
- Thread starter LakeCtyNewt
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interesting that only him and son (ryan) were fired whereas all other asst. will have a chance to interview with new coach.
Yes. Cubit was hired 4 months ago. He gets just under $1 million to say bye bye. And all these Illini grads wonder why I rail against their program.
Just a bunch of dumbasses.
Meanwhile Chicago State is running out of money and may have to close it doors. Bet if all those alums who a legislators from the Cheating Illini would be finding cash if it was their school that was closing.
Just a bunch of dumbasses.
Meanwhile Chicago State is running out of money and may have to close it doors. Bet if all those alums who a legislators from the Cheating Illini would be finding cash if it was their school that was closing.
A buddy of mine just texted me and said he heard they want Lovie Smith. I think that would be awesome, not sure if that's legit or not. I enjoyed Lovie with the Bears and feel he would be perfect for College football. He's good and grooming young men and taking them under his wing. I truly believe he would be a very good college football coach and a great recruiter.
A lot of people didn't like Lovie with the Bears but I thought he was a heck of a coach. He is arguable the 3rd best coach in Bears history (Halas, Ditka, Lovie). I'll take 3 division championships, 2 NFC championships and a Super Bowl appearance. Obviously, I want a division championship and a super bowl ever year but I'll take what I can get.
A lot of people didn't like Lovie with the Bears but I thought he was a heck of a coach. He is arguable the 3rd best coach in Bears history (Halas, Ditka, Lovie). I'll take 3 division championships, 2 NFC championships and a Super Bowl appearance. Obviously, I want a division championship and a super bowl ever year but I'll take what I can get.
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I think if they bring lovie in has the in-state recruiting tide flip to illinois as a go to place?
He did a nice presentation on their passing game. Session ended a bit early, walked by the room a few minutes later and he was sitting alone in the back of the room. Struck me as strange, but now it makes sense. Coaching is a crazy profession.
How the UofI is run is a mystery to me, but Chicago State is nothing short of clown show.
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He is a name but is a retred NFL coach who has been out of the college game for 20 years the right guy?
Don't know if the hire will work out or not, but as a UI guy, I LOVE it. Whitman is going for it on his first day on the job. Not wasting any time and allowing for a lost year where we spin our wheels until starting over next November. Cubit was only keeping this job if he went 11-1 and won the Big Ten West, which isn't happening, so you may as well start fresh now.
And UI's roster is set up to be competitive in 2016. 2017 and 2018 look to be lean, especially defensively. So if Lovie is officially hired, he will have his work cut out for him.
And as a Bears fan, I was lukewarm on Lovie. Overly vanilla and conservative sometimes. But his best players loved him and would run through a wall for him. He was a player's coach in the NFL, but was by no means easy to play for or wishy washy. Ran a tight ship and earned the respect of professionals by handling everything in house and privately. That part will definitely translate well with 18-22 year olds. Hopefully he finds an OC unlike his time in the NFL.
The recruiting piece is uncertain, but hopefully he finds the right assistants. And when it comes to winning over 17 year olds and, more importantly, the mothers and fathers of 17 year olds, I will take my chances with the plain spoken, even temperament of a Super Bowl coach in a living room. Certainly better than the meathead Beckman or the failed MAC coach Cubit, who was a good guy, just now the answer.
As it is, I don't know if it will translate to sustained winning. Heck, Nick Saban might only win 4 games with the roster holes they will have in 2017 and 2018. But if he can be competitive this year and put together just a few decent recruiting classes, I will roll the dice with this NFL hire who always had his teams prepared. If anything, he was very good at making average NFL teams slightly above average. And right now, that is all you need to be competitive in the Big Ten West.
Even if you don't like the hire, it is definitely better than the "not ideal" decision of "Let Cubit have a year and then make a real decision" that the interim made back in November. Now the deal just has to actually happen and not fall through!
And UI's roster is set up to be competitive in 2016. 2017 and 2018 look to be lean, especially defensively. So if Lovie is officially hired, he will have his work cut out for him.
And as a Bears fan, I was lukewarm on Lovie. Overly vanilla and conservative sometimes. But his best players loved him and would run through a wall for him. He was a player's coach in the NFL, but was by no means easy to play for or wishy washy. Ran a tight ship and earned the respect of professionals by handling everything in house and privately. That part will definitely translate well with 18-22 year olds. Hopefully he finds an OC unlike his time in the NFL.
The recruiting piece is uncertain, but hopefully he finds the right assistants. And when it comes to winning over 17 year olds and, more importantly, the mothers and fathers of 17 year olds, I will take my chances with the plain spoken, even temperament of a Super Bowl coach in a living room. Certainly better than the meathead Beckman or the failed MAC coach Cubit, who was a good guy, just now the answer.
As it is, I don't know if it will translate to sustained winning. Heck, Nick Saban might only win 4 games with the roster holes they will have in 2017 and 2018. But if he can be competitive this year and put together just a few decent recruiting classes, I will roll the dice with this NFL hire who always had his teams prepared. If anything, he was very good at making average NFL teams slightly above average. And right now, that is all you need to be competitive in the Big Ten West.
Even if you don't like the hire, it is definitely better than the "not ideal" decision of "Let Cubit have a year and then make a real decision" that the interim made back in November. Now the deal just has to actually happen and not fall through!
A Lovie hire may prove to be best thing to happen to Illini football in a very long time. Why?
Priority #1 of Illini football is:
Lock-down the state's best HS talent, and 80% of the state's top HS talent lives in Chicago Bear country in the northern half of the state.
Lovie Smith sitting down in the living room of those homes for a heart-to-heart with the player, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles would be a powerful recruiting weapon.
Tough to think of a better hire to accomplish Priority #1.
Priority #1 of Illini football is:
Lock-down the state's best HS talent, and 80% of the state's top HS talent lives in Chicago Bear country in the northern half of the state.
Lovie Smith sitting down in the living room of those homes for a heart-to-heart with the player, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles would be a powerful recruiting weapon.
Tough to think of a better hire to accomplish Priority #1.
You'll never "lock down" this state no one here can or will. Chicagoland is easily one of the most accessible major cities for every school in the nation along with the fact that Illinois has a large majority of conference schools less than say 4-5 hours away. If you can get say 3 out of the Top 10 every year you are winning in recruiting.
Edgy,
They have to offer he instate kids to lock them down as well. Case in point please tell me how a kid like Owen Piche has not yet been offered by Illinois. I could give you a list of at least another 15 kids that are similar that they should be offering.
They have to offer he instate kids to lock them down as well. Case in point please tell me how a kid like Owen Piche has not yet been offered by Illinois. I could give you a list of at least another 15 kids that are similar that they should be offering.
I'm with Edgy. I don't understand the Lovie hire. Better suited for the pros at this point in his career. Not sure how he will relate to 17 and 18 year old high school kids who won't be able to devote full-time effort to football like Lovie is accustomed to seeing in the pro ranks. There was a rumor out there that the new AD was hired with a promise to bring in an African-American head coach. I don't have a problem with that but why not go after some talented head coaches or assistants in the college ranks who are experienced recruiters. Lovie is going to have bring in some dynamic assistant coaches, especially on offense to make this work.
Yes, while yes
In that vein, I would have suffered a Cubit year to get to Sumlin if College Station got too hot. Or find out who from the Ole Miss staff is working the rust belt and getting Treadwell and Chad Kelly.
Lovie is WAY better than Sumlin and it's not even close. Lots of smoke coming out of College Station the last few years.
Still awaiting an official announcement...
I think it's a great hire. Ties through Chicago, a well respected guy, disciplined. Not sure how he will relate to college aged men, but there have been older and less in touch coaches than Lovie, no question.
I bet the defense is top 3 in the B1G in his 3rd year if it happens.
I bet the defense is top 3 in the B1G in his 3rd year if it happens.
This is such a good hire by them. I haven't heard any good reasoning as to why it is bad. Lovie is a hell of a coach, mentor and motivator. This is huge for Illinois Football, college and the state. I'm very excited about this.
He does things the right way, he's a bible thumper, all of the players he's ever coached have loved him and respected him. On top of that, he has won at the highest level.
To say it's not a good hire leaves me shaking my head and we now have a handful of contenders for the Dan Bernstein award of 2016.
He does things the right way, he's a bible thumper, all of the players he's ever coached have loved him and respected him. On top of that, he has won at the highest level.
To say it's not a good hire leaves me shaking my head and we now have a handful of contenders for the Dan Bernstein award of 2016.
Agreed. And you have to ask yourself, if not Lovie then whom? It's not like IL is a plum job. I'm surprised Lovie is interested. He doesn't need the money, and I'm surprised he has any interest in taking this situation on and living in Champaign.
During the 80s and early 90s, I was active in fund raising for athletics at DePaul U. Despite DePaul having the highest profile program in the state at the time, the U of I wouldn't play us on an equal basis. They wanted two home games for each time they'd visit the Horizon.
Meanwhile, whenever a highly regarded basketball recruit from this state committed to DePaul, Lou Henson and his hack AD would intimate to reporters that something fishy must have happened for this to occur. Why would any kid reject the U of I?
When Bruce Pearl accused the U of I of cheating, I found it amusing that he wasn't vilified by Illini fans for lying, but simply for turning them into the authorities.
Meanwhile, whenever a highly regarded basketball recruit from this state committed to DePaul, Lou Henson and his hack AD would intimate to reporters that something fishy must have happened for this to occur. Why would any kid reject the U of I?
When Bruce Pearl accused the U of I of cheating, I found it amusing that he wasn't vilified by Illini fans for lying, but simply for turning them into the authorities.
I took a look to see if your premise that Illinois is not offering Illinois kids holds true. Currently Rivals has ranked 28 Illinois kids (5 star-2 star). Only 2 have committed, both to out of state schools, Notre Dame and Iowa. Both of those kids held Illinois offers. Illinois has offered 22 of the 28 ranked kids.
The last recruiting class, 2016, 77 Illinois kids were ranked by Rivals, 2 of those ranked kids committed to Illinois. In It would seem that Illinois is offering Illinois kids, but Edgy's premise that if Illinois got 3 out of every 10 kids Illinois offered, Illinois would be doing great holds true.
Its not who Illinois is offering or that they are missing out on Illinois kids, its that those Illinois kids who Illinois are offering are going elsewhere.
It's a good hire, but I think if anything it means more Texas players on Illinois's roster.
Bronco Man I said they needed to land 3 out of the Top 10 ranked in Illinois they would be doing well. I fully expect them to add more in-state kids below the Top 10 but they haven't really landed anyone in the Top 10 in I can't remember how long....
Cmon Edgy, cheer up just a little?
Can you remember the Illini hiring:
1) a bigger-name coach in general, and
2) a bigger-name coach in the Chicago Metropolitan area in particular,
than Lovie Smith?
Bruce Pearl is vilified by long-time Illini fans, especially for lying. He spliced tapes together that recorded phone conversations with Deon Thomas. Pearl's inability to separate fact from fiction lead to his demise at Tennessee.
While I would have loved to see Illinois play DePaul during the era you spoke of, Illinois had nothing to gain. Those late 80s teams were the peak of the Henson years and the Chicago pipeline was flowing. Why would he jeopardize that by playing DePaul? That's just pretty much how college basketball works.
Not exactly an Illinois apologist here, so I'm looking at it from a neutral to jaded perspective. I just feel it's better to hire the biggest name you can find, maybe you get a bounce off the name alone. A great up and coming coach still can't sell Urbana as a great place for recruits to go, so why not try and make a splash?
Clearly the Illinois football program is and has been a dumpster fire. But I can't help but like this hire if I'm an Illinois fan.
It's a name. A respected name in coaching. Two things Illinois has not had in years. It will take some time but I can very easily see him getting this program turned around.
Illinois will never be Michigan Ohio State or Michigan State. But I can also see this team being relevant in the big 10 ala Iowa in the near term.
People also forget that when Lovie was at Tulsa he had a hand in their recruiting. He's done it before so not unreasonable to think he can't do it at Illinois.
It's a name. A respected name in coaching. Two things Illinois has not had in years. It will take some time but I can very easily see him getting this program turned around.
Illinois will never be Michigan Ohio State or Michigan State. But I can also see this team being relevant in the big 10 ala Iowa in the near term.
People also forget that when Lovie was at Tulsa he had a hand in their recruiting. He's done it before so not unreasonable to think he can't do it at Illinois.
20 years later? It's a whole new world Newt...not saying he can't get it done but a lot has changed
He doesn't need to do it all though right? Get the right guys below you who are more current on the culture and he just has to manage and close the deal, right?