shagar69 Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1940034 its official. awesome, awesome, move. wat a great day Champaign!! (except that finals are comin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Excellent news to be sure.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowerCaseRepublican Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Can't be much worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palehosefan Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Nice job, you guys have two good classy coaches running your basketball and football teams now. You are in good hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Zook may be a good recruiter, but he is in way over his head as a head coach. He won't win much at Illinois, but then again, who would? As an Iowa grad, I am happy he's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shagar69 Posted December 6, 2004 Author Share Posted December 6, 2004 Zook may be a good recruiter, but he is in way over his head as a head coach. He won't win much at Illinois, but then again, who would? As an Iowa grad, I am happy he's there. hey u know wat, :fyou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 hey u know wat, :fyou You'll be saying the same thing about Zook in a couple years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Zook may be a good recruiter, but he is in way over his head as a head coach. He won't win much at Illinois, but then again, who would? As an Iowa grad, I am happy he's there. How do you know this? I think the Illini Nation would take a 7-4 year and a bowl game. Plus, we'll see who his assts are. Then we can make a judgment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shagar69 Posted December 6, 2004 Author Share Posted December 6, 2004 You'll be saying the same thing about Zook in a couple years. lol, i dont think so. hes an unbelievable signing esp for a team like us, who are not known as a football school and have been terrbile the last few years. i honestly thought that we were gonna get some "up and coming" O or D coordinator from some small ass school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 lol, i dont think so. hes an unbelievable signing esp for a team like us, who are not known as a football school and have been terrbile the last few years. i honestly thought that we were gonna get some "up and coming" O or D coordinator from some small ass school. Maybe, with the young talent that is already there (P. Thomas, EB Halsey, Justin Harrison, etc) and with some of the Florida talent he'll bring with him (/crossing fingers), Illinois is closer to being a good program than we all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palehosefan Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 I have a feeling Zook has some good ties in Florida now and that Illinois will be mining Florida like 95% of the rest of the college programs are trying to do. I can actually see Zook getting some good kids though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 How do you know this? I think the Illini Nation would take a 7-4 year and a bowl game. Plus, we'll see who his assts are. Then we can make a judgment. I've seen him coach a few games. Trev Alberts and Mark May were all over him last couple years, especially during the Outback Bowl last season when Iowa walked all over them. 7-4 is pretty optimistic for the Illini the next 2 or 3 years. If Zook thought Spurrier left the cubbard bare in Florida, just wait until he sees the high school team Ron Turner left him. Zook is an assitant coach, maybe a great assistant coach. He is just not head coaching material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiff Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 I've seen him coach a few games. Trev Alberts and Mark May were all over him last couple years, especially during the Outback Bowl last season when Iowa walked all over them. 7-4 is pretty optimistic for the Illini the next 2 or 3 years. If Zook thought Spurrier left the cubbard bare in Florida, just wait until he sees the high school team Ron Turner left him. Zook is an assitant coach, maybe a great assistant coach. He is just not head coaching material. Exactly, Zook can recruit but he can't coach. He couldn't keep Florida going after Spurrier left, how is going to resurrect a program like Illinois? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 let's see how he does without the Shadow of The Ball Coach. He doesn't have to win right away, if he could get to 5-6, without the 45-0 games, people will fall in love with him. for a couple of years anyway..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palehosefan Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Not many can keep a program going like Spurrier can, but Zook showed he could recruit with the best of them. He also went 7-4 this year with losses to Miss State, Tennessee, LSU, and Georgia. His best two players were Channing Crowder and Chris Leak, both were only sophomores. Zook lost his 4 games by a combined total of 19 points, and only 5 combined points in the losses to LSU and Tenn. I don't blame Zook for Florida's "fall", I blame Steve Spurrier. Not many can coach at his level, he took Florida out of the gutter and made them instant contenders. You can't blame Zook for not being Spurrier, how many programs in any sport follow a legend with anything remotely close? FSU will deal with the same thing when Bowden retires, as will OU, USC, Texas, if their coaches leave for any reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxfest Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Exactly, Zook can recruit but he can't coach. He couldn't keep Florida going after Spurrier left, how is going to resurrect a program like Illinois? Spurrier never had to play Miami every year, schedule is harder since he left, Zook has made mistakes but will learn from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiff Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Spurrier never had to play Miami every year, schedule is harder since he left, Zook has made mistakes but will learn from them. They didn't have to play Miami this year, except for the bowl game. Their non-conference schedule besides FSU this year (whom they have always played), was Middle Tennessee State and Eastern Michigan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 fwiw, spurrier did not leave a whole lot of talent in the younger classes when he departed florida. even he admitted that he didn't have his heart in recruiting the last two or three years he was there. i don't know how good of a coach zook will be, other than being fairly certain he'll be better than turner or tepper. neither had any significant head coaching experience and zook's at least got a few seasons in a high-pressure environment under his belt. i have no doubt he's made his fair share of mistakes at florida, but hopefully he's learned from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnB Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 i don't care what you guys say, this hire is a move in the right direction, at least we got that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Zook may be a good recruiter, but he is in way over his head as a head coach. He won't win much at Illinois, but then again, who would? As an Iowa grad, I am happy he's there. And an Illinois undergard, i'm happy Steve Alford is your bball coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 If Zook is such a great recruiter, and a great coach who really was a victim of Spurrier's laziness his last few years, why did Florida FIRE him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiff Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 If Zook is such a great recruiter, and a great coach who really was a victim of Spurrier's laziness his last few years, why did Florida FIRE him? This haiku from FireRonZook.com says a lot. Gainesville was happy Football, Drinking, Women...wow 2 for 3 ain't bad He was better at getting in fights at frat houses than he was at coaching football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T R U Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 I think this is a great signing.. Zook is a good recruiter, and the SEC is no pushover conference.. Yeah Florida was 7 - 4 but if you take away the upset to Miss St they lost to three top teams in the nation.. Tennessee, Georgia, and LSU.. those are tough schools to beat Zook is gonna be able to come into a very weak Big 10 imo and bring in his recruits play his style of ball.. I think its a very very good move for us.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 I think its funny that before the season, everyone was b****ing that the Big 10 got no respect. But now, "a weak Big 10" is a selling point to get a coach to the Illini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 I think its funny that before the season, everyone was b****ing that the Big 10 got no respect. But now, "a weak Big 10" is a selling point to get a coach to the Illini. Where else would Zook go? Of the other jobs that are open, Illinois is one of the best. ND is arguably more pressure packed than Florida. Stanford wants a west coast guy. Washington is in Seattle (Zook is a small town guy according to an article in the Sun-Times) BYU has no coffee, pop, sex without a sheet, etc. Also, people are expecting every coach to be LaVell Edwards. Indiana and Ole Miss have had less success than Illinois through the years. Utah is still Mid-Major, no matter what they did this year. Then there are a bunch of other Mid-major jobs out there. Illinois has good recruiting bases in Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit. Illinois has good traditions (need to use these more, even if some a cheesy). Illinois is the best team with a coaching vacancy in the best conference. Well, maybe Ole Miss is 1a. Or Illinois is 1A. Illinois needs a defense minded head coach. But most importantly, Ron Zook is a fantastic recruiter and according to Tom Lemming, this gives the Illini instant cache with recruits. After all, this is the guy who recruited Chris Leak. Hopefully, he'll bring some of his assistants and recruits with him. Won't be a top 25 team next year, but could be 6-5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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