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I'm of the opinion that Whitman dropped the ball big time in regards to the failure to advance a hockey arena project recently, but he'll completely overcome that negative in my view if he's able to lock Bielema down longterm.

Don't let him get poached. We've got proof that a winner can be built in Champaign now, make it financially worthwhile for him to stay here verus bolting elsewhere.
 
No Fun Shogun said:
I'm of the opinion that Whitman dropped the ball big time in regards to the failure to advance a hockey arena project recently, but he'll completely overcome that negative in my view if he's able to lock Bielema down longterm.

Don't let him get poached. We've got proof that a winner can be built in Champaign now, make it financially worthwhile for him to stay here verus bolting elsewhere.
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That's not going to happen. Bielema will get poached, just like Bill Self got poached.
Wisconsin is generally viewed as better job than Illinois and he left there.

Illinois is not a destination job in either basketball or football. When they find good coaches, they will get poached. It's just life as a non-traditional power school in the NCAA.
 
Kaners Bald Spot said:
That's not going to happen. Bielema will get poached, just like Bill Self got poached.

Illinois is not a destination job in either basketball or football. When they find good coaches, they will get poached. It's just life as a non-traditional power school in the NCAA.
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I'd agree, but the thing about Illinois is that it absolutely has the potential to be a powerhouse in both sports if managed correctly. It has a natural pipeline to Chicagoland and has a regional draw into Indiana and Missouri as well. That's healthy enough that the program can simultaneously have two top 25 teams longterm, and in fact previously had been the case in both sports prior to the modern era of the NCAA.

Illini actually taking that step would be a seismic shift, but if they're able to access their coffers effectively and manage their natural talent pool, I really do think that they could be a top tier coaching and player destination for both sports. That obviously hasn't been the case for a while, but the fundamentals are there.
 
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No Fun Shogun said:
I'd agree, but the thing about Illinois is that it absolutely has the potential to be a powerhouse in both sports if managed correctly. It has a natural pipeline to Chicagoland and has a regional draw into Indiana and Missouri as well. That's healthy enough that the program can simultaneously have two top 25 teams longterm, and in fact previously had been the case in both sports prior to the modern era of the NCAA.

Illini actually taking that step would be a seismic shift, but if they're able to access their coffers effectively and manage their natural talent pool, I really do think that they could be a top tier coaching and player destination for both sports. That obviously hasn't been the case for a while, but the fundamentals are there.
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That will only happen if they lower their admission standards for athletes, which as of yet they're not willing to do.
 
Kaners Bald Spot said:
That will only happen if they lower their admission standards for athletes, which as of yet they're not willing to do.
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That's the same argument for basically all Big Ten schools, and that hasn't really stopped Ohio State's longevity, Michigan's return to national relevency, and Wisconsin's and Iowa's periods of relevancy.

There's honestly a potential there to be among the upper echelon of the Big Ten versus being a bottom-dweller that both programs were for much of the 2010s, and basketball has seemingly already taken a step back to their early 2000s norm of being a competitive squad, too.

Sure, they'll be hurt by their unwillingness to offer no-show degrees like UNC, but they're far from abnormal in the Big Ten.
 
No Fun Shogun said:
That's the same argument for basically all Big Ten schools, and that hasn't really stopped Ohio State's longevity, Michigan's return to national relevency, and Wisconsin's and Iowa's periods of relevancy.

There's honestly a potential there to be among there verus being a bottom-dweller that both programs were for much of the 2010s, and basketball had seemingly already taken a step back to their early 2000s norm of being a competitive squad, too.

Sure, they'll be hurt by their unwillingness to offer no-show degrees like UNC, but they're far from abnormal in the Big Ten.
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You can bet your ass Michigan and OSU have different standards for athletes than the general population
 
Kaners Bald Spot said:
You can bet your ass Michigan and OSU have different standards for athletes than the general population
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And so does Illinois. They're not going to be letting in illiterates like some programs do, but I don't see any Big Ten team as being that repugnantly flagrant as the UNC example nor do I think that Illinois's standards are so exceptionally rigid to be overly prohibitive to talent compared to the rest of the conference.
 
No Fun Shogun said:
I'd agree, but the thing about Illinois is that it absolutely has the potential to be a powerhouse in both sports if managed correctly. It has a natural pipeline to Chicagoland and has a regional draw into Indiana and Missouri as well. That's healthy enough that the program can simultaneously have two top 25 teams longterm, and in fact previously had been the case in both sports prior to the modern era of the NCAA.

Illini actually taking that step would be a seismic shift, but if they're able to access their coffers effectively and manage their natural talent pool, I really do think that they could be a top tier coaching and player destination for both sports. That obviously hasn't been the case for a while, but the fundamentals are there.
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Nah. Illinois football HC is a pit stop on the way up or (usually) the way down, and they’ll have a good season once or twice every ten years. So many better jobs out there. Just how it is.
 
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madgoat33 said:
Gotta say, NBA has had a lot of shitty public looks recently. Dating back to Lebron's China comments there's been a whole lot of cringe. Possibly been going on longer, but thats the event that stands out to me.
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What did he say?
 
hawksrule said:
Nah. Illinois football HC is a pit stop on the way up or (usually) the way down, and they’ll have a good season once or twice every ten years. So many better jobs out there. Just how it is.
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It's not just football. Basketball too. They'll go on a couple good runs when they find a coach but Bill Self and the aftermath kinda prove that.
 
Kaners Bald Spot said:
It's not just football. Basketball too. They'll go on a couple good runs when they find a coach but Bill Self and the aftermath kinda prove that.
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There are more examples of a HC turning around a moribund basketball program and sticking around eg, Coach K, Calhoun, Izzo. Whereas a Saban would never stay at Michigan state, or Meyer at Utah. But it certainly happens in basketball that coaches continue climbing the ladder, you’re not wrong.
 
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It’s hard for me to get too excited about a new manager when there are still so many other issues. The roster is too flawed to contend regardless of who’s managing. And I don’t trust the front office. Until JR is finally gone and there’s new ownership + a new GM it’s gonna be hard for me to take the Sox seriously. Especially after how badly they just botched that rebuild. Major changes are still needed on the roster and in the FO.

No Fun Shogun said:
I'd agree, but the thing about Illinois is that it absolutely has the potential to be a powerhouse in both sports if managed correctly. It has a natural pipeline to Chicagoland and has a regional draw into Indiana and Missouri as well. That's healthy enough that the program can simultaneously have two top 25 teams longterm, and in fact previously had been the case in both sports prior to the modern era of the NCAA.

Illini actually taking that step would be a seismic shift, but if they're able to access their coffers effectively and manage their natural talent pool, I really do think that they could be a top tier coaching and player destination for both sports. That obviously hasn't been the case for a while, but the fundamentals are there.
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It’ll be a cold day in hell the day Illini football becomes a “perennial powerhouse”. This is nice little run they’re on but it won’t last. Never does.
 
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No coach would succeed in that environment with circus he has had to deal with

The Nets are eying a certain former Celtic coach who is suspended according to some reports, LOL what a fit he would be for that organization

-- Looks like I am not up to date on info,, LOL --
 
Blackhawkswincup said:
No coach would succeed in that environment with circus he has had to deal with

The Nets are eying a certain former Celtic coach who is suspended according to some reports, LOL what a fit he would be for that organization

-- Looks like I am not up to date on info,, LOL --
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Surprised there isn’t a big outrage with him getting back in another coaching situation
 
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