2012 Coaching Carousel

[jake44np]

Quote: Originally Posted by CardsFan27

Hates the AD at KSU. I didn't know that back when Mike Thomas was hired and he said he wanted to compete for championships that he meant MAC championships, this is unreal. Tim Beckman for football I can get behind 100%, Illinois football is at best you make a low end bowl most years and a BCS bowl every once in a great while. Illinois basketball though, you can't throw 2.5 mil + at someone and entice them to take this job? Sickening. South Carolina will be winning within 2 years and likely in the dance by then (definitely by year 3), I seriously question if Illinois will be, absolutely disgusting and a fantastic hire by South Carolina.

Illinois needs to take a look in the mirror.
You cant blame it all on Thomas. He gave Smart everything under the sun and he still turned them down. How can you just blame the AD? What else is he suppose to do. The fact is no one wants to coach Illinois right now. What else is Thomas suppose to do?

Remember he made great hires at UC. He hired Dantonio, Brian Kelly, and Butch Jones. All 3 great hires for their football progam. He also brought in Mick Cronin when alot of people didnt like the hire here in Cincy and that turned out to be a great hire.

Again its easy to blame the AD but what is he suppose to do if no one wants to coach at Illinios?

[CardsFan27]

Mike Thomas is a big part of that, there's a reason pretty much every coach that has worked under him hates him. His reputation isn't helping this search out any.

He practically begged Butch Jones to take the Illinois job before settling on Tim Beckman, Jones would have gotten a substantial raise and told him no thanks. Cronin has been rumored to have no interest from the get go as well. Both guys he hired and have had success, you would figure those would be the type to follow him to another job and another raise.

Thomas fired Dan Hipsher at Akron a while back and in the process burned some major bridges considering Hipsher's ties to Shaka Smart and Anthony Grant. Thomas has fired Frank Martin before (back when Martin was AD at Cincy, guessing that was an ugly breakup or I'm sure Thomas would have at least talked to Martin due to his reported interest in wanting out of KSU).

Thomas fired Weber but handled it extremely poorly (was apparently telling people he was looking for replacements when Illinois was 10-0 heading into UNLV game and word got back to Weber), this in turn caused Izzo to rip him and the Illinois program which I doubt has helped matters any due to Izzo is a pretty respected guy.

Illinois definitely needs to look in the mirror I agree, but Mike Thomas deserves his fair share of the blame to, his reputation of not being afraid to come in and clean house burning any bridges in his path has come back to hurt him in this search. His reputation combined with the uncertainty around the president of the university (not to mention his own job security due to lack of said president) are killing Illinois in this search.

[sportznut02]

South Carolina hit the ball out of the park with the hiring of Martin. The hire is still not official but is trending that way. I think Martin is an outstanding coach that should have gotten more offers over the last couple of years. The guy can flat out coach. I know his demeanor probably scares some people off. He really cares about the kids he coaches and apparently for the most part kids love playing for him. Illinois should have went after Martin. In a couple of years South Carolina will become a regular in the NCAA Tournament.

[Marino]

Lol aat Gregg Marshall not getting offered the USC job. Hope Frank Martin does a good Job in Columbia.

[CardsFan27]

Quote: Originally Posted by sportznut02

South Carolina hit the ball out of the park with the hiring of Martin. The hire is still not official but is trending that way. I think Martin is an outstanding coach that should have gotten more offers over the last couple of years. The guy can flat out coach. I know his demeanor probably scares some people off. He really cares about the kids he coaches and apparently for the most part kids love playing for him. Illinois should have went after Martin. In a couple of years South Carolina will become a regular in the NCAA Tournament.

Agree 1000%, makes me sick we didn't look at him.

[CardsFan27]

Looks like Groce is for sure the guy, expected to be announced tomorrow or Wednesday at latest.

Gonna be important to surround himself with a good staff, keeping Jerrance Howard is going to be huge if Groce wants to keep our 2011 class from having some transfers, also will be big in keeping Malcolm Hill and to a lesser extent Jalen James committed (James seems to like Illinois enough that he'll stick it out regardless, Hill though I can see looking around).

The more I read the more I'm open to giving him a shot (what other choice do I have), good recruiter (if he hires the right assistant I think he can get in Chicago, Dennis Gates at FSU or someone like that would be ideal).

I was very impressed by what I saw of him in the tournament, seems like a good motivator and his players like him, however I think hes being hired based off the Sweet 16 run and not his body of work, without that run he isn't even on the list (but then again without a good run lots of mid-major guys never get their shot).

Best way I can sum things up is an analogy I read somewhere earlier, the hire is more steak than sizzle, for the programs sake I hope he proves himself up to the challenge, there is some talent on the roster but I can see a mass exodus of transfers if Jerrance Howard opts to take a job elsewhere. Assuming Groce is cheaper than Stevens and Smart (2.6 mil per year rumored), a nice raise for Jerrance would be a good start.

[CardsFan27]

Mike DeCourcy is a big fan of Groce to Illinois, here are his responses to some tweets (his reply at the end of each of them since I'm bad at the interwebs):

via Twitter:

“@RealJEllis: @tsnmike what's the better job, K-State or Illinois?” Illinois.

“@WaldorfStatler1: No mutual interest from fans." Illini don't want lead recruiter who helped win 4 B10s, almost beat UNC in s16? Weird.

“@spcondon: what would the national prespective be on a Groce to Illinois hire?” Excellent choice. Could not have done better.

“@RealLennyChrist: Illinois fans grossly overestimate that job.” No. Grossly underestimating Groce.

@illinifan1280 No. Best fit, period. None of the real candidates had his combination of recruiting, coaching success.

@buffettphan23 Doesn't matter who turned it down. They're getting the best guy for the job.

.@UKCatsSports101 At Butler, recruited core of S16 team. At Xavier, Justin Cage for EE team. At OSU, lead on Oden, Conley, Cook, Deshaun.

“@adiesel2: @DavidWoods007 @tsnmike @andyglockner how could anyone think groce is a good hire?” Um, knowing the business?

“@illini3sc: Tell fans and the media covering Illinois that because at this point it's a complete disgrace & disaster to them.” I am trying.

“@dantheheel: well your so confident. Five years at Ill, what does groce do? Go on record” He'll do well. That good enough?

“@Byron_Watkins: Do you think Groce would be a better hire at Illinois than Frank Martin would have been?” Was never gonna happen.
---

Someone on another UI message board kind of put things back in perspective, the downside to starting out shooting for two major home run types is that everything else looks like a disappointment after. (Beats not trying of course)

That said Groce is probably the best we could do, I have my reservations about him but I think he has upside for sure, harsh realization that Illinois isn't viewed as an elite job (obviously not an elite elite job but thought it was high in that next tier, guess not).

[Mo]

I'm guessing this is part of why Shaka wanted no part of Chicago. Dirty Pool that scene

After talking all day to prominent prep hoops people in Chicago, I already feel bad for soon-to-be Illini coach John Groce. Wow!

— Joe Henricksen (@joehoopsreport) 23+00:00">March 27, 2012

[Mo]

Beat reporter says Presser at 3PM today to announce new head coach at Illinois

EDIT: And the official illini twitter account quickly debunks that report.

[SidVish]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mo

Beat reporter says Presser at 3PM today to announce new head coach at Illinois EDIT: And the official illini twitter account quickly debunks that report.

Why am I not surprised?