College Football 2013 Season

[Ming]

A smart Illini fan...

Yeah... another moron who thinks that breaking even for two years and .400 winning percentage is a good thing.
It would be really easy to cut and paste a bunch of alternative points of view, but it really isn't needed.

Anybody that thinks the Illini should keep a .400 winning coach who lost his last six games is a complete idiot... it's that simple.

[Guynemer]

Ming, the point is that there may not be anyone better available right now.

Illinois would've been much better off firing him last year, or next year, rather than this year. Just about anyone they hire is guaranteed to fail, due to the multitude of other coaching jobs available. Whomever they get will almost certainly not recruit as well as Zook, while the coaching itself is likely a coinflip.

I do not dispute, in any way whatsoever, that Zook ought to be fired. The timing, however, puts the Illini in a worse position, not a better one.

[rah]

If we're going to cut an past stuff, lets include some of the more funny ones.

Like from http://fireronzook.blogspot.com/

Quote of the day
Illinois didn't play like it was trying to get embattled coach Ron Zook fired, it played like it wanted him arrested.


That was from Phil Miller in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
POSTED BY "NOT BAGHEAD" AT 9:33 PM 0 COMMENTS

LABELS: FIRED

Zook fired! Again.
So it took the University of Illinois more than twice as long to come to the realization that Ron Zook is not the answer to anything except a trivia question about the first successful fireyourcoach.com web site. Does that make them twice as dumb? No. I've come the realization that it was because the Illini faithful were twice as desperate. But alas facts are facts and a deaf-mute baboon could coach a football team better than the old Zooker.


Here's video of him reading a statement today:


He's gracious now. We'll see how long that lasts. Especially if his successor wins. It didn't last long after he got canned at Florida. I've always believed the best indicator of future performance is past performance. That's why I knew Zook would fail at Illinois and why I think he'll be on the record soon spouting sour grapes despite the fact that he was given every opportunity to succeed and was made quite wealthy in the process.

From a Tribune article we garner this nugget of Zookese excuses:
I think our program is very close, I really do. We just didn't finish a few games here and there.
The old we're getting better routine. But waiting for Zook's teams to finally turn the corner is the same as waiting for Godot.

The article goes on to say:
His arrival in 2005 brought higher expectations but also some skepticism after he was forced out in his third season at Florida. He achieved some terrific recruiting coups, signing Rashard Mendenhall and Vontae Davis.
That's not exactly true. Mendenhall was a Ron Turner commit who didn't de-commit when Zook became the coach.

Well, that's that. This site will stay up. No need to take it down. No doubt that Ron Zook will wind up in the booth somewhere and continue to make obscene amounts of money and spout his incoherent ramblings. ESPN used to be the home of the fraternity of failed former coaches, not so much anymore so we'll see. Either way, there will always be a place that needs to fire Ron Zook.

[rah]

Ming, the point is that there may not be anyone better available right now.

Illinois would've been much better off firing him last year, or next year, rather than this year. Just about anyone they hire is guaranteed to fail, due to the multitude of other coaching jobs available. Whomever they get will almost certainly not recruit as well as Zook, while the coaching itself is likely a coinflip.

I do not dispute, in any way whatsoever, that Zook ought to be fired. The timing, however, puts the Illini in a worse position, not a better one.

While I agree that a lot of big name coaches aren't available, we must remember that Zook was a big name coach. There is no guarantee. It's possible that who we hire may be the next big name coach. If we're going to suck, I just assume not to have to listen to another year of Zook saying, how close we are to being a great team.

[Ming]

Ming, the point is that there may not be anyone better available right now.

You seem to be missing the most obvious point of all... THE MAN WAS .400
HE SUCKED!
So you recommend that we keep this bozo another year just to see if MAYBE we can get a "better" coach next year?

One thing we can all agree on is that Illinois is not a premier destination for a coach. So whether it is is this year or next year, we aren't going to hire Moses, Jesus or whatever other God is out there.

All this "there might not be a better coach out there" stiff is simply crap... ZOOK SUCKED... He was .400... and worst of all, the TEAM GAVE UP ON HIM.
There are far better coaches out there. Sitting through yet another crappy season is simply stupid. There is NO FUTURE with Zook.
I would rather suck next year and see a chance of improvement, and the team moving in the right direction, than watch yet another year of a Zook. Zook lost 6 straight, against some teams he should have easily beat. Enough is Enough. He had his chance and he blew it. Time to move on. And not next year, but NOW!

[Guynemer]

While I agree that a lot of big name coaches aren't available, we must remember that Zook was a big name coach.

Illinois was roundly mocked when Zook was hired.

[rah]

Touche,

But you guys are arguing we'd be better off to have kept him. You can't have it both ways.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Of course you can. People have argued that programs should keep a coach at least one more year, even if they weren't that great, simply because it made sense for one reason or another (see: Ty Willingham at Notre Dame).

[rah]

simply because it made sense for one reason or another

I see no reasons.
People can't say we should wait for more top notch coaches to be available in the same breath as Illinois isn't a good enough school to attract a top notch coach.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not top notch coaches, but potential up-and-comer coaches.

Isn't it easier to get a decent 1-AA coach when there isn't any competition from other 1-A schools which are far better places to go?

[rah]

I didn't say that, the terms tossed out by others were great and hot. You've lowered the bar to potential and decent.
I'm not saying your point isn't valid.

[-Jrabbit]

Of course you can. People have argued that programs should keep a coach at least one more year, even if they weren't that great, simply because it made sense for one reason or another (see: Ty Willingham at Notre Dame).

Yeah, how did that work out?

Zook was obviously a lame duck, which would hurt recruiting - his only strength. Another year with him has no upside.

BTW, candidates mentioned recently include: Wisconsin OC Paul Chryst and Spartans DC Pat Narduzzi. There's a much longer list at athlonsports.com (including people like Leach and Butch Jones/Cinci), but those two seem to make some realistic sense.

[Ming]

Not top notch coaches, but potential up-and-comer coaches.

Isn't it easier to get a decent 1-AA coach when there isn't any competition from other 1-A schools which are far better places to go?

There is ALWAYS going to be competition... who can really say what it will look like next year. For all we know, a lot of other "better places to go" may also be available.
Coaches will always be a crap shoot at best unless we are talking about the true gods... and we aren't going to get one of those this year, next year, the year after...
It's time for a change. Keeping Zook on the "chance" that we "might" get a "better" coach is just silly... it's giving up a year toward our future.

Another year of Zook is not the answer to anything. And anybody that thinks he should stay for another year is a complete idiot. But feel free to try and justify his .400 record as the best coach available... You will only continue to look stupid, and obviously didn't watch any of the last 6 Illini games.

[MRT144]

When's the last time Illinois had a 5 year rolling average of .500? Late 80s?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, how did that work out?

Are you trying to make your point for me? Willingham was forced out too early and ND suffered.