I would have stayed in the MAC over Illinois. Tuesday-Thursday night football is where its at. 11 AM Saturday starts that are only televised on the BIG 10 Network at best is not.

What channel can we catch those thrilling weeknight MAC game's?

Mike Thomas loves Mac football coaches.
Tom Beckman will be named the new head football coach for your fighting Illini.
Gotta love Illinois going small time for a head coach.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/illinois-selects-toledo-s-beckman-for-football-job/article_24d0b42a-2218-11e1-a612-001871e3ce6c.html

Beckman laid out his expectations for the Toledo players with the "Rocket Code of Conduct." The seven-sentence list includes "I can always be heard saying please when asking for something," and "Phrases such as: good morning, be safe, how are you and have a great day are part of who I am." The last line reads: "I am the respectful Rocket!"

A similar code, with a change in the name, is likely for Illinois.

Beckman's "Rocket mission statement" mentions the football team as a family. It closes with "We will be the class of college football and the Mid-American Conference."

Beckman and his team will be heavily involved in the community.

I'm not completely sold on this. But, on the bright side, it isn't really anything they've tried before. This is more in line with the basketball coach hiring practice of grabbing guys like Self and Weber.

I'll get on board and see if this guy can really rebuild the morale and discipline of the program. He's got a long road ahead to get the fanbase back.

He seems like a real disciplinarian -



He's going to love Nathan Scheelhaase.

The problem with this hire is that this doesn't get the fanbase excited, will have to win first, Sumlin or Leach could have been better picks.

As much as you don't want to say, Kansas hire of Weis gets more people excited than Illinois hire of Beckamn, right now, in a year or two, could be saying something else.

The problem with this hire is that this doesn't get the fanbase excited, will have to win first, Sumlin or Leach could have been better picks.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

I think Beckman is a great hire.

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

What kind of "great" things has he done? Isn't his record like 21 and 16?

Most of those 16 losses were to BCS schools.

I believe he lost to OSU twice and Boise St. twice among some others, including NIU twice which is like a BCS school.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

Ok. So what are the "great" things he has done tho? Losing to good teams?

Just seems more like a hire that Indiana would make instead of Illinois. But maybe the 2 programs are closer than I realize.

Beck: Trust me, you are better than Illinois. I almost left for SEC. I stayed & we can be Top-15 next year. Keep rolling! Finish this!

You couldn't pay me enough $ to take certain jobs in big conferences. Some schools are dead-end jobs in some sports. Think two moves ahead.

$ You can't put pricetag on being happy. UTXCTRACK til I die! Orange is not a color I would ever bleed.

To be clear on my tweets. I have utmost respect for Beck. I think he's a great coach and is better than Illinois.

@jengalbraith better than an ultrasound of his sphincter of oddi.

Yes, I'm sure Jeff George would have been a better choice.

He could have just setup his office at Kam's while he hits on co-eds and double-parks his Corvette convertible out front.

Yes, I'm sure Jeff George would have been a better choice.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.