CHAMPAIGN -- The Ron Zook era at Illinois reportedly has come to an end. After seven seasons of highs and lows, the football coach’s tenure came to an end Sunday when new athletic director Mike Thomas decided to go in another direction, the Champaign News-Gazette reported.

Zook compiled a 34-51 record, overseeing this season’s stunning collapse that began with six straight victories but ended with six straight losses.

His fate seemed inevitable after Illinois lost Saturday 27-7 at Minnesota, one of the Big Ten’s worst teams.

Zook arrived at Illinois to many fans’ skepticism after he was fired after three seasons at Florida, where fans were adamant that he go.

Some exceptional recruiting classes, a victory at No. 1 Ohio State in 2007 and a trip to the 2008 Rose Bowl were signs that Illinois finally was headed in the right direction.

But the next season, the Illini fell apart, failing to qualify for a bowl bid.

Last season, Illinois rebounded with a 7-6 record and a Texas Bowl victory.

This is the first time since 1992 that the Illini have become bowl eligible, but it’s also the first time an FBS program has followed six consecutive victories with six consecutive losses. The last time was in 1903 when the Illini won eight only to lose its final six games.

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

I did an image search for Ron Zook and found this.

Better go down to Key West and find Leach before Washington State does.

_________________
That's my purse! I don't know you!

Ding dong the Zook is dead. He was such a fucking boob.

_________________
We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Zook and Illinois were good together. Don't end it!

_________________
NIU Football:
2011, 2012, & 2014 MAC Football Champions

this turd should have never been hired, the writing was on the wall for 3 years now and weber is next..i would just liike to see illinois be a decent program.

_________________

Yar, get me Mike Leach matey. Keep Koenning as d-coord.

_________________
Back off, Warchild. Seriously.

It's a sad day for underachievers and bad planners everywhere.

_________________
You know me like that.

So Doc, who do you want to replace to Zook? Are you on the Leach bandwagon?

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

_________________

Illinois is in rebuilding mode, and needs some one that has experience in getting a program out of the dumps and back on the map. The choice is obvious:

_________________

There's no question it will be Urban Meyer. He'd be stupid to go anywhere else.

He's never won a National Championship without Ron Zook's players.

_________________
You know me like that.

Funny that Zook gets fired for the same record Fitz had. Welcome to the wonderful world of lower expectations.

Paul Chryst from Wisconsin would be my top choice.

I'm not sure who would be a perfect fit for the Illinois job. Pat Forde, the ex-ESPN.com college football scribe now with Yahoo! Sports, was a guest on "The Dan Patrick Show" today and he didn't think the Illinois job was all that great to begin with. I know that they have a new Athletic Director, but I'm not sure if the university wants to make a big splash with a high-profile name.

Spiegs has suggested the name Mike Leach, but I'm not so sure that he's coaching anywhere anytime soon, especially with legal issues involving his firing with Texas Tech and the whole Craig James/ESPN suit pending.

I would guess that Thomas would go with Butch Jones. He has a track record of wanting to get guys with head coaching experience and going to the places he knows as he got both his Cincy coaches from Central Michigan.

Outside shot would be Kirby Wilson, a former Illini that is on the Steelers staff. But, I don't think Thomas is beholden to the alumni and wouldn't go that route. I think Leach has too much baggage and I don't think he'd go with a relatively unknown and untested assistant at this point in the program.

I've seen Kevin Sumlin's name mentioned but I don't think he'd have much interest in this job. He's probably holding out for a bigger-name program, although he's got Big Ten roots, so you never know. I'd go with Sumlin if they could get him.

_________________
You know me like that.

Probably right. His dream job may open up next year.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/college ... for-illini

You guy's can have him. You'd never know he was a defensive coach since its the only thing holding us back.

I think its funny that he is getting credit for an offense that was already good before he got here. Plus, most of those players are Novak's recruits.

_________________
NIU Football:
2011, 2012, & 2014 MAC Football Champions

I don't think I've ever seen a fan of any program want to see their coach leave especially after leading the team to a division title and into a conference championship game. Of course most of the players are the previous coach's recruits - I'd think you'd want to keep him for at least a few more years before he leaves. FWIW, I like him - I think he's got a good makeup as a coach and will be good for a long time.

DD stepped into a great situation and hasn't had to do much except not mess up the offense that the previous coaching staff got rolling.

I keep waiting to see improvement in the defense (afterall, this guy is supposedly known for his defense) throughout the season but its just not happening.

Losing to and giving up 45 and 48 points to Kansas and CMU is highly disappointing.

_________________
NIU Football:
2011, 2012, & 2014 MAC Football Champions

How about Jack Del Rio?

Mike Leach hired at Washington State.

On to Plan B.

_________________

_________________

Well, despite his own firing from UCLA this week, Rick Neuheisel told Dan Patrick yesterday that he won't be coaching the Bruins in their bowl game if they get an invite following Friday's Pac 12 title game at Oregon. A quarterback himself during his playing days at UCLA, one of the knocks against Neuheisel is that he failed to find a pro-style QB during his tenure.

Report down here on a local sports show that Kansas was counting on getting Mike Leach to be their next coach and were back at square one now with him going to Wash. St.

Kansas?!?!?!

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Fuck.

_________________
CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

There might still be time to get Ron Zook back before he takes the Jaguars job.

_________________
You know me like that.

The South Alabama Jaguars maybe...

_________________
CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Do you want DD gone still?

Still undecided. Let's see what he can do in the future after we lose most of our offense after this season.

If you saw last night's game then you would see we didn't play well. Our last three games look like we have regressed as a team.

_________________
NIU Football:
2011, 2012, & 2014 MAC Football Champions