http://www.illinihq.com/sports/illini-sp...do-it.htmlQuote:
How are they doing it? Former administators and media followers offer interesting observations. Let me enumerate their thoughts.
— Admissions welcome marginal students, including junior college transfers, and they tend to stay eligible.
Somebody tell this guy to do some more research before spouting off excuses as to why NIU has been successful and Illinois program hasn't.
Under Novak, NIU rarely, if ever, brought in JUCO players. Novak built the NIU program with high school players from Chicagoland area. Even today, we only have seven JUCO players out of 109 (only 6%)on our roster. So NIU obviously isn't doing it on the back of JUCO players.
Also, marginal students? NIU Football ranks 5th in APR, while Illinois is 51st (
Source).
If Illinois wants to turn around its program maybe it shouldn't hire a defensive coach who lost three of four to us while giving up a ton of points in the process.