Rush The Court

Most fans in Illini Nation saw this coming.  They knew that Bruce Weber’s job was in jeopardy as he took his team down a significant losing skid over the past six weeks.  But few were sure about the timing.  Would it happen after the National Invitational Tournament?  Would it happen right after the Big Ten Tournament?  Everything was answered yesterday as the Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas did not waste any time in firing Bruce Weber after the Illini lost to Iowa 64-61 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.  Weber coached at Illinois for nine seasons which included the best two-year stint in Illinois basketball history during his first two seasons – two Big Ten titles with a loss to UNC in the national championship game.  The Illini were 55-66 in the Big Ten over the last six years and Thomas made it clear with this move that he expects Illinois to be a contender for Big Ten titles.

What can the Orange Krush expect now?  Before we move on to review the possible candidates to fill Weber’s role, it is essential to understand the profile of the Illinois coaching job.  Arguments in Chicago bars about this topic can range from the job being a top 10 coaching position to a program that will have a tough time finding the monetary resources to spend on a good candidate due to the $3.9M buyout of Weber. Whatever the argument may be, both sides will describe the Illini basketball fan base with one word -– passion.  They want a coach that will compete for Big Ten titles and be a player frequently on the national stage.  They had gotten used to that for a majority of the time under Lou Henson.  Even Lon Kruger’s later years combined with Bill Self’s early ones show that Illinois is not a novice in March. Sure, everybody remembers the 2005 squad with Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head, but it might slip most Big Ten fans’ minds that the Fighting Illini made the Elite Eight in 2001 with a rugged squad that consisted of Frank Williams, Corey Bradford and Marcus Griffin.  The following season, they started the season ranked #2 and finished in the Sweet Sixteen.  The program has the support and a great recruiting pipeline in the state of Illinois to bring talent to Champaign.  They can definitely be a top 3-4 program in the Big Ten perennially.  Chicago has great talent but there are other areas in the state that produce quality Big Ten players who can make a run in March under the right guidance and system. It has been done before.

The Fighting Illini fanbase is looking for a coach who will spark the program again.  Somebody who will instill energy and toughness back into the talented group that will be back next season.  Here a three realistic candidates that could potentially fill the vacancy and turn the program around.

1. Shaka Smart (VCU Head Coach) – VCU’s run during last March has been well-documented in the history books.  His decision to stay there without going after the North Carolina State job raised some eyebrows. Smart signed a 10-year extension after last year’s Final Four run but he also has a good relationship with the Illinois AD since their time together at Akron a few years ago. Weber admitted a few weeks ago that he did not focus on instilling “toughness” into his players and it showed on the court.  If there is anything that Smart can do right away in Champaign, is exactly what Weber couldn’t accomplish — place a team on the court that refuses to lose.  The Rams don’t back down from anybody and they are never out of a game (or season).  Smart’s intensity and passion will bring a winning culture but more importantly an attitude or a swagger that this group of kids have been missing for a couple of seasons.  Rarely did you see Illinois come back to beat Top 25 opponents.  If they came out firing, they usually ended the game backing into a win or continuing the hot shooting.  But if they started a game with a lead, and lost it during the second half; they didn’t come back to win with a counter.  They took one or two punches but could never come back with a third one due to the lack of leadership.  Smart can change that.  The Million Dollar Question is whether he will leave VCU.  Illinois is a step up from the Richmond school, but he already has a good thing going in the Colonial Athletic Association.  The Colonial receives a fair amount of recognition during March but Illinois is obviously a more heavily publicized program because of the Big Ten and its large fanbase.  It all depends on Smart’s personality.  He will probably be offered a 50% pay raise but in the ever-changing landscape of the mid-majors, it is tough to guess if money is the only factor that drives young coaches.  Ask Brad Stevens about it and he will agree.  Stevens and Smart have something brewing in their programs and seem to have a longer vision.  All of these qualities Smart has will make the Illini Nation want him even more.  A young intense coach with a great sense of accountability, history of the game and responsibility to the community? Sounds like Central Illinois could revere him for years if he shows up in Champaign.
2. Anthony Grant (Alabama Head Coach) – About a season ago, Grant’s name carried more weight in the hiring circles.  He led the Crimson Tide to a 12-4 record in the SEC and his VCU teams (before Shaka Smart) made the NCAA Tournament in two out of three seasons.  Grant’s teams are confident and it showed when they took down Duke in the opening round several years ago.  Tuscaloosa has something to care about during February and March other than football recruiting with Grant at the helm.  They are on the bubble this season with 20 wins but they might still end up sneaking into the Tournament.  Grant was also a former Billy Donovan assistant, so he has been around winning programs.  Unlike Smart, he won’t “wow” you by any means, but if he can convince talent to show up at a school that only cares about football, imagine what he can do in a primarily basketball-oriented program like Illinois?  Alabama produces a ton of football talent but not nearly as much on the hardwood like Chicago or the rest of Illinois.  Grant will instill toughness, run a clean program and recruit quality talent to Champaign.  Smart may be the most wanted guy in coaching circles nowadays but Grant was in that position a couple of years ago. But can Illinois lure him away from Alabama? Alabama has a healthy budget in their athletic department, so they may try to keep him around by matching any Illinois offer.  Profile-wise, Illinois is a step up over Alabama in basketball, but if money is not an issue, will Grant chase another job after just three seasons? One big selling point for Illinois would be its current talent –- Brandon Paul, Meyers Leonard and Tracy Abrams.  Grant can win with them immediately so he won’t be part of a another rebuilding project.
3. Gregg Marshall (Wichita State Head Coach) – Wait, who? What about Butler’s Brad Stevens, or Baylor’s Scott Drew? Marshall is a realistic candidate for Illinois.  Stevens has not shown any inclination to leave unless it might be a “blue-blood” program such as Kentucky, Duke or North Carolina.  Scott Drew is a great recruiter and a coach who is trying to translate that talent to consistent wins at Baylor.  He is comfortable down there, so it’ll be a tough sell for him to leave a program that recruits top 15-talent every season. Don’t sleep on Gregg Marshall though.  Remember when the Iowa fan base was not happy about hiring just a “solid” coach from a mid-major? His name is Fran McCaffery and he wasted no time in getting Iowa back on the right track.  The same goes for Marshall.  He dominated the Big South conference during his time at Winthrop –- six titles in nine seasons.  He made the NCAA Tourney seven times and, not to mention, he has done a tremendous job at Wichita State this season.  He may not have risen through the coaching ranks as fast as other coaches but he can bring a level of consistency and toughness to Illinois.  His coaching record is excellent and he has proved that he can win wherever he goes.  Marshall is a realistic coach because if somebody like Shaka Smart or Anthony Grant turns down Illinois, Mike Thomas needs to make sure he wastes no time with candidates that may be considered out of their league.  College basketball hiring needs to be done quickly — just ask Maryland about it.  If Gary Williams had retired a few weeks earlier last year, Maryland wouldn’t have opened up the vacancy for weeks after the tourney ended.  They might have made a better run at Shaka Smart who coaches in their backyard.  Mark Turgeon is by no means a step down though, as he is still a great fit for the Terps.

Other names will be mentioned such as Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin or Kansas State’s Frank Martin, perhaps even Duke’s Chris Collins.  But Shaka Smart and Anthony Grant might be the top candidates for this job based on their track records and more importantly the type of basketball that their teams play.  Illinois just wants to get back to competing against other top competition and closing out games.  Illini has lost several games in the closing minutes and that is usually indicates lack of leadership -– both from the coach and the players.  Smart, Grant and Marshall have proven that they can get their teams to show up every single night and that’s a start for Illinois in the right direction.