Better job: Illinois or Minnesota
BETTER JOB: Maryland vs. South Carolina | Miami vs. USC
Neither Minnesota nor Illinois are Big 10 bell-cows but both have coaching openings and plenty of opportunities in the coming years to make a run in the conference.
Advertisement
Here is a look at each program, the advantages and disadvantages of both jobs and maybe a surprise verdict on which position is better for the long-term.
What happened: One week before the season opener, Tim Beckman was fired after allegations surfaced that he attempted to influence medical decisions and tried to have injured players go in the game hurt. Beckman has said those allegations are false. Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit has been the interim coach.
Recruiting: Illinois is No. 12 in the Big 10 team rankings and its lone four-star pledge comes from O'Fallon, Ill., running back Kentrail Moran. The Illini are No. 52 nationally in the team recruiting rankings.
Advantages: The first advantage for the next Illinois coach is that it cannot get much worse. For fans, that's tough to hear. For the new coach, it's perfect because he can come in, implement his own system and have a reasonable amount of time to turn the program in the right direction. Beckman was 12-25 and only won four Big 10 games during his tenure. Add that to the alleged off-the-field issues and the new coach starts with a very clean slate.
Something else Illinois can possibly build on is past success, although that could be difficult since it's been years since the Illini have been major players on the national college football stage. The Illini have been to three bowls in the last five seasons, they went to the Rose Bowl in 2008 and the Sugar Bowl in 2002. Prospects are too young to remember that but their coaches and parents are not. In recruiting, that could be a selling point.
The last advantage for Illinois - and the same can be said for Minnesota - is that there is an abundance of talented, young coaches in the Midwest who are proven winners. Bowling Green's Dino Babers, Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck, Toledo's Matt Campbell and many others are sharp coaches who could get the job done.
Disadvantages: Playing in the Big 10 will always be super competitive and the conference is getting better. Illinois has lost its last three conference games and got routed 39-0 at Penn State this past weekend. It's not going to be easy to recruit talented players with such struggles.
The recruiting territory is not incredibly rich. There are only six four-stars in the state this recruiting cycle and all but one are going to other Big 10 teams. The new coach has to do a better job recruiting the state and getting into some of the other talent pools like St. Louis.
What happened: Coach Jerry Kill retired effective immediately last Wednesday because of medical issues. He has dealt with epilepsy for a decade.
Recruiting: The Golden Gophers are eighth in the Big 10 team recruiting rankings with four-star commitments Carter Coughlin (linebacker), Sean Foster (offensive lineman) and Dredrick Snelson (wide receiver) leading the way.
Advantages: There seems to be momentum. Minnesota is coming off two eight-win seasons and the Gophers competed with - and almost beat - TCU and Michigan this season. The new coach will inherit talent on both sides of the field that he can work with. The cupboard isn't bare.
Six of the top seven players in the state of Minnesota are committed to the Golden Gophers (the other is headed to Nebraska) so Kill and his staff have proven to be quality recruiters. The next coach should be able to have similar success.
TCF Bank Stadium could be a tremendous advantage. The stadium opened in 2009 and it's a great venue for college football. In terms of home-field advantage and a recruiting tool, it could be a big help for the new regime.
Disadvantages: In many ways similar to Illinois, the home recruiting base is not always stocked with high-level talent. To compete for championships in the Big 10, Minnesota needs to keep its top players home (that was not the case in the 2015 recruiting cycle) and venture out and steal some others. Snelson is a perfect example of that this time around but it's tough to do every year.
Minnesota has routinely gone to bowl games in the last 15 years but what will be the definition of success? Getting to six wins and going to a bowl or making this a program who can compete for Big 10 titles? Being in the West Division helps because it is currently the weaker of the two but the Golden Gophers are still just 1-3 in conference play.
THE VERDICT
Illinois went to the Rose Bowl in 2008, the Sugar Bowl in 2002 and with the Beckman mess, the next coach should have an extended timetable to turn the program around.
So it seems counter-intuitive to say that Minnesota is the better coaching job for the long-term but that's the opinion here. The Golden Gophers can recruit in-state talent, they have neat rivalries with Big 10 opponents and a relatively new stadium. Plus, even though it doesn't get all the Minneapolis talent, having that recruiting base makes the Minnesota job more appealing.
"If you just go off without thinking, Illinois or Minnesota, you think about the glory days of Chicagoland football, Rashard Mendenhall and that group, going to the Rose Bowl," Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell said. "It seems counter-intuitive based on a quick thought. Digging deep into it, Minnesota is in much better shape for a lot of different reasons."
Click Here to view this Link.