After a seven-year tenure at University of Illinois, head football coach Ron Zook has been fired. Although the Illini started off their 2011 season with a promising 6-0 record, the team seemed never to recover after losing at Indiana 41-20 in October. The team then went on to lose six straight contests and despite remaining bowl eligibile, the Fighting Illini Athletic Department had had enough.
At a Big Ten school, football reigns king. If there is not a dominant football powerhouse, changes must be made. In another conference, going 6-6 might be a good thing; however, for Ron Zook, it means losing his job.
Zook, an Ohio native, played defensive back for Miami University and graduated there in 1976. He came to the Illini in late 2004 after three seasons as head coach for the University of Florida. He had previously been an assistant coach in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.
He started off slowly with his new Illini team, winning only four games in two seasons. However, 2007 proved to be Zook’s best season at Illinois. The Fighting Illini went 9-4 and beat top ranked Ohio State in Columbus to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Although they lost to the USC Trojans, Zook was named the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year as well as Big Ten Coach of the Year for 2007.
Other career highlights for Zook include three first-round NFL draft picks and three bowl-eligible seasons. After a 7-6 season (4-4 conference), Zook lead the Illini to their first bowl win since 1999 with their victory over Baylor in the 2010 Texas Bowl.
This year, the Fighting Illini Athletic Department hired a new Athletic Director, Mike Thomas. Typically when a school does this, there are going to be changes in the team’s coaches if they are not proving their worth. For Zook, this 2011 season was “go time.” If he wanted to keep his job, he needed to make sure his team performed well and had a winning season. When the Illini lost six straight games, it was determined that Zook had dropped the ball and his career was ended with a 34-51 record.
It was been reported that before the season was over, around mid-November, a personal change seemed to overcome Zook. His demeanor and the way he was handling himself and the team changed. Sources say that Zook was given his pink slip before the official end of the season. It did not matter whether or not the Illini could finish out the season with a win—Zook was gone.
According to FightingIllini.com, Thomas said “we will begin the process of finding a new coach as soon as possible.” If the Illini receive a bowl invitation, Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will serve as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is found. Thomas has taken the search nationally,, so do not expect one of the current assistants to take over for Zook.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Thomas’ list of possible replacements includes Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, Rutgers head coach Greg Schian, and Toledo head coach Tim Beckman.
But no matter who replaces Zook, this new coach must not only earn the respect of the players Zook recruited, but also the large fan base. The Illini are ready for a winning season and hope a new coach can help them.
Sources:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-28/sports/ct-spt-1129-illinois-foot-coach–20111129_1_mark-dantonio-head-coach-northern-illinois
http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112711aac.html