Best option for Illini might be head coach at smaller program
Assessing the job Ron Zook did as head coach at Illinois depends on the comparables, as they say in the real estate world.
Overall, he clearly did not do a good job, posting a 34-51 record in seven seasons, and was fired Sunday.
In the context of Illinois football history, though, he wasn't so bad. If the Illini manage to win a bowl game under interim head coach Vic Koenning, they'll post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1989-90.
Now the task for athletic director Mike Thomas is to find a coach who can break the mold of mediocrity.
Here's a suggestion: Forget about trying to make a big splash and just hire a quality coach who has yet to do his best work.
The big splash seemed to be a priority when Illinois hired Zook, who had a high-profile job at Florida; Ron Turner, the Bears' offensive coordinator; John Mackovic, a former NFL head coach; and Mike White, the hotshot from California.
The one exception was when the Illini promoted Lou Tepper from defensive coordinator after Mackovic bolted for Texas.
The best option might be someone with head-coaching experience at a smaller program. Good luck prying Chris Petersen from Boise State or Gary Patterson from TCU.
It could be worth placing a call to Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, who has gone 12-0 in his fourth season behind record-setting quarterback Case Keenum. Sumlin, 47, is an Indianapolis native with Big Ten roots, having played linebacker at Purdue in the 1980s.
As far as successful head coaches at smaller programs, the list isn't very long. Iowa State's Paul Rhoads pulled a couple of big upsets this season. Southern Mississippi's Larry Fedora and Toledo's Tim Beckman might be worth a look.
Looking at candidates without head-coaching experience, there are a couple of impressive assistants with Illinois roots.
Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken is a Wheaton North High School grad. His brother Tony is head coach at Vernon Hills and his brother Ted is head coach at Metea Valley. Their father is Bob Monken, a legendary high school coach at Lake Park.
Another assistant to consider is Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Chuck Martin. He's a Rich East High School grad who played safety at Millikin University in Decatur. Martin replaced Brian Kelly as head coach at Grand Valley State and won two Division II national titles. This is his second year on the Notre Dame staff.
Thomas is new on the job and came to Illinois from Cincinnati, where Kelly worked before moving to Notre Dame.
If nothing else, Thomas should recognize it's not smart to follow the formula Illinois has used to choose football coaches in the past.