Bruce Weber fired

[Da Coach]

Good article about the Illinois coaching position- Sun Times basketball writer Joe Henricksen thinks Shaka Smart should be the next Illinois coach-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoopsreport/2012/03/the_next_illinois_basketball_c.html

Amazing that with buyouts of Ron Zook, Jolette Law (women's coach), and Bruce Weber, Illinois will be paying well over $7 million just to pay off 3 coaches who aren't there any more. And now Illinois may be looking at committing $15 million or more to land their next coach. Must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around.

[Old Coach]

Good article about the Illinois coaching position- Sun Times basketball writer Joe Henricksen thinks Shaka Smart should be the next Illinois coach-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoopsreport/2012/03/the_next_illinois_basketball_c.html

Amazing that with buyouts of Ron Zook, Jolette Law (women's coach), and Bruce Weber, Illinois will be paying well over $7 million just to pay off 3 coaches who aren't there any more. And now Illinois may be looking at committing $15 million or more to land their next coach. Must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around.

Thank you Big Ten Network.

Regarding the blog, I love how opionions among the "experts" vary as much as opinions among fans and observers. This guy says Illinois isn't a top 15 job. Dave Kaplan says it's a top 20 job. Seth Davis of SI, says it's a top 10 job. I think what a job is depends on the moment in time and circumstance. Clearly, not everyone is using the same rating system in making their opinions, and there are certainly biases that come into play.

[Old Coach]

FWIW, Chris Collins will be a top candidate. Will Coach K let him take the job?

I respectfully disagree. I would be shocked if Illinois hired someone with no head coaching experience, regardless of the pedigree.

[Da Coach]

Does Illinois have enough money to go after Leonard Hamilton? He just might have put himself into the discussion of the top coaches in America with Florida State's impressive run through the ACC Tournament, beating both Duke and UNC for the second time this season.
Hamilton earns $1.5 million per year and has 2 more years left on his contract. I suspect Florida State will boost that with an extension to keep him there, but he should be an attractive target for Illinois.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/seminoles/content/florida-state-basketball-coach-leonard-hamiltons-new-deal-finalized-doubling-his-compensatio

[Beninator]

There's your fan base in a nut shell. A bunch of uneducated and uninformed arrogant pupils.

Very very true!

[Beninator]

Does Illinois have enough money to go after Leonard Hamilton? He just might have put himself into the discussion of the top coaches in America with Florida State's impressive run through the ACC Tournament, beating both Duke and UNC for the second time this season.
Hamilton earns $1.5 million per year and has 2 more years left on his contract. I suspect Florida State will boost that with an extension to keep him there, but he should be an attractive target for Illinois.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/semino...is-compensatio

Wouldn't it cost more to bring in Shaka Smart?

[Da Coach]

It will cost probably over $2 million a year for Smart or Hamilton, or anyone in their class.

[Da Coach]

This AP article suggests Bruce Weber will try to get another job by next season-

http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/aecdc9e271f8466ea7eef3d72643d931/BKC--Illinois-Webers-Future/

And here is a writer who claims to have knowledge from an insider at Illinois who says that "the school has mandated the hiring of an African American coach to replace the recently fired Bruce Weber. This comes on the heels of the firing of football coach Ron Zook and internal backlash over the lack of consideration for an African-American coach."

http://www.rantsports.com/big-10-basketball/2012/03/10/source-next-illinois-basketball-coach-will-be-african-american/

[Old Coach]

Does Illinois have enough money to go after Leonard Hamilton? He just might have put himself into the discussion of the top coaches in America with Florida State's impressive run through the ACC Tournament, beating both Duke and UNC for the second time this season.
Hamilton earns $1.5 million per year and has 2 more years left on his contract. I suspect Florida State will boost that with an extension to keep him there, but he should be an attractive target for Illinois.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/semino...is-compensatio

I'm not so sure they'll want to hire a guy who'll be 64 years old when the next season starts.

[Beninator]

It will cost probably over $2 million a year for Smart or Hamilton, or anyone in their class.

plus buying out Smart's contract at VCU.....

[wizard1]

Bruce Weber Fired

DC---There is no way at all that Illinois can lure Leonard Hamilton away from FSU if FSU wants to keep him! The athletic revenue at FSU is absolutely fantastic (Primarily due to football) and Illinois could not match FSU $, especially with their current coaching buy-out load.

The only possible appeal to LH would be that FSU has been primarily a football school with basketball being secondary. However, IMO, this is about to change with FSUs emergence as an ACC basketball power.

Also, FSU competes in-state with Univ of Florida who has an outstanding basketball program as well as a top football program. More reason for FSU to compete strongly in basketball in the ACC.

And finally---Where would you like to live---Champaign, Ill. or Tallahasee, Fla.?

[Da Coach]

DC---There is no way at all that Illinois can lure Leonard Hamilton away from FSU if FSU wants to keep him! The athletic revenue at FSU is absolutely fantastic (Primarily due to football) and Illinois could not match FSU $, especially with their current coaching buy-out load.

The only possible appeal to LH would be that FSU has been primarily a football school with basketball being secondary. However, IMO, this is about to change with FSUs emergence as an ACC basketball power.

Also, FSU competes in-state with Univ of Florida who has an outstanding basketball program as well as a top football program. More reason for FSU to compete strongly in basketball in the ACC.

And finally---Where would you like to live---Champaign, Ill. or Tallahasee, Fla.?

I couldn't agree more wizard. I was not suggesting it was likely Illinois could get him, only that he would be the kind of ideal coaching hire that would satisfy everyone. I don't think Illinois can get him, but we've seen before that sometimes money talks.