• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Groce to Illinois

when dealing with the media and "activists" for various "disenfranchised" groups and people who claim to be minorities - common sense is an extremely scarce commodity...

BTW -- did anyone read this piece from a couple days ago - a national opinion writer has now defined all people who claim to be minorities for reasons other than "RACE" are frauds......
He has summarily trashed all disabled, Hispanics, Orientals, women, gays, children, handicapped, and otherwise any other kind of minority
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1491283
 
Groce has still not agreed to a contract from Illinois-
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ios-groce-still-in-negotiations-with-illinois

Part of the problem is that if Illinois can get past the problem with the Trustee demanding that he be able to name the next coach, Groce now obviously has some leverage, and he knows there have been other coaches offered in excess of $2 million per year for the Illinois job. It is unlikely Groce will get that much, but you can't blame him for trying, especially now that he seems to be in a position to dictate the terms. Illinois AD Mike Thomas cannot afford for this circus to go on too much longer.

Ohio University is trying to raise enough money to keep Groce at Ohio-
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x760605513/Ohio-trying-to-find-money-to-keep-Groce

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/coll...cle_b60b1e4e-78ee-11e1-b44c-0019bb30f31a.html
 
You could make an argument that Bradley hired as coach just as accomplished as the guy Illinois hires. They coached against each other and Geno consistently finished ahead of Ohio in the MAC. And he's our coach.

I also think the movement of the Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart's of the world staying at their mid major jobs is a HUGE victory for fans of mid major basketball everywhere! In the Illini's case, these guys took a look at recruiting Chicago, the internal upheaval at UIUC, and a fan base that borders on unrealistic and said "Thanks, but no thanks." I love it.
 
You could make an argument that Bradley hired as coach just as accomplished as the guy Illinois hires. They coached against each other and Geno consistently finished ahead of Ohio in the MAC. And he's our coach.

You make a great point flash. Whoever inherits that Illinois program will be taking over a program that was left in much better shape than the one Ford inherited at Bradley. Coach Ford is literally having to dredge up and resurrect a ship that sunk to the bottom of the sea. The Illinois program is being rescued before it has a chance to take on too much water (unlike BU where the decision to change coaches was probably one critical year too late). Their new coach should experience a much quicker turnaround than BU.
 
You make a great point flash. Whoever inherits that Illinois program will be taking over a program that was left in much better shape than the one Ford inherited at Bradley. Coach Ford is literally having to dredge up and resurrect a ship that sunk to the bottom of the sea. The Illinois program is being rescued before it has a chance to take on too much water (unlike BU where the decision to change coaches was probably one critical year too late). Their new coach should experience a much quicker turnaround than BU.

Come on! Let's not rewrite history here! If Les were here this past year, we would have been no worse than a .500 team (and a much better team during Les's last season if we did not have two Valley all-conference players injured the whole year)! The last time I checked, Illinois was almost as bad as we were during Les's last season. Therefore, how you think Illinois' program is in much better shape than ours is is beyond me!

Now maybe a .500 record was enough for many fans as an excuse to get rid of Les. But please don't say that our program was "a ship that sunk to the bottom of the sea"! The reason we did so bad this past year was due Les's players playing to the new system that Geno installed. Maybe Geno will have more upside potential than Les did (time will tell), but our program would have been at least on a more solid footing if it weren't for the injuries under Les's watch, and if the returning players did not have to learn a new system from scratch this past year.
 
Will be very interesting to see who wins a conference championship first, Groce or Ford.

I think Groce will be good for Illinois, seems like a great recruiter, super competitive, and the Ohio fans on Illinoisloyalty seem to think he is the greatest coach ever.

If I were Illinois, I would not be happy paying Parker Executive Search $90K after how the process unfolded.
 
It's funny how things work out. Coach Ford and his Kent State teams were more successful than Groce's Ohio teams and, arguably might be considered the better and more desirable head coaching candidate. Bradley signs Ford to a $700-900,000 contract and we hear how BU overpaid. What does this say about Illinois paying Groce a reported $500,000 more per year? Who got the better coach? The better value?
 
It's funny how things work out. Coach Ford and his Kent State teams were more successful than Groce's Ohio teams and, arguably might be considered the better and more desirable head coaching candidate. Bradley signs Ford to a $700-900,000 contract and we hear how BU overpaid. What does this say about Illinois paying Groce a reported $500,000 more per year? Who got the better coach? The better value?

How many UIUC fans would admit to being happy to hire Groce soon after Weber was fired?;)
 
It's funny how things work out. Coach Ford and his Kent State teams were more successful than Groce's Ohio teams and, arguably might be considered the better and more desirable head coaching candidate. Bradley signs Ford to a $700-900,000 contract and we hear how BU overpaid. What does this say about Illinois paying Groce a reported $500,000 more per year? Who got the better coach? The better value?

?? Groce would never leave Ohio for $700K knowing midmajors are now paying that much -- he knew he had Illinois where he wanted them - desperate to seal the deal....he probably got a few nice incentives in his deal as well -- a nice car, a home, tuition for his kids, and big bonuses if he can lure DJ Cooper to play his final season at Illinois ;)
 
It's funny how things work out. Coach Ford and his Kent State teams were more successful than Groce's Ohio teams and, arguably might be considered the better and more desirable head coaching candidate. Bradley signs Ford to a $700-900,000 contract and we hear how BU overpaid. What does this say about Illinois paying Groce a reported $500,000 more per year? Who got the better coach? The better value?

Really hard to compare all that and nobody knows the answers to those questions until after a few years.....and then it would debated like crazy
 
It's funny how things work out. Coach Ford and his Kent State teams were more successful than Groce's Ohio teams and, arguably might be considered the better and more desirable head coaching candidate. Bradley signs Ford to a $700-900,000 contract and we hear how BU overpaid. What does this say about Illinois paying Groce a reported $500,000 more per year? Who got the better coach? The better value?

We'll know in about four or five years. That much we know now. :)
 
If you watched John Groce's intro & press conference you had to be impressed - he's smart and was highly respectful of the Illinois fans

He seemed to be making it quite clear that only one member of the current staff is even in play here as to whether he stays on and that's Jerrance Howard.

When some reporter tried to put him on the hot-spot regarding why he left Ohio and what were the money issues...he answered remarkably well saying he would NOT discuss the money issues out of respect for his former employer (that got some applause) and he noted the chance to take a premier job in the Big Ten comes along only once in a lifetime.
 
If you watched John Groce's intro & press conference you had to be impressed - he's smart and was highly respectful of the Illinois fans

He seemed to be making it quite clear that only one member of the current staff is even in play here as to whether he stays on and that's Jerrance Howard.

When some reporter tried to put him on the hot-spot regarding why he left Ohio and what were the money issues...he answered remarkably well saying he would NOT discuss the money issues out of respect for his former employer (that got some applause) and he noted the chance to take a premier job in the Big Ten comes along only once in a lifetime.


Didn't see it but all that sure sounds good....handled with class
 
Articles about the press conference yesterday for John Groce-
http://www.sj-r.com/blogs/illinitalk/x777659241/Groce-heads-straight-into-an-overhaul
http://www.dailyillini.com/index.ph...e_hired_as_new_illinois_mens_basketball_coach

A couple worrisome things if you are an Illinois fan- Not only was Jerrance Howard, the interim Illinois head coach, not present at the press conference, Groce said he has not even met with or talked to Jerrance Howard yet. He said nice things about Howard when asked about him, but then he said this when asked if he might keep Howard on the staff as one of his assistant coaches-
“I know he’s a tremendous recruiter and coach and a really good person,” Groce said after the press conference. “I’ve always had great respect for him and his recruiting.”
He added he will try to assemble his staff as quickly as he can but wants to make sure the “right people are on the bus.”


Most Illinois insiders believe this is more evidence that JH will not be at Illinois next season. These comments sound a lot like when your friend wants you to go on a blind date and tells you the girl has a great personality.

Even more concerning for Illini fans was the almost total absence at the press conference of the basketball players. Only 2 players showed up at the press conference (all were invited), Tyler Griffey and D.J. Richardson. Those 2 will be seniors next season, and seem like the 2 players least likely to transfer, since their options are minimal with just 1 season left to play. None of the other players attended. The Illinois freshmen had made public statements supporting Jerrance Howard as head coach, so maybe they were ticked off. Could some of them be planning to leave? D.J Richardson was asked by a reporter and said he expects everyone to stay, but that's what they always say initially.

Here is one other item that held up the final agreement to hire Groce- Jerrance Howard was well compensated as an assistant coach under Bruce Weber. It has been reported that he was one of the highest paid assistants in D1. Apparently part of the negotiation with John Groce hit a snag when he demanded compensation for his own top assistant at the same level as Jerrance Howard (see page 2)-
http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/20...uld-know-its-place-as-coaches-say-no/a5l1j1a/
 
more on the demise of the print media...I guess the whole industry has been turned over to angry people with agendas...
(BTW - that RRStar article does have a Bradley reference!)

Rick Morrisey of the Sun Times...

"Illinois goes nuts for John Groce despite getting 2nd-tier candidate"
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/morr...groce-despite-getting-2nd-tier-candidate.html

He describes the Illinois faithful as absolute idi*ots, "zany", ignortant, on drugs??

"You had to be here to fully appreciate it. ...
It’s how a second-tier candidate was met with the kind of enthusiasm you’d expect the Second Coming to receive.
..When did they ease up on the controlled-substance laws in Champaign?"
 
Back
Top