Jerrance Howard is New Illini Assistant

[houstontxbrave]

Bert,

You probably are right and he will have a deep passion and commitment to the program. But, and I am more curious then anything, how much actual recruiting experience does Howard have? He was the Administrative assistant at A&M and Director of Basketball Operations at KU. Neither of those positions allow for recruiting.

[lefty]

Bert,

You probably are right and he will have a deep passion and commitment to the program. But, and I am more curious then anything, how much actual recruiting experience does Howard have? He was the Administrative assistant at A&M and Director of Basketball Operations at KU. Neither of those positions allow for recruiting.

If I have to make a choice between experience and passion..I'll take passion. It can overcome many obstacles

Hire attitude and train skills.....I have learned the hard way on that one

[amckillip]

If I have to make a choice between experience and passion..I'll take passion. It can overcome many obstacles

Hire attitude and train skills.....I have learned the hard way on that one

Gotta agree with you here lefty, I just worry Weber needed a little more time learning those skills himself.

[bert notorius]

Bert,

You probably are right and he will have a deep passion and commitment to the program. But, and I am more curious then anything, how much actual recruiting experience does Howard have? He was the Administrative assistant at A&M and Director of Basketball Operations at KU. Neither of those positions allow for recruiting.

Very little. But then what do you say about a recruiter who comes with years and years of experience? One, they aren't smart enough to get a HC gig. Two, they are making enough under the table to meet their needs. Three, they're old. Or four, well I can't think of a four but what they didn't hire was a skin peddling AAU coach or master of his own domain CPL coach, or some phenom's dad for a one hitter...Lowery had just about the same amount of experience when Web brought him on and now he is one of the most successful coaches in the country and doing it for his Alma Mater. Painter is following a frighteningly similar path having one of the highest rated recruiting classes in the nation. Can lightning strike thrice? And in closing, JH hasn't been jaded by the short lived NBA experience like one other former Illini who had applied. There is much to be said for exuberance and character. Thank you for your time.

(no emoticon req'd)
bert

[MacabreMob]

Very little. But then what do you say about a recruiter who comes with years and years of experience? One, they aren't smart enough to get a HC gig. Two, they are making enough under the table to meet their needs. Three, they're old. Or four, well I can't think of a four but what they didn't hire was a skin peddling AAU coach or master of his own domain CPL coach, or some phenom's dad for a one hitter...Lowery had just about the same amount of experience when Web brought him on and now he is one of the most successful coaches in the country and doing it for his Alma Mater. Painter is following a frighteningly similar path having one of the highest rated recruiting classes in the nation. Can lightning strike thrice? And in closing, JH hasn't been jaded by the short lived NBA experience like one other former Illini who had applied. There is much to be said for exuberance and character. Thank you for your time.

(no emoticon req'd)
bert

That was said absolutely perfectly Bert.

Good luck to JH and the Illini.

[bert notorius]

That was said absolutely perfectly Bert.

Good luck to JH and the Illini.

Thank-you kindly, MMob. Now I have to get back to Tegan & Sara. We're having cocktails...

[OrangeandBlack74]

Bert,

You probably are right and he will have a deep passion and commitment to the program. But, and I am more curious then anything, how much actual recruiting experience does Howard have? He was the Administrative assistant at A&M and Director of Basketball Operations at KU. Neither of those positions allow for recruiting.

I read somewhere that he hosted new recruits at the U of I when he was still a player, so it sounds like he was demonstrating the necessary "recruiting" skills years ago.

I think JL's success in recruiting is due to his passion and commitment for BU.

[patrick_o'brian]

I just think this is the difference of direction that BU and Illinois are are heading. Bradley hires an experienced, former head coach that has taken teams into the NCAA tournament in Steve Merfield, and an experienced former assistant of National JUCO champions and adds them to their staff. Illinois adds a former alum that has been doing laundry and watching videos for the last two years. Jerrance Howard is an up and comer but to give this job to a guy that hasn't coached EVER is a bit of a strech. It would be pretty speculative to say that noone else was interested, but I really don't think anyone was. So my question is................who is the recruiter going to be? Wayne McClain? Jay Price? This is a HORRIBLE hire and it will show. GO BU!

[lefty]

can't tell if your happy or mad....we'll see how it goes

[patrick_o'brian]

can't tell if your happy or mad....we'll see how it goes

No emotion at all lefty. I just think its a questionable hire. You are right though. We'll see how it goes.

[Da Coach]

Sorry if this was posted, here is a blog from Chicago Sun Times prep sports writer Taylor Bell. He says there is dissatisfaction among Chicago high school coaches that Bruce Wbere chose Jerrance Howard over former CPL coaches for the Illinois assistant job. He suggests there may be a backlash.--

http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/

Here are a couple quotes from anonymous sources--
"Who is Jerrance Howard? He has no credibility and no stripes in Chicago. He'll get no rhythm in Chicago, no love," one coach said. "The fact that he is black and played at Illinois cuts no mustard up here. It's all about disrespecting Chicago."

Another coach said Howard's hiring is a slap in the face to Chicago. "We have no clue who (Howard) is. Now (Weber) has two Peoria people (the other is former Peoria Manual coach Wayne McClain) on his staff and nobody from Chicago. It makes no sense," he said.

But one city coach predicted that Howard "will be totally ignored like Illinois was before Tony Yates and the post-Jimmy Collins era and until Bill Self came in. I just don't think (Weber) has any concept of what goes on in Chicago."


Of course, this blog is causing another one of the famous Illini Board meltdowns. Many of the posts, and an entire earlier thread were deleted due to profanity and poor taste--

http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=169#s=169&f=2616&t=1066400

[lefty]

Sorry if this was posted, here is a blog from Chicago Sun Times prep sports writer Taylor Bell. He says there is dissatisfaction among Chicago high school coaches that Bruce Wbere chose Jerrance Howard over former CPL coaches for the Illinois assistant job. He suggests there may be a backlash.--

http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/

Here are a couple quotes from anonymous sources--
"Who is Jerrance Howard? He has no credibility and no stripes in Chicago. He'll get no rhythm in Chicago, no love," one coach said. "The fact that he is black and played at Illinois cuts no mustard up here. It's all about disrespecting Chicago."

Another coach said Howard's hiring is a slap in the face to Chicago. "We have no clue who (Howard) is. Now (Weber) has two Peoria people (the other is former Peoria Manual coach Wayne McClain) on his staff and nobody from Chicago. It makes no sense," he said.

But one city coach predicted that Howard "will be totally ignored like Illinois was before Tony Yates and the post-Jimmy Collins era and until Bill Self came in. I just don't think (Weber) has any concept of what goes on in Chicago."


Of course, this blog is causing another one of the famous Illini Board meltdowns. Many of the posts, and an entire earlier thread were deleted due to profanity and poor taste--
http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=16...2616&t=1066400

We'll never know for sure but I'm going to guess there would have been some backlash regardless of the hire....those guys aren't wild about BW so I doubt he could have made a good choice in their minds

[Da Coach]

Taylor Bell writes more in his online blog answering to the critics on the Illini Board. It seems he reads the message boards, and doesn't like it that other people have an opinion--

http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/2007/09/from_les_miles_to_illiniboardc_1.html

And Roy and Harv Schmidt have a different opinion in a blog--

http://blogs.suntimes.com/illinois/2007/09/our_thoughts_on_the_jerrance_h_1.html#more

[meth]

Wow, what an arrogant guy. He bashes the guys who write for the Decatur and Champaign papers while bragging about being a hall of famer in a hall that journalists pick among themselves to get into! Maybe message boarders need to pick some of their own hofers.
I agree, it is astounding how angry newspaper writers get when someone finds a way to express an opinion they don't like or agree with.
When journalists make a$$es of themselves with false (like Dan Rather) or arrogant (like the PJS guy who slammed Peorians and Eric Gordon) pieces, they just move on. If a guy on a message board wants to have an opinion, then even if it is wrong or arrogant, let him be. Why does this Bell-guy need to sling mud back at them?

[bert notorius]

A Weber quote from the end of the DECOURCY ARTICLE:

"I like the guys we have" Weber said. "Our group this year is pretty talented. Have we gotten every player? No. But so much attention is based on the no's, and not the yes's.

"We've had a couple bad breaks, and we have to keep plugging away and hope some good things will happen. Coach the heck out of them, and you hope that sooner or later you get a top kid to realize it's OK to come here."

It's that type of honesty right there that explains why a phenom accustomed to having smoke blown UTA, might have second thoughts about playing for Weber. Whether it is player discipline or recruiting methodology, Weber is calling the shots. If and when his services are no longer desired by the U, he will have no one to blame but himself, not that it would even enter his mind to do so. Good players are where you find them. Williams, perhaps destined to be one of the most famous Illini players, didn't grow up in the CPL. Cook was a down-stater. Granted, not landing in-states can cost a coach his job (see Mike Davis, IU) but the last time I checked, Web has 12 in-states on the roster...and that is JUCO like numbers. (insert sarcastic and smiley face emoticons)