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Illinois Football: How Lovie Smith changes losing culture

By Shea Raftus

Dec 17, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith looks on from the sidelines in the first half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith looks on from the sidelines in the first half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Can Lovie Smith be the guy to finally help Illinois football break through?

As an Ohio State fan that never misses a Buckeye football game, I remember how eerily similar Ohio State’s last two trips to Champaign, Illinois were. Both games were ho-hum 25-point victories for the Buckeyes (60-35 in 2013 and 28-3 this past season) that preceded the home finale and a trip up north to Ann Arbor to close out the regular season.

But the thing that stood out the most to me was the atmosphere. To say it lacked energy would be an understatement. The somber and helpless setting both those games brought made it very clear: Illinois football is dead, and someone needed to revive it.

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Enter Lovie Smith who was hired to replace Bill Cubit on Monday. Smith, who’s coached for 35 years, is known most notably for his 11 years as a head coach in the NFL. Smith spent nine of those 11 seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, where he led the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006 and NFC Championship Game in 2010.

Getting a big name like Smith is huge for Illinois. Smith is a natural fit to pump energy back into a program that’s been lacking it for quite some time. He’s got the pedigree as an NFL coach that recruits will respect and he knows the area’s culture after coaching there for nine seasons.

But most importantly, it’s been well documented that players love playing for Smith. After accusations of player abuse and improper treatment from former head coach Tim Beckman, who was abruptly let go right before the start of the 2015 season, it’ll be a nice change of pace for the Illini program to have a coach that’s generally liked by his players.

Ultimately, changing the culture of a program begins and ends with winning consistently, something the Illinois program has struggled with.

It’s not like Illinois hasn’t won at a high level before.  In 2001, they won the Big Ten title and earned a trip to the Sugar Bowl under Ron Turner. And Ron Zook led the 2007 squad to an upset win at No. 1 Ohio State late in the season and a berth in the Rose Bowl.

But Illinois followed both of those successful seasons with back to back losing seasons, which killed any momentum the program gained during those successful campaigns. Add it all up, and you have a below average program with no stability and zero buzz.

That’s why Smith needs to not only win, but win consistently to ultimately be successful in reviving the Illinois football program.

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The most effective way to build a consistent winner is on the recruiting trail. Coaching can only get you so far. In the end, you have to have quality players to compete and win games consistently in major college football.

Illinois has sent quality players to the league in recent years such as Vontae Davis, Rashard Mendenhall, Whitney Mercilus, Cory Liuget and Pierre Thomas. But in the last five seasons, Illinois has greatly underachieved on the recruiting trail. According to the 247Sports Composite, their average ranking from 2012 to 2016 was 60 with a high of 48.

The Illini have also struggled to attract elite in-state talent during that same time frame. According to the 247Sports Composite, the state of Illinois has produced 39 four-star or higher players in the past five seasons, including players like Laquon Treadwell, Jordan Westerkamp and Antonio Morrison. But only two of the 39 committed to Illinois. That trend can’t continue under Smith.

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How Smith will do on the recruiting trail is the biggest question for Illinois. He hasn’t recruited high school players in 20 years. The recruiting game has changed greatly since then, and it’ll be up to Smith to catch on quickly and win over recruits like he did his players in the NFL.

Building a consistent winner at a non-traditional power in major college football is difficult. But Illinois believes they have their man to do the job. Changing a culture is never easy, but you can bet Smith is up to the challenge.

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