The idea of Alabama Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin coming to Champaign is starting to gain some legitimacy and momentum. People who work for the Illinois football program were talking about potential Tim Beckman successors this past gameday, and Lane Kiffin is the only name that came up. Not saying these people within the Illini football program are high up, with connections to Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas, but they are within the program nonetheless.
More important, Kiffin is the only name they talked about on Saturday. That’s really the only reason I’m writing this piece now is that no other name seems to being discussed at this point. Kiffin is the only name that has come up. That’s how dead the buzz is right now about Beckman’s potential replacement.
(Update: list of 5 leading potential Illinois Head Coaching candidates)
(Update: list of 5 “under the radar” or “sleeper” potential Illinois Head Coaching candidates)
(as you can see Layla Kiffin has no problem wearing orange)
I was certainly not the first person to write about the idea of Lane Kiffin becoming the next Illinois football Coach, far from it. I’ll be far from the last as well. Eventually, we’ll have to talk about Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi (pipe dream, don’t get your hopes up) and Kirby Wilson (maybe, maybe not, we’ll save it for another column.
I explored the pros and cons of Lane Kiffin in great detail in this space last week.
Of course, now the Florida job is open. If they want Kiffin then forget about it, Illinois cannot compete with the Gators tradition and history. Then again, it’s seriously doubtful anyone in the SEC wants Lane Kiffin right now. It probably won’t happen. What we do know is that Kiffin has a three-year contract that will pay him $680,000 for first two years and $714,000 for the third.
Tim Beckman is making $1.6 million this year. His buyout is $1.05 million. Let’s say Thomas was willing to double Kiffin’s salary for next year- that’s under $1.5 million, and still less than what Beckman makes. Why not give Lane Kiffin a 250% salary increase, and you’re still paying him less than $2m plus the $1m for Beckman’s buyout and the whole bill is still under $3 mil; which isn’t all that much of a financial hit for a Big Ten program.
And given the reputation Lane Kiffin has right now, how could he turn down a 250% pay increase?
I understand many of you are frosty at best to this idea, and you won’t get lukewarm any time soon. You also need to realize that a very mediocre at best Iowa team put up nearly 600 yards of total offense on Saturday. The Hawkeyes has their yardage output of the entire season in Champaign reminding us all that the Illini defense isn’t improving at all. Like last season, it’s actually getting worse as the year wears on.
The idea that Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks was brought back for 2014 is bad enough. The fact that he’s still here now is intelligence-insulting.
I was lukewarm at best to the Lane Kiffin idea at first. Now that a bowl game is not even close to being within the realm of possibility, I’m getting on board with it. Yes, it’s Ron Zook hire part deux. Just like I pointed out last week. However, Ron Zook achieved a fluky, probably undeserved Rose Bowl/BCS berth, two wins in fifth tier bowls, and his recruits carried the Big Ten flag on NFL Draft night for half a decade. Zook lost way more games than he won, but he did win on NFL Draft night. Beckman wins…..*crickets chirping*……uhm….uh……in the fourth quarter with exciting comebacks versus mid-majors.
So doing the Ron Zook hire all over again, for all its limitations, is a huge step up. Illinois football has been down since John Mackovic. And the next Mackovic level coach isn’t coming through that door.
Still not excited about Lane Kiffin? Then read this from “Writing Illini” on the Fansided network:
The west coast offense and spread offense that Kiffin runs so well would thrive with Wes Lunt, Mike Dudek, Geronimo Allison, and the rest of the Illinois team.
You think Lunt was good this year? Match him up with someone like Kiffin and Cubit working together. That would be a show.
Illinois needs someone that can lead this team, that can relate to students, that can go in to the trenches and recruit. Kiffin has all of that. His recruiting classes at USC were never worse than 13th in the nation. Even with a struggling team, Kiffin was able to sell that program.
That is what Illinois desperately needs. Mike Thomas, if you are reading this, please take this to heart. Call Kiffin. Illini Nation needs wins, and Kiffin’s offensive mind with our young players would surely make some noise.
You may not be thrilled by the idea, but Lane Kiffin is a step in the right direction. That’s why he’s being talked about in Champaign right now.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2