Tag: University of Illinois

Jaguars’ potential 2024 draft targets: Illinois DL Jer’Zhan Newton

Is Jer’Zhan Newton just the player the Jaguars need to shore up their defensive line?

While the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense had its moments early in the 2023 season, the team is still headed into the offseason with plenty of holes on that side of the ball.

Addressing the secondary has been a popular choice for mock draft creators, but additions to the interior defensive line feel equally as urgent.

Despite getting 27.5 sacks from the combination of Josh Allen and Travon Walker, the Jaguars still finished near the bottom of the league in the stat because very little pressure was generated from the interior.

If Jacksonville decides to beef up its defensive trenches, there may not be a better man for the job than Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton. The senior could’ve been an early pick in last year’s draft, but he went back to college for one more try at working his way into the first round. He accomplished his goal.

Should the Jaguars select him with the No. 17 overall pick? Let’s break it down:

Cowboys 2022 NFL draft profile: Illinois safety Kerby Joseph

The Cowboys have invested in the safety position this offseason, but a young star would really signify a dedication to the position. Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) sees if the Illini star is the one to grab.

What is one thing Dallas Cowboys fans have been begging for, for what seems like forever? Investing resources in a single-high safety, that’s what. The Cowboys took a flier on free agent Malik Hooker last year, and brought him back on a two-year deal this March. While he played well in his limited time; he has been plagued with injuries throughout his career and hasn’t yet returned to the promise of his time at Ohio State. A high-pedigree draft pick at the position still makes sense.

Illinois isn’t known as a football powerhouse but has produced some quality talent in the NFL. Safety Kerby Joseph may be the most talented to pass through Champaign in a long while. A rangy safety, Joseph is best utilized as a single-high who showcases impressive ball skills and good change-of-direction ability.

Coaching at Illinois may have helped Lovie Smith’s defense adapt to the NFL

Lovie Smith’s patented Tampa 2 defense may have benefited from being deployed in college, according to Houston Texans LB coach Miles Smith.

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Lovie Smith at the end of the 2015 season, the former 2005 NFL Coach of the Year took his defense to the University of Illinois.

Although Illinois compiled a 17-39 record during Smith’s tenure from 2016-20, the college experience may have been the booster the Tampa 2 needed to stay relevant in today’s NFL.

Houston Texans linebackers coach Miles Smith doesn’t see the scheme they deploy as being brothers with other Cover 2 schemes as much as it is cousins.

“At this point, our defense has kind of turned into something unique, and it helped out being in college,” Smith said. “We were able to see elements that were going to come to pro football a little bit sooner where we were able to adjust things a little bit. Going into my seventh year in the system, I’ll say we’re a very different defense than we were in 2015, our first year.”

The Texans defense was bottom-tier in terms of points allowed (27th) and yards (31st), but Smith, who was defensive coordinator under coach David Culley, who lasted one year, delivered on his philosophy to create takeaways. The Texans finished with 25, tied for the 10th-most in the NFL, and the only team with a losing record to finish in the top-10.

As the Texans deploy Smith’s version of the Tampa 2 for a second year, the younger Smith believes the longer the system is in place, the better it will perform.

“We did a lot defensively last year for year one, but when you’re in a system for multiple years, that’s when you’re able to build up on other things,” Smith said.

Houston had success with a bevy of defenders on one-year contracts. As the Texans work through free agency and the draft, general manager Nick Caserio’s goal is to provide more stable players who can stay in the system.

Illinois hires Giants assistant Bret Bielema as head coach

The University of Illinois has named Giants assistant Bret Bielema as its head football coach

The University of Illinois dipped into the NFL for its head coach after firing former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith.

Bret Bielema was named head coach of the Fighting Illini on Saturday. He was the outside linebackers coach and senior assistant for the New York Giants during the 2020 season.

“Illinois and the Big Ten is home for me, and I can’t be any more excited about the opportunity in front of me with the Fighting Illini,” Bielema said. “We want to build a program that makes Illini Nation proud and regain the passion that I’ve seen when Illinois wins. We want the young men playing football in the state of Illinois from Freeport to Cairo and from Quincy to Danville dreaming of wearing the Orange and Blue and playing at Memorial Stadium. I look forward to re-connecting with the high school coaches around the state making it clear we intend to keep our players home.

“We will build an outstanding staff for both player development and recruiting. The University of Illinois has incredible facilities and is known as one of the world’s outstanding academic institutions. We will hold the young men on our team responsible both on and off the field while coaching them to be champions in life. Jen and I, along with our girls, are excited to get to Champaign-Urbana and get started on the journey. Go Illini!”

Bielema has head coaching experience on the college level. From 2006-12 Bielema was the head coach at Wisconsin, where he led the Badgers to three Big Ten championships (2010-12), six consecutive bowl games and a 68-24 record (.739). Bielema then spent five seasons as head coach at Arkansas from 2013-17.

Overall, the native of Prophetstown, Illinois, Bielema compiled a 12-year record of 97-58 (.626) as head coach at Wisconsin and Arkansas.

Smith, 62, went 17-39 (10-33 in the Big Ten) in five seasons at Illinois, his first stop in college football since 1995, when he coached defensive backs at Ohio State. The Illini were 2-5 in 2020.

The Bret Bielema File

Hometown: Prophetstown, Illinois
Birthdate: January 13, 1970
Family: Wife: Jen; Children: Briella (born in 2017) and Brexli (born in 2018)
Twitter: @BretBielema
Education: B.S. in Marketing, Iowa, 1992
Playing Experience:
Iowa, 1989-92
Signed free-agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks, 1993
Milwaukee Mustangs, Arena Football League, 1994

Coaching Career

Years University/Organization Position
2021 Illinois Head Coach
2020 New York Giants Outside Linebackers, Senior Assistant Coach
2019 New England Patriots Defensive Line
2018 New England Patriots Consultant to the Head Coach
2013-17 Arkansas Head Coach (29-34)
2006-12 Wisconsin Head Coach (68-24)
2004-05 Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator
2002-03 Kansas State Co-Defensive Coordinator
1996-2001 Iowa Linebackers
1994-95 Iowa Graduate Assistant

Head Coaching Record

Years School W-L Postseason
2006 Wisconsin 12-1 (.923) Capital One Bowl
2007 Wisconsin 9-4 (.692) Outback Bowl
2008 Wisconsin 7-6 (.538) Champs Sports Bowl
2009 Wisconsin 10-3 (.769) Champs Sports Bowl
2010 Wisconsin 11-2 (.846) Rose Bowl
2011 Wisconsin 11-3 (.786) Rose Bowl
2012 Wisconsin 8-5 (.615) (Did not coach Rose Bowl)
2013 Arkansas 3-9 (.250)
2014 Arkansas 7-6 (.538) Texas Bowl
2015 Arkansas 8-5 (.615) Liberty Bowl
2016 Arkansas 7-6 (.538) Belk Bowl
2017 Arkansas 4-8 (.333)
TOTAL 12 Years Overall: 97-58 (.626)  Big Ten: 37-19 (.661)

 

8 sports teams that reinvented their insensitive or hapless mascots

Explore how and why some college and pro teams finally decided to ditch their old name or logo.

Explore how and why some college and pro teams finally decided to ditch their old name or logo.

Illinois sends Lovie Smith packing

Illinois has fired Lovie Smith after five years and a 17-39 mark

The college football coaching carousel is spinning.

A day after Arizona fired Kevin Sumlin, the University of Illinois has sent Lovie Smith on his way.

Smith was 17–39 over five seasons in Champaign

“Lovie Smith led the Illinois football program with unquestioned integrity during his nearly five years of service,” director of athletics Josh Whitman said Sunday in a statement. “I have tremendous respect for coach Smith and will always be grateful to him for providing a steady, experienced hand at a time when our program required stability. His unshakeable leadership, never more needed than during this pandemic, will be forever remembered.

“Nonetheless, based on extensive evaluation of the program’s current state and future outlook, I have concluded the program is not progressing at the rate we should expect at this advanced stage in coach Smith’s tenure.”

Smith has now been fired by a pro and college team in Illinois. He coached the Chicago Bears but was let go by the NFC North team in 2012.

 

 

Former Bears coach Lovie Smith fired from Illinois

Former Bears head coach Lovie Smith will not be returning to the University of Illinois to coach the Fighting Illini in 2021.

Former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith will not be returning to the University of Illinois to coach the Fighting Illini. Smith had a meeting with his football team Sunday morning which ended up being an era in Illinois.

In a COVID-19 season, the Illini finished the 2020 season with a 2-5 record. During Smith’s tenure, Illinois went 17-39 overall and 10-33 in the Big Ten conference. Illinois’ best finish was in 2019 when they finished 6-7 (4-5) and fourth in the Big Ten West standings, then earned a bid to the Redbox Bowl where they lost 35-20 to the Cal Golden Bears.

The Chicago Bears hired Smith in 2004 after the dismissal of Dick Jauron. Smith had three goals in mind for the Bears: beat the Green Bay Packers, win the NFC North and win a Super Bowl. Throughout his tenure with the Bears, Smith was able to deliver on two of those goals but had an appearance in Super Bowl XLI.

Smith was able to beat the Packers seven times in his nine-season career with the Bears, then secured three NFC North titles. The Bears came close to a second Super Bowl appearance in Smith’s tenure but the Packers bested the Bears in the 2010 NFC Championship Game.

After Smith was fired in 2012, where the Bears started 7-1 but missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record, he was interviewed by the Houston Texans for the head coaching job. However, Smith had interviews with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions. Smith ended up taking the Buccaneers head coaching job and lasted two seasons with an 8-24 record.

The Bears have growing rumors that they could be moving on from GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy after another disappointing season. Perhaps a reunion could be a possibility with Smith if the Bears were to head down that direction.

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