Mar. 12—***
Barry Lunney Jr., has more help with coaching the Illinois offense. Three-time Super Bowl champion James White is working with the running backs. Former Illini Art Sitkowski is the assistant quarterbacks coach. Nine-year Ball State head coach Mike Neu is a senior offensive assistant. Dan Ellington is helping with the receivers.
But one positive reality on the offense staff is no departures among the full-time assistants. That’s a big deal and a point Lunney brought up often during a session with the media Tuesday at the Smith Center.
Offensive line coach Bart Miller actually beat Lunney here by a year, joining Bret Bielema in his first season at Illinois. Robby Discher enters his third season coaching the tight ends and Justin Stepp is going into Year 2 with the receivers.
Thad Ward is in his own special continuity category. The running backs coach is in the sixth year overall on the Illini staff, the first stint with Lovie Smith and the current stay with Bielema.
If the Illinois offense runs smoothly this season, as I expect it to, the contuity from Lunney on down will play a major part.
The biggest problem for Illinois might be keeping the offensive coordinator beyond this season. If Illinois wins a bunch of games and the offense plays well, other schools and NFL teams will likely pursue Lunney.
There are plenty of reasons to stay: he is well-compensated and the head coach of the offense. He has a strong relationship with Bielema and the staff seems to get along swimmingly.
But being a head coach at some point is and should be on Lunney’s to-do list. Let’s say Illinois finishes 10-2and makes the College Football Playoff. Lunney is going to be appealing to rival ADs. If the right offer comes along from another Power Four school or one of the top programs in the Group of Five, it might be hard for Lunney to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/cant-wait-saturday-recipe-success-144900312.html
Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Publish date : 2025-03-12 14:49:00
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