Tate: In Zook I Trust

CHAMPAIGN – No football coach is perfect. All of them have strengths and weaknesses.

But it would be difficult to name anyone in the profession who was more of a perfect Illini fit than Ron Zook.

What Illinois needed after the dismal 2003-04 seasons was a restocked roster, a new look ... in short, a speedy, athletic SEC look. You can take all the systems, all the scheming, all the preparation and, if you don't have the talent, it won't much matter.

Zook's first accomplishment was lining up a quality staff. Illinois needed coaches with strong recruiting backgrounds. Zook, a renowned bulldog in the world of recruiting, pulled a coup in attracting an established recruiting coordinator, Reggie Mitchell, from John L. Smith's staff at Michigan State. And in bringing Mike Locksley with him from Florida, Zook had a respected insider in the lush Washington, D.C., area.

So, all of a sudden, the UI had strong tentacles reaching out to Florida, to the D.C. area, to Ohio (a Miami of Ohio product, Zook once coached at Ohio State) and to the inner city of Chicago where Mitchell already was well known. And Zook completed his staff with more of the same as they turned these four difficult areas into Illinois' happy hunting grounds.

City confidential

Four years later, the difference is stunning. Whatever the result Saturday night in St. Louis, Illinois embarks on a new season with a lineup that won't be pushed around, won't be outrun, won't be outmuscled.

In 2004, the UI had zero players from Florida, one from the D.C. area (Marcus Mason, a sophomore, left under duress after playing briefly that season), three from Ohio, and four from the Chicago Public League ... one of whom was juco transfer Kelvin Hayden.

Of the 29 players with three or more starts in Ron Turner's final season, 17 were Illinoisans and only three came from Florida, Ohio, the CPL and the D.C. area.

Today, with the Zook staff digging into the toughest sections of inner cities for their most rugged youths, the Illini scholarship roster shows 10 from Florida, 13 from the D.C. area, 10 from Ohio and seven from the Chicago Public League. In attracting 40 athletes who probably wouldn't have considered Illinois pre-Zook, this reshaping of the roster is as remarkable as Ron Guenther's vision in renovating Memorial Stadium.

And most important, of the 44 Illini athletes expected to comprise the two-deep lineup Saturday, 26 prepped in the four aforementioned areas. That's nearly two-thirds of the first two units, and it might be greater but for the departures of Brian Gamble and D'Angelo McCray and the injuries that hit Troy Pollard, Jeff Cumberland and Sirod Williams.

Yes, the Illini will always depend heavily on in-state athletes from the collar counties and greater St. Louis – veterans like Xavier Fulton, David Lindquist and Derek Walker – but, face it, this would be just another Illini loser if Zook hadn't opened up new territories. It could be argued the four leading candidates for stardom and postseason honors are Chicago Vocational's Juice Williams and the D.C. trio of Vontae Davis, Will Davis and Arrelious Benn. And Chicago Simeon's Martez Wilson may join that group this season.

Looking ahead

Zook's handiwork didn't stop with bringing the athletes on campus. He has been a tough and heady taskmaster. On one hand, he has made critical moves that put Travon Bellamy, Will Davis, Fulton, Cumberland and others in the best position to suit their talents. On the other, Zook made quick decisions to clear the squad of those who couldn't or wouldn't fit in ... superb athletes like Melvin Alaeze, Derrick McPhearson and Jody Ellis.

For those with long-term concerns, the question is obvious. Assuming that Illinois is in the midst of an upsurge, can it be sustained?

The answer lies in retaining Zook and key staff members against the quests of others, and in maintaining good relationships in the suburbs and St. Louis area while extending the incursions into rich recruiting areas that previous UI staffs left untouched.

You'll recall that when Mike White revived Illinois football in the early 1980s, he did it with an influx of Californians. It was a quick fix and was not sustained over time. What we'll watch now is whether, in time, the raids into D.C. and Florida can be repeated, whether the UI relationship with the CPL will weaken, whether Ohio State's hold on home state talent can be penetrated in a meaningful way.

Whatever the long-range result, Zook has upgraded a roster in four years to a point where Illini football appears strong for at least the next four.

For the record, the UI's best four-year record in the last half-century was plus-16 in the early '80s. To match plus-16, the Illini would need to copy last year's 9-4 audit once and go 8-5 twice. That seems reachable, although Illini history is marked by unexpected downturns.

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.

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