Talking shop with ... Glen Mason

For more on UI football, click here to read Bob Asmussen's latest chat.

When he phoned Ron Guenther last week, the intent was to set up a dinner date this weekend in Champaign. Instead, Mason got the scoop on Ron Zook, breaking the news that the Illinois coach would be retained through 2010. Sports editor JIM ROSSOW caught up with the 59-year-old former Minnesota coach – and current Big Ten Network analyst – this week to discuss Zook's problems, Guenther's motives and his future.

You broke the Zook story on your Friday night show on the Big Ten Network. Do you want to come to The News-Gazette and take Loren Tate's job?

No. Just like you don't want to be the guy who follows Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes, you sure don't want to follow Loren Tate.

What's this week's scoop?

The scoop is I won't be doing the Friday night show. They moved me to the Ohio State-New Mexico State game. You know what I think happened? Guenther invited me to dinner, then he called (Big Ten commissioner Jim) Delany and told him to transfer me to the Ohio State game so he didn't have to buy me dinner.

Were you surprised Ron Guenther said what he did?

Yes, I'm surprised that an AD in his situation would say that at this time. However, I'm not surprised Ron Guenther did because I know Ron Guenther. He's been a football player, he's coached major college football and he's a longtime AD. I think he seriously dived into this thing. He acknowledges there are problems, but he has confidence that Ron Zook can solve them.

As a former coach, do you like the idea of getting a vote of confidence?

That wasn't a vote of confidence. That was a decision. There's a big difference. Those votes of confidence are wishy-washy things. Are you or aren't you? Ron Guenther is the type of AD I'd like to work with. He did not make the popular choice, and that says something about him.

So does Ron Zook keep his job?

Now that Ron Guenther has said that, he's not on the hot seat. He's on the burner, baby, for next year. As a coach, the posse is always after you. Sometimes you see the dust, sometimes you don't. The worst time is when you don't see the dust – I sure didn't see it (at Minnesota). In Zook's case, you can see the dust and you can hear the hooves.

Who's the smartest ex-coach on the Big Ten Network's set, you or Gerry DiNardo?

I am. Not even close. Give me a tough question.

OK. Does Howard Griffith still try to brag on Illinois?

Absolutely. He's very proud of the Illini. He says the only problem with the Fighting Illini is that they don't have a fullback.

When are you going to get back into coaching?

I never got out. How can I say this the right way? I wanted to be a coach since I was a little kid. Sure, I could have won a few more games, but I'm proud of what I accomplished. Did I break any rules? I'm not going to apologize to anybody. But I'm a realist. This isn't pro football – those guys don't get fired, they get transferred. In college football, once you're fired you're like damaged goods. I always thought if someone needed their program turned around, if they wanted to win consistently, if they needed an honest guy and won at Kent State, Kansas and Minnesota, they'd say, 'He could do it at our place.' I can't run my life sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring. I'm a busy guy.

Do you see Iowa reaching the BCS title game?

How good is Iowa? They're not very talented. They could have lost to Northern Iowa, Arkansas State, could have lost to Michigan and at Michigan State. They could be sitting there as a four-loss team. They're living a charmed life. But if they run the table – as weak as the Big Ten is right now that still would mean winning at Wisconsin, at Penn State, at Michigan State, at Ohio State – more power to them. Put them in the title game.

What's up with Terrelle Pryor?

Terrelle Pryor is a phenomenal athlete who is playing quarterback. He is not a phenomenal quarterback. It's unfortunate in college athletics nowadays that a lot of coaches – and I'm not saying Jim Tressel did this – are selling the idea of 'Come here and we'll get you to pro football.' That's not what college football is about. You don't sell it that way. That's a disservice to the kids. That's why I'm out of coaching now. If a parent asked me 'How are you going to get my kid to the NFL?' I'd say that it's the wrong way. That's not how I'd do it.

When does Michigan become a national player again?

You don't put quality in a program overnight, and you don't take it out overnight. Places like MIchigan, the winningest program in college football, it'll come back faster than it would at places like Minnesota or Illinois. I think Michigan has made great improvement offensively. Defensively, they leave a lot to be desired. When you used to think of Michigan, you used to think of defense. That's not the case anymore.

You were an assistant at Illinois for one season. What's your favorite memory?

I was there for two recruiting seasons, and we had terrible weather both years. There was one recruiting weekend when we got the guys on campus but couldn't do anything because of all the snow. Jim Grabowski was there and asked if we could get into the Assembly Hall to play basketball. I had the key. So the coaches and the prospects got in the Assembly Hall and played basketball in the dark – only the security lights were on. We had a blast.

You never got a chance to coach in Minnesota's outdoor stadium.

When I first brought it up, they thought I was crazy. Turns out I was right. It was needed so badly. With the Metrodome, we were cheating the Big Ten Conference. Either belly up to the bar or go to the car and take a nap.

Why hasn't anyone been able to win consistently at Illinois?

Before Hayden Fry went to Iowa, they had 18-19 losing years in a row. Other places, you could put a chimpanzee as head coach and you could win because you have built-in advantages. People don't like to hear that, but it's true. Does Illinois have advantages over other schools? Sure. But are they the same advantages as Ohio State has? Nope. Every league is that way.

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