CHAMPAIGN – Five years later, Jason Verduzco the coach realizes something about Jason Verduzco the player: He was a pain.

Three seasons as a Hamilton (N.Y.) College assistant has taught the former Illini quarterback plenty about himself. He knows now why the Illinois coaches weren't always smiling when he walked into the room.

"I didn't do all the right things," Verduzco said. "Little things like whether it be show up to a meeting on time or whether it be obeying exactly what my coach said the first time. It was the little details of my actions that weren't really good for the whole team."

Would Verduzco the coach have liked Verduzco the player?

"No, he would have hated him," Verduzco said. "That's something I've learned."

The school's No. 2 all-time passer is back on campus this week watching Ron Turner's Illini during spring practice. And Verduzco hopes to return to Illinois next fall as a graduate assistant.

If Verduzco is accepted into graduate school, Turner has a strong interest in having him on the staff.

"All the things I've heard around here about his intensity and his toughness are things that we like," Turner said. "And he's an Illinois guy, which is important."

Verduzco grew up in Antioch, Calif., about 15 miles from Turner's hometown of Martinez.

"I did not know him there, but I knew of him," Turner said.

Greg McMahon is the only coach left from Verduzco's Illinois playing days. But the new staff, Verduzco said, has taken him in like a long-lost friend.

"The staff here is just unbelievable," Verduzco said. "They've been very nice. Any questions I have, they answer."

If he wants to advance as a coach, a job at Illinois makes sense for Verduzco. He can watch and learn from Turner.

"It would be something I would definitely love to do," Verduzco said. "It would be a great opportunity for me."

The three years as Hamilton's quarterbacks coach haven't all been easy for Verduzco. When he first arrived at the small Division III school, Verduzco didn't know the demands of the job.

"Probably the biggest thing is learning how to deal with people and learning how to deal within a coach staff," Verduzco said. "Those are things I didn't know when I first quit playing."

As a player, Verduzco wanted to do things his way. As a coach, he has had to learn to defer to the higher power.

"The first year, year and a half, it was really shaky because I didn't understand the coaching profession," Verduzco said. "I didn't understand the hierarchy of coaching. You've got to understand that, and you have to abide by that."

He has grown up. The cocky quarterback has turned into a humble assistant. He has lost the attitude that worked so well for him as a player.

In three seasons as a starter, Verduzco went 19-14-1. That puts him sixth among UI quarterbacks in winning percentage. He led the team to three bowl games, including the Jan. 1 Hall of Fame Bowl in 1991.

"The bottom line when I was playing was performance," Verduzco said. "And I performed, regardless of how I acted, regardless of what I did. I was blinded by that.

"We could have done better if I had seen the whole picture instead of just the performance part of it. There is more to performance as a team concept."

His last year, Lou Tepper's first as a head coach, was the worst for Verduzco. Out went the pass-happy attack of John Mackovic. In came the run-happy offense of Tom Beck.

In the spring after Tepper's hiring, Beck had a not-too-pleased Verduzco running the option. Verduzco wanted to throw the ball but was stuck in an offense not suited to him.

"In that situation, it just tests you as an individual," Verduzco said. "You find out more about yourself and who you are. I think I handled myself pretty well."

Verduzco likes the idea of returning with a new staff.

"It really has been a great experience to come back here with a clean slate," Verduzco said.