Banks is on the way to lead defense
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois has its new defensive coordinator: Tim Banks.
Banks will be named early next week after serving as co-defensive coordinator at Cincinnati.
In 2011, Cincinnati finished sixth nationally in run defense, 20th in scoring defense and 42nd in total defense.
Before working with the Bearcats, Banks spent three years as co-defensive coordinator at Central Michigan, his alma mater. His 2009 team led the MAC in total defense and was second in run defense.
Banks worked four seasons at Maryland, including three in charge of inside linebackers and one running the secondary.
Banks spent two years on the staffs at Memphis and Bowling Green.
A cornerback at Central Michigan, Banks earned All-MAC second-team honors in 1993 and '94. He helped the Chippewas win the MAC title in 1994.
All finished up
Tim Beckman is expected to name Tim Banks as his defensive coordinator early next week. Here’s what his staff will look like:
Tim Banks — Defensive coordinator
Chris Beatty — Co-offensive coordinator
Luke Butkus — Offensive line coach
Steve Clinkscale — Defense TBA
Keith Gilmore — Defensive line coach
Alex Golesh — Tight ends, specialists, recruiting coordinator
Billy Gonzales — Co-offensive coordinator
Tim Salem — Running backs, special teams coordinator
Mike Ward — Defense TBA
Tim Banks was previously a defense co-coordinator at Cincinnati. Coaches Ward, Banks and Clinkscale on the defensive staff leave me very underwhelmed. Gilmore is the only one that was an integral part of a great defense before (past year under Koenning). Just don't see how the Illini defense will be as good or better than last year with this motley crew. Offensively Gonzales, Beatty and Salem are a bit better if not quite up to top Big Ten teams like Urban's staff. Clearly Beckman will attempt to outscore competition like he tried at Toledo.
Cincinnati was 49nd in total defense, Toledo was 79th and Illinois was 7th last season.
(Total yards given up/per game)
We have to start winning and generating revenue like OSU before we ever have any chance of putting together a staff like OSU. That being said, I believe Beckman has put together a pretty solid young staff where recruiting is strong, and we have much better coaching talent on both offense and special teams. We certainly do not have the same kind of history on the defensive staff but the group certainly has potential. Let's hope it comes to fruition.
If you're want to suppress people's thoughts and free speech like some Nazi geezer Cecil, perhaps you would feel more at home in North Korea, Iran or one of those oppressive Taliban countries. Otherwise stop being like a Nazi telling people what to think or what they can say.
cecilcomeman -- I don't understand the venom, dude, just because someone disagrees with your view of the team. But then, that's what I have learned to expect from conservatives in lockstep behind an ideology -- in this cas the notion that we must all be in blind lockstep behind Illini athletiocs and the Sleepy Gazoo.
Sonmeone offers a different view and you have to resort to telling him to go root for Iowa? Where does this hate and dislike of ideas other than your own come from? You folks always want to shout down anything different from what you think or desire.
Fans need to speak their minds here. Without fans doing that, all there would be are the sappy cheerleading stories from the Sleepy Gazoo. Like the marshmallow profile today of Beckman.
When someone fears ideas, they try to shout them down. Sad. So Republican.
Moonpie, you criticize the supposed "venom" of cecilcomeman's comments while hypocritically ignoring the real venom of PeterE's comments equating cecilcomeman's comments with Nazism. Then you go on to use the term "Sleepy Gazoo" for the newspaper that's providing you with a forum. Is that term a shot at what you consider small town or down state newspapers? The bigotry would be ironic since you're so worried about someone shouting down your ideas. Not that any of these so called "ideas" are evident in your comment. So feel free to speak your mind, but realize that when people disagree they'll let you know because they get to speak their minds too.
Everyone is entilted to their opinion and that makes for good discussion; debate. But,please, discuss the issues not personal attacks. I do not think anyone taking their time to write their opinion wants anything more than for Illini to suceed. So, keep it civil.
I too am not overwhelmed by Beckman's staff but my opinion at this point makes no diffenence. Now, let's all hope for a great year next year as we will find out pretty quickly if this crew can coach as we have some good talent returning and should at very least be bowl eligible.
No kidding! For a reminder this is a sports forum for people to be able to express ALL views on the new hires.
I for one am bummed at some of the hires. However I will say this that in the past I have had a strange combo of people work together on a project that ended up working out great, but not always. So we are stuck with this for now, let us see how it plays out.
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