From CoachingSearch:

Illinois: The athletic director search continues to have problems. The Chicago Tribune’s David Hughes tweets, “Source says several trustees have voiced displeasure to university president about committee idea and its composition. Same Illinois trustees concerned about committee direction haven't ruled out identifying AD candidates independent of panel recommendation. Another source says NIU AD Sean Frazier's name has come up often internally, supported by Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez, Frazier's former boss.”

I will be unbelievably ****** off if Illinois get Frazier. They would be getting rewarded for being a disfunctional dumpster fire.

The story out of U of I is one of the biggest sport donor has his man for AD and the Trustees are not happy with his attitude. Take my man or I will stop giving millions.

(12-11-2015 07:44 PM)NIU75 Wrote:  The story out of U of I is one of the biggest sport donor has his man for AD and the Trustees are not happy with his attitude. Take my man or I will stop giving millions.

That's not accurate. The issue is that Khan hasn't been able to convince his guy (who virtually everybody would love to have) to take the job, and the question is whether or not Illinois is willing to pay what it might take to get him because it's going to take a lot of money to do it.

In regards to Frazier, from what I know, he's not in their top 2-3 choices, all of which have Illinois ties. Of course, the search is a bit of a mess given they're trying to hire people in the wrong order so the eventual hire could come completely out of nowhere.

Frazier won't be at NIU much longer - I think most people understand that. I don't really care what his next stop is - if he goes to U of I, that's fine with me. It's good for the state if he can get those programs turned around.

My only hope is he gets his goals accomplished in DeKalb before he rides off into the sunset. If NIU has any shot of moving to the G5, Frazier is the guy who is going to get it done. He has a broad vision, and more importantly he has the necessary connections to make things happen. Frazier has ties to very large, powerful schools. He can pick up a phone and get through to people that subsequent athletic directors probably won't be able to.

I don't think he's ready to move on just yet - too much left unfinished. I'm guessing two more years. I also am going to guess it will be an uncomfortable offseason for Coach Carey if this year ends with another bowl loss and an 8-6 record. Barely above a .500 record is not in AD Frazier's master plan. I think Carey is probably safe but I also think there is very little chance that Coach Cole will return next season.

Wouldn't shock me, though, if Coach Carey was dismissed. While I don't think it's warranted, if Frazier knows his time is short in this position, he may throw caution to the wind and go for a short term big splash hire to boost the profile of the program.

Lane Kiffin comes to mind. Offensive minded, acclaimed recruiter, major collegiate and NFL connections. He's a guy with Alabama ties who is twice failed and might welcome the opportunity on a smaller stage to resurrect his head coaching career.

I'm not saying Kiffin would be better than Carey, but I am saying that Frazier might like that look a lot better when he approaches his contacts in the AAC or Big 12 to pitch NIU for inclusion.

Frazier isn't going to fire Carey if they finish 8-6 and Lane Kiffin wouldn't have any interest in NIU (and NIU wouldn't have any in him, either).

(12-12-2015 12:21 AM)VegasHuskie Wrote:  Frazier won't be at NIU much longer - I think most people understand that. I don't really care what his next stop is - if he goes to U of I, that's fine with me. It's good for the state if he can get those programs turned around.

My only hope is he gets his goals accomplished in DeKalb before he rides off into the sunset. If NIU has any shot of moving to the G5, Frazier is the guy who is going to get it done. He has a broad vision, and more importantly he has the necessary connections to make things happen. Frazier has ties to very large, powerful schools. He can pick up a phone and get through to people that subsequent athletic directors probably won't be able to.

I don't think he's ready to move on just yet - too much left unfinished. I'm guessing two more years. I also am going to guess it will be an uncomfortable offseason for Coach Carey if this year ends with another bowl loss and an 8-6 record. Barely above a .500 record is not in AD Frazier's master plan. I think Carey is probably safe but I also think there is very little chance that Coach Cole will return next season.

Wouldn't shock me, though, if Coach Carey was dismissed. While I don't think it's warranted, if Frazier knows his time is short in this position, he may throw caution to the wind and go for a short term big splash hire to boost the profile of the program.

Lane Kiffin comes to mind. Offensive minded, acclaimed recruiter, major collegiate and NFL connections. He's a guy with Alabama ties who is twice failed and might welcome the opportunity on a smaller stage to resurrect his head coaching career.

I'm not saying Kiffin would be better than Carey, but I am saying that Frazier might like that look a lot better when he approaches his contacts in the AAC or Big 12 to pitch NIU for inclusion.

Say no to drugs.

(12-12-2015 12:38 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  Frazier isn't going to fire Carey if they finish 8-6 and Lane Kiffin wouldn't have any interest in NIU (and NIU wouldn't have any in him, either).

Ahh, come on now, we have over a week before the Poinsettia Bowl and not much else to talk about. This is the perfect time for left of center theories!!

I imagine Vegas spends most of his time imagining ways for Carey to get fired/killed. I just hope it doesn't advance to concocting....

I can't imagine Frazier settling for U of I, even if they wanted him. In other news, I was offered the captaincy of the Titanic. I'm mulling other offers.

(12-12-2015 01:29 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I imagine Vegas spends most of his time imagining ways for Carey to get fired/killed. I just hope it doesn't advance to concocting....

I can't imagine Frazier settling for U of I, even if they wanted him. In other news, I was offered the captaincy of the Titanic. I'm mulling other offers.

Hmm, Biscuit, I know you don't care for my opinions on NIU football, however even in jest I'm disappointed you would suggest I wished for harm to come to Coach Carey.

Maybe some people think that's funny. Sorry if I'm not in on the joke. I just think it's rather inappropriate.

(12-12-2015 01:50 AM)VegasHuskie Wrote:  

(12-12-2015 01:29 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I imagine Vegas spends most of his time imagining ways for Carey to get fired/killed. I just hope it doesn't advance to concocting....

I can't imagine Frazier settling for U of I, even if they wanted him. In other news, I was offered the captaincy of the Titanic. I'm mulling other offers.

Hmm, Biscuit, I know you don't care for my opinions on NIU football, however even in jest I'm disappointed you would suggest I wished for harm to come to Coach Carey.

Maybe some people think that's funny. Sorry if I'm not in on the joke. I just think it's rather inappropriate.

I'll tuck in my shirt. Sorry sir. I might have been exaggerating for comedic effect. Or implying that some person on a message board is seriously a murderer. You decide!

Frazier to the Illini would be slam dunk career suicide, he is working for bigger things than that position obviously.

(12-12-2015 03:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Frazier to the Illini would be slam dunk career suicide, he is working for bigger things than that position obviously.

i mean if he resurrects a sh*t football program...in the Big 10. That s a pretty big accomplishment in itself. Don't forget Ilness has some branding issues they need to clean up too. An ethical, accomplished minority AD might be just what they need.

(12-12-2015 03:19 AM)$NIU$ Wrote:  

(12-12-2015 03:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Frazier to the Illini would be slam dunk career suicide, he is working for bigger things than that position obviously.

i mean if he resurrects a sh*t football program...in the Big 10. That s a pretty big accomplishment in itself. Don't forget Ilness has some branding issues they need to clean up too. An ethical, accomplished minority AD might be just what they need.

I don't think Illinois really has the ability to be successful in the Big 10, at least not in my lifetime.

(12-12-2015 04:16 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-12-2015 03:19 AM)$NIU$ Wrote:  

(12-12-2015 03:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Frazier to the Illini would be slam dunk career suicide, he is working for bigger things than that position obviously.

i mean if he resurrects a sh*t football program...in the Big 10. That s a pretty big accomplishment in itself. Don't forget Ilness has some branding issues they need to clean up too. An ethical, accomplished minority AD might be just what they need.

I don't think Illinois really has the ability to be successful in the Big 10, at least not in my lifetime.

Well, what year were you born? They won the big ten in '83,'90', and '01. During that same span they went to the Citrus Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, and the Rose Bowl twice.

The program has been a mess for quite some time now, but they were very relevant for a number of years.

(12-12-2015 03:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Frazier to the Illini would be slam dunk career suicide, he is working for bigger things than that position obviously.

Career suicide doesn't exist. Climbing the ladder is pretty much done once you hit a P5 job. And even if it doesn't work out, much like with coaches, you land back as an Assistant AD somewhere else, or AD at a smaller job. Basically the only way a job dead ends a career for someone at the top of any organization is if they have a total failure of conduct and/or ethics. And even that's no guarantee.

(12-12-2015 11:41 AM)DogTracks Wrote:  Career suicide doesn't exist. Climbing the ladder is pretty much done once you hit a P5 job. And even if it doesn't work out, much like with coaches, you land back as an Assistant AD somewhere else, or AD at a smaller job. Basically the only way a job dead ends a career for someone at the top of any organization is if they have a total failure of conduct and/or ethics. And even that's no guarantee.

Exactly, the AD immediately prior to Mike Thomas was a completely failure as far as football goes yet held the position for 20 years and made millions of dollars in the process before retiring. That's not exactly career suicide.

(12-12-2015 04:16 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Frazier to the Illini would be slam dunk career suicide, he is working for bigger things than that position obviously.

I don't think Illinois really has the ability to be successful in the Big 10, at least not in my lifetime.

Seriously MD, you go overboard too much. You get a gigantic pay raise and if you're at all good at your job, that becomes a much better launching pad for "bigger things" than being the AD at NIU.
You make a huge mistake in defining success only in terms of football. Personally don't like the ILL-ness, but there's a renovated basketball facility, NCAA programs in golf, baseball, women's soccer, etc.; the unreasonable gift of being thought of as the state university; millions in revenue from the conference affiliation. Yes, that just screams dead end. How long did an incompetent like Mike Thomas have the job and what was his exit payout?
Keep in mind we're talking Sean Frazier, so many levels above a Thomas it's not funny. Hard to believe, but flip the Orange-and-Boohoo's one-point loss to Nebraska and they're in a bowl game. In 2016, Cubit needs to beat Murray State, Western Michigan, Purdue and Rutgers, then luck out in two of these five games: at Nebraska and Northwestern, or home versus North Carolina, Minnesota, and Iowa. In previous posts, you've established you don't respect any of those nine schools and have hinted that Michigan and Michigan State are overrated. In 2017, replace the Michigans with Ohio State and Indiana plus an OOC of Ball State, Western Kentucky and South Florida. A couple bounces, breaks and lousy officiating, they've escaped the B1G cellar and Frazier has had enough time to replace Cubit with a quality hire. By then the ILL faithful will open their wallets for Frazier to use. Unfortunately, the only group larger than incompetents in Springfield is the Sham-bana bandwagon jumpers.

Not one person on here read the Trib's Tuesday article on the ILL-ness AD search and the mention that Frazier was rumoured to have been vetted?
It talks about how some possible candidates have been turned off by how the search is being handled and mentions the negative aspect of someone taking the job not knowing who his/her boss will be.
So once again, if not having the top slot filled hinders the AD search, it's more proof that hiring Cubit short term was the better move, since a real quality hire for football would have required a person not care who his boss is as well as the boss of the boss.

I'll be pissed if Frazier touts a 138 million athletic plan and moves on before setting it in motion....