Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Football: Top 5 options to be the Illini head coach 1.0

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 5, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; A general view during the first half in a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; A general view during the first half in a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis high-fives fans before the Michigan State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019.Josh Gattis
Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis high-fives fans before the Michigan State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019.Josh Gattis /

2. Josh Gattis

I want Illinois to hire a head coach who has been around big-time programs and who can bring in big-time talent. Those are two obvious needs for this program.

One interesting candidate for the head coaching position would be Josh Gattis. A name you probably aren’t familiar with, Gattis would bring a lot to the Fighting Illini instantly.

Gattis was a defensive back for Wake Forest in the mid-2000s. He then was drafted into the NFL and played a couple of seasons at the highest level of football. This playing experience helped him transition into a coaching role.

In 2010, Gattis joined the North Carolina coaching staff as an offensive graduate assistant. He then moved on to Western Michigan in 2011 as a wide receivers coach. In 2012, Gattis took the position to coach the Vanderbilt wide receivers. After two years with the Commodores, he then took the job to coach the wide receivers with Penn State. Gattis spent four seasons with the Nittany Lions before moving on to the same position with Alabama in 2018.

Finally, Gattis made his way back to the Midwest and took over the offensive coordinator duties at Michigan the last two seasons. This has to be a tough job considering, I believe, Jim Harbaugh probably has his fingerprints on everything that is going on there.

Gattis would be a great option for the Illini, though. The coaching experience at major DI programs is there. He has traveled around the country and built relationships with recruits as well. On top of that, have you seen what Michigan has been able to do recruiting-wise in the state of Illinois?

The Wolverines have been able to pluck at a lot of the top talent out of the state of Illinois. JJ McCarthy is a great quarterback who is from Illinois. Tyler McLaurin is a top 500 linebacker going to Michigan. They were able to get top 150 wide receiver AJ Henning from the class of 2019.

Michigan has been tearing through the state of Illinois when it comes to recruiting. Let’s snag one of the coaches who is having in-state success in Gattis. This would be a great hire for the roster and for the record.

Home/Illinois Football