Illinois Football: 4 reasons Tony Petersen is a home run hire for the Illini

3. New recruiting pipeline could open

With a new coaching regime comes new opportunities in the recruiting market. Head coach Bret Bielema has his ties in quite a few places around the country. I can’t wait to see who he can snag and if we can retake the state of Illinois.

But while trying to win in-state kids again, the Illini will also need to find other talented recruits across the country. This is where Tony Petersen could come into play.

With Petersen’s extensive coaching history, there are opportunities for him to take the relationships he has built and bring them to Illinois.

Petersen clearly likes the east coast. Multiple stops at Marshall will help with recruiting around the West Virginia area. You can travel down the east coach to hit the Carolina’s with East Carolina and Appalachian State. But his recruiting reach doesn’t stop there.

I am sure there have been bonds built in the three years he was with Louisiana Tech, so maybe we can pull a couple of forgotten players from the south. Illinois needs to take over the Midwest too, so maybe Petersen can help Bielema with his relationships he has built while at Minnesota, Iowa State, South Dakota and Missouri.

Some people might look at the job history of Petersen and be wary of why he had so many jobs. I look at it as an opportunity to bring in a coach who has a ton of experience and someone who has traveled the country and built relationships. Petersen has ties to many states, and that should help bring in recruits.