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Illinois Basketball: 5 assistant coach options for the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 23: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts in the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 23, 2021 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 23: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts in the second half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 23, 2021 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 09: Assistant coach Roger Powell Jr. (L) and Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs pose with the championship trophy after the team’s 88-78 victory over the Brigham Young Cougars to win the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 09: Assistant coach Roger Powell Jr. (L) and Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs pose with the championship trophy after the team’s 88-78 victory over the Brigham Young Cougars to win the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 9, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4. Roger Powell – Assistant Coach, Gonzaga

I didn’t want to put too many former Illinois players on this list, but I am going to add Roger Powell to the mix of assistant coaches I wouldn’t mind Brad Underwood pursuing. Powell is starting to grow his name in the college coaching game, so it might be time for a reunion.

  • Experience

The experience factor is Powell’s strong suit right now. He has great playing experience as part of the Illinois national title run in 2005, but his coaching experience is starting to become more impressive. He was an assistant at Valparaiso for five seasons under Bryce Drew. He then followed Drew to Vanderbilt for four years.

After Powell’s stint with Vanderbilt, he joined Gonzaga for the last couple of years. With the Bulldogs, Powell has helped form the team into a national title contender, as they matched up against Baylor this season in the championship game. There is a lot of winning experience that Powell brings to the table.

  • Recruiting

I am a little wearier on the recruiting ability of Powell. He isn’t credited with bringing in any players at his stops throughout his coaching career. That makes me a little nervous. I would love to have a former Illini come back home, but we need recruiting help as well. I wouldn’t mind bringing Powell in as a player development assistant coach.

  • Availability

The availability factor is a little iffy as well. Why would Powell want to leave a program in Gonzaga where he can continue winning at a high rate and be in the national title discussion purely based on the conference they play in? That wouldn’t make much sense. The only angle I could see is that he is a Midwest kid, and that might make him want to come back home.

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