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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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AMES, IA – FEBRUARY 2: Head coach Steve Prohm of the Iowa State Cyclones coaches from the bench in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 2, 2021 in Ames, Iowa. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 76-72 over the Iowa State Cyclones.(Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA – FEBRUARY 2: Head coach Steve Prohm of the Iowa State Cyclones coaches from the bench in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 2, 2021 in Ames, Iowa. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 76-72 over the Iowa State Cyclones.(Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /

Steve Prohm – Former Head Coach, Iowa State

The final candidate I am eyeing is former Iowa State head coach, Steve Prohm. Yes, he was fired for a horrific season this past year, but this guy has experience and he is looking for a job. That is a great combination.

  • Experience

There is a ton of coaching experience that Prohm would bring with him to Champaign. He was an assistant coach from 1998 through 2011 with four different programs. He was the head coach of Murray State from 2011 through 2015. He then took over Iowa State from 2016 through this past season. The coaching experience is there.

In six seasons at Iowa State, Prohm made three NCAA tournament appearances and won the Big 12 Tournament on two different occasions. There is an okay track record of winning, but I would love to see what he can do for a few years as an assistant coach again.

  • Recruiting

Prohm has brought in some solid talent while at Iowa State. He was a part of the Talent Horton-Tucker recruitment, which saw the current Los Angeles Laker head to the Cyclones over Illinois. Prohm was also a part of recruiting players like Lindell Wigginton, Terrence Lewis and Donovan Jackson. Overall, Prohm knows how to recruit and has been around the game long enough to the point he has solid connections.

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  • Availability

I believe, if I am not mistaken, Prohm still doesn’t have a job as I type this article. He is available for Illinois to come in and make an offer. I wouldn’t mind seeing Prohm on the bench and out recruiting for the Illini. He is someone who knows the Midwest well and can help the Orange and Blue not miss a beat in the recruiting game. Prohm is someone we should definitely take a hard look at in the coming days.

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