Illinois Football's Bowl Loss Proves Tim Beckman Must Go

In the fifth-ever Heart of Dallas Bowl, Illinois fell to Louisiana Tech despite dominating the ball for most of the game. The Fighting Illini controlled everything but the scoreboard, losing on a few big plays that swung the final result.

The story of the game was Illinois’ mistakes, as the Illini missed a pair of field goals, surrendered two devastating big-play touchdowns and were charged with several crippling penalties. The sloppy performance was a direct reflection of the mediocre standard to which head coach Tim Beckman has achieved while leading the program.

Tim Beckman guided Illinois to a successful season by Illinois standards with the completion of its “drive for six” wins, but a mere bowl appearance doesn’t cover up how average the program remains. With division powers Wisconsin and Nebraska, upstart Minnesota and the ever-solid Iowa and Northwestern programs as perennial opponents, there is little room for an Illinois program to thrive without hiring a better coach.

The Illini are unpolished and highly mistake-prone, a reflection of their head coach. Illinois fans can expect a low ceiling with Beckman at the helm.

The Fighting Illini football program is no traditional power, but runs to the Sugar Bowl in 2001 and Rose Bowl in 2007 prove that the right coach can make Illinois a nationally-relevant program every now and then. Rather than hiring another solid MAC coach, Illinois needs to aim higher and search for an undervalued leader with a proven track record for outstanding player development or excellent recruiting.

An ideal candidate for the position would be Justin Fuente, current Memphis head coach. Fuente engineered a huge turnaround in Memphis, culminating in a 10-3 2014 in which the Tigers won the AAC and gave both UCLA and Ole Miss all they could handle. Although an Oklahoma native, Fuente spent six seasons as an assistant at Illinois State and would be a strong recruiting fit.

Another possible target should be Craig Bohl, current Wyoming head coach and architect of FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. Bohl proved a master at player development and has Midwest ties.

Either way, change is on the horizon for the Fighting Illini after a disappointing Heart of Dallas Bowl loss.