While continuing to look into hiring Cincinnati defensive line coach Keith Gilmore to fill his defensive assistant vacancy, Ron Zook hired Houston offensive line coach Joe Gilbert as Illinois' new O line coach.
In 2008, Gilbert's only season at Houston, the Rockets ranked second in the nation in passing and total offense and 10th in scoring offense. His most recent coaching stops before Houston were Toledo and Central Florida.
Zook is scheduled to meet with Gilmore in the next few days, a source said. Whether Gilmore would come to Champaign as defensive coordinator or defensive line coach has not been determined.
The flirtation with Penn State assistant Larry Johnson was very serious, a source said: Johnson agreed conditionally to become Illinois' defensive coordinator, but wound up remaining with the Nittany Lions because his wife did not want to leave State College.
In 2008, Gilbert's only season at Houston, the Rockets ranked second in the nation in passing and total offense and 10th in scoring offense. His most recent coaching stops before Houston were Toledo and Central Florida.
Zook is scheduled to meet with Gilmore in the next few days, a source said. Whether Gilmore would come to Champaign as defensive coordinator or defensive line coach has not been determined.
The flirtation with Penn State assistant Larry Johnson was very serious, a source said: Johnson agreed conditionally to become Illinois' defensive coordinator, but wound up remaining with the Nittany Lions because his wife did not want to leave State College.
Herb Gould started with the Sun-Times in 1977 and has covered several teams, including the Blackhawks. He is a long-time beat reporter covering the Fighting Illini and the Big Ten for the Sun-Times.
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