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Illinois Football: History Shows Improvement for Lovie in Year Two

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:03 p.m. ET

Fansided, Rees Woodcock/FanSided via Writing Illini

The first season for the Illinois football team under Lovie Smith was meh.

Illinois finished 3-9 and it was clear that this team needed to find an identity and better personnel to fill the gaps needed to make them competitive.

Lovie came in and within a year signed a top 40 recruiting class. These players will help be the building blocks for successful teams in the future.

I am looking for a great improvement in 2017, though. I not only want to see the record improve, even the slightest bit, but I also want to see the play on the field improve as well.

The struggles were real for Lovie in year one and hopefully, things get better in year two. In most cases in the history of Illinois football coaches, things usually do get better during the sophomore campaign.

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Looking back to 1980 when Mike White first took over the Illinois football program the team was 3-7-1.

The following season under White, the Illini hopped up to 7-4. Future New England Patriots quarterback and first round draft pick, Tony Eason, led that team with 3,360 yards and 20 touchdowns.

White was eventually replaced in 1988 with John Mackovic who went 6-5-1 his first season coaching the orange and blue.

That mediocre record and All-American Bowl loss quickly turned into a 10-2 campaign and a Citrus Bowl victory in 1989. Again, the Illini had a great quarterback leading the way in Jeff George that year.

Mackovic was later replaced by Lou Tepper in 1992.

Tepper finished the 1992 season with a 6-5-1 record and followed that up with a 5-6 record in 1993. He did have a 7-5 season in year three, though.

The dumpster fire of the Tepper era finally finished up in 1996 and Ron Turner was hired for the 1997 season.

Illinois would go on to a 0-11 record in year one of the Turner era, but in year two he finished 3-8. Turner really did a nice job turning around the program. By year three, the Illini were 8-4 and won the Micron PC Bowl.

Turner would eventually hit a losing streak and was replaced for the 2005 season by Ron Zook.

Zook started his tenure with the Illini going 2-9 and then followed that up in year two with a 2-10 record. The Illini played one more game and that was the only reason they lost more in the following season.

But, Zook really turned things around in year three for the Illini. They went 9-4 and made the Rose Bowl.

Zook only had two losing seasons in his final five years with the program but the new athletic director fired him and wanted his own guy.

Tim Beckman was the next head coach for the Illini. He went 2-10 in year one and followed that up with a 4-8 record.

If Beckman could improve, anyone can.

Illinois didn’t have a great first year under Lovie and it was hard to watch at times. The coaching history of the Illini says it will be alright, though.

Most former Illini coaches have improved in year two and if not, their third year was special. I think, with the class Lovie has coming in, winning is on the horizon.