Nothing says relaxation and stability like water skiing and appliance purchasing.
That's part of how Illinois coach Ron Zook spent his off-season, examples of how he said he is entering the 2010 season with pressure but without a hint of worry.
"Everyone who stands up here today has pressure," Zook said Monday at the Big Ten media day kickoff at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago. "You do the best you can do. ... Our guys feel like they've got something to prove. It's exciting. It's like the attitude we had a couple of years ago when we went to the Rose Bowl. On paper, we're as good if not better a football team as we were that year."
The Illini most likely will have to rebound from back-to-back losing seasons to help Zook maintain his job. After going 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten last season, Zook cleared house and brought in six new assistants.
Zook, who is entering his sixth season, said the addition of offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and defensive coordinator Vic Koenning have allowed him to take a "step back" and better focus his energy.
Zook is a cheat and not a good one. His graduation rate is deplorable.
Better on paper??? That's a pretty bold statement from a coach that won a combined 7 games I believe the last 2 years... Especially when you consider we supposedly had 2 Heisman watch players in Juice and Benn (yah right)... I really do hope things turn around and I can appreciate the positive outlook, but really, this is a program that has denied its ineptitude for years and doesn't focus enough on getting a winning coach and competitive players in the system...
I don't think Ron Zook has a clue. Taxpayers should be outraged that this guy is the highest paid person is the University System (@ $1.5 million+ per year) rewarded for putting such a dreadful athletic product on the field.
On paper it seemed as though Zook might be a decent hire for one of the doormat programs in the Big Ten. In reality, Zook might be one of the worst coaches at Illinois in the last 50 years -- quite impressive. By the way Zook is the highest paid employee in the entire University System and I am quite confident that if he were to apply for admission to the University, he would be denied.
On paper you're better?? Yeah just like you're 3 Florida teams that lost 14 games combined, they were pretty darn good on paper. An embarassment to that University.
The whole U of I football program is a train wreck and you're just the latest driver at the wheel. You should give some of your salary back