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Chat with Illini football head coach Tim Beckman at 10 a.m. on signing day, Feb. 1.
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| Moderator: We're about to get rolling with Coach Beckman's chat. Thanks for all the great questions that have already been submitted and keep sending them in! We'll try to get to as many as we can. |
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| Alex (Bowling Green, KY): Are we for sure getting new uniforms or is it just a possibility at this point? |
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Coach Beckman: Alex, getting new uniforms is one of many possibilities right now. We're in the negotiation stages but we would love to have them! |
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| Olympia Fields IL: To many of our top recruits are not being recruited to play at U of I. Will you make good on your word to recruit more of our top recruits in the Illinois. |
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Coach Beckman: Our goal as a staff will be to recruit the best players in this state that fit our system. Each coach has an area in this state so that all coaches will be involved in recruiting Illinois. |
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| Bellingham, WA: What new dish is Kim thinking about in possibly replacing lasagna in the future players meals at your residence? |
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Coach Beckman: She likes her lasagna but has also cooked chicken and steaks for our players. |
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| Bellingham, WA: What ideas do you have that will get students excited about coming to the games this fall? |
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Coach Beckman: Each coach is in charge of a fraternity, sorority and dormitory. All coaches will be involved with the student body and getting them engaged in our games. Personally, I will be involved with as many student activities as I can. |
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| shelby menge, jacksonville il: How do you like the new coaching staff so far coach beckman? |
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Coach Beckman: I'm very excited about the staff we've put together. It's a family atmosphere and we have all been involved in this great coaching fraternity. |
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| Max Chillicothe: This years class is rated in the bottom part of the big ten. Next year is it realistic to have a top 3or 4 rated class in the big ten? |
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Coach Beckman: I believe getting started late in the recruiting process put us behind. But this coaching staff is committed to recruiting the best student-athletes that fit our mold. Numerous players that I have been involved with might not have been rated 4 or 5 stars but have ended up being Butkus and Heisman winners. |
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| Duane (Belleville, IL): Coach Beckman, what are our plans for the offense? Do you believe in the spread offense or will you be a more traditional pro-style offense? Good luck next season. Go Illini! |
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Coach Beckman: Duane, offensively, we will fit our offense based on our current personnel. We will run a fast-tempo offense that will utilize our players talents. |
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| craig parmenter/St. Louis,Mo.: How is it going in regards to meeting high school coaches in Illinois? |
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Coach Beckman: The coaching staff, as well as myself, have been able to reach out to the Illinois high school coaches and feel that our relationships our becoming stronger and stronger. We will have five travel camps throughout the state of Illinois the third week of June to meet players and coaches throughout the state. |
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| Tony (Dover, Delaware): Coach, what do you bring to the illini that is gonna make us a consistant winner year in and year out that no other coach in the history of the Illini has ever been able to do before? |
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Coach Beckman: Tony, I believe winning is based on a steady plan. I've been around this plan for many years. Consistency comes with belief and trust. |
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| Arrelious: Morning Coach!
Are you thrilled with the recruits you were able to get? Are you disappointed that you didn't get any 4 star or 5 star rated players? |
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Coach Beckman: I feel each player that we have signed today has the ingredients to be successful both on and off the field here at the University of Illinois. Players and people win games, not ratings! |
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| Keith (salem): Over the years we have seen the wind conditions at Memorial Stadium have a major impact on the passing game does that change how much spread we see? |
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Coach Beckman: Keith, we had a lot of wind issues in northwest Ohio, too. It never seemed to be a factor in our throwing game at Toledo. |
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| Jack (Indy): Are you hoping to settle down in Champaign for a while? |
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Coach Beckman: Jack, being around football my whole life, I have always felt that Illinois was a top 20 program in the country. I am proud to be the 23rd head football coach of a top-20 program. |
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| Jack (Indy): How do you plan on honoring/tapping into the great tradition of Illinois while also moving the program into the future? |
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Coach Beckman: Jack, we currently have been in touch with numerous former Illini greats. I personally have been trying to get in touch with at least three former players each day. We are also establishing a former Illini reception area that will be located in the northwest tower of Memorial Stadium. We will also be having guest coaches for the spring game, which Arrelious Benn has already accepted the head coaching position for the Orange squad, and each of the 14 games this fall. |
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| ThunderNutz La Harpe,Ill.: Thank you Coach Beckman and welcome to Illini Nation! What are your plans for Camp Rantoul? Will you stay with it, scrap it or tweek it at all? Looking forward to great things, Thanks again! |
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Coach Beckman: We are in the process of evaluating our preseason camp. Within the next 2-3 weeks, we will be making our decision on our preseason camp. Rantoul has been a special place for Illini football for a number of years. |
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| Bob (Chicago): As an alumni in Chicago, how do you plan to get more of us driving down I-57 every Saturday? |
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Coach Beckman: Bob, I think it is very important to first have players from the Chicagoland area for fans to come watch and support. We also believe the brand that we sell will be exciting for all alumni and fans. |
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| Captain Illini (Chicago): 5 & 4 stars usually mean big & fast. How much do you and your staff put on the other football factors like FB-IQ, heart, toughness, pride? |
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Coach Beckman: Captain Illini, I think that those factors outweigh the big and fast. We are looking for players who know how to win or have been taught how to win. I think IQ, heart, toughness and pride are all things that are evaluated by film. We take those evaluation processes very seriously. |
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| Gregg (Pittsburgh): What position or positions do you think will be the strength of the 2012 Illini? Also, may seem small but I like the phrase "Illini Family" better than "Illini Nation". A ton of teams use the term "Nation" but I don't hear any use the term "Family" when referring to the team's fanbase. Not sure if it was planned but I like it. Welcome the family! Excited for next year and beyond! |
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Coach Beckman: Thanks, Gregg! We believe in family and will use the term "Illini Family" in everything we do. |
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| Gordon: What has been the hardest part of recruiting this season? |
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Coach Beckman: Gordon, the hardest thing has been time and learning the academic culture that we have at Illinois. |
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| Gordon: Which commits today are you most excited about potential? Which commits do you think will see early playing time? |
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Coach Beckman: We believe that all the players that signed today have potential. They are 18-year-old young men who will mature differently. We feel that all will have the opportunity to see playing time early if they come in mentally and physically prepared for college football. |
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| Andrew (New Jersey): What's your goal as to getting Illinois back to Wrigley Field one game a year? That place is an absolute goldmine as far as exposure goes. |
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Coach Beckman: Andrew, I believe playing in any facility in Chicago or St. Louis would benefit our program and the program that we're competing against. |
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| Tony (Dover, Delaware): Coach, Illini nation has heard a little bit about you, what can you tell us about yourself as far as what you bring to the Illini that we may not already know? How are you going to make us a winner? |
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Coach Beckman: Tony, for 47 years, I have been around this profession. A lot of winning years and a few losing ones. The relationships that I've built with players, coaches and alumni will always be remembered. You become a winner when you surround yourself with winners. I know the tradition of this program has proven winners! |
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| David (Chicago): When you speak of a fast tempo, are you speaking about an Oregon like tempo? Lot of plays? Snapping early in the play clock? Are we going to see any of the random funny signs on a Beckman sideline? |
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Coach Beckman: David, if you have watched Toledo or Oklahoma State in the past five years, you've seen offenses that move at an incredible pace. These are the things that we will do here in Champaign. |
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| Memphis, Tenn: Will we see the swinging gate? |
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Coach Beckman: We will do exactly what we did at Toledo. Multiple formations create practice problems for your opponents! |
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| Lancaster, Peoria IL: Coach, thanks for making Illinois football exciting again!..Special teams play seems very basic, why is it that so many teams struggle in this area? |
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Coach Beckman: Lancaster, I totally agree with keeping special teams basic. Knowing that special teams is 1/3 of the game, it needs to be handled just as offense and defense are. That is the way we will handle our special teams here at Illinois. |
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| Carbondale: What do you like most so far about Champaign? |
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Coach Beckman: Carbondale, I really haven't been in town enough to answer this with great detail, but the people have been awesome. On recruiting weekends, the Illini faithful have showcased to our student-athletes the belief in the Orange and Blue! I appreciate their help. |
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| Moderator: Unfortunately, that's all we have time for today. Sorry we couldn't get to all the questions, but we had almost 100 submitted! |
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