New Illinois head coach Lovie Smith is putting together his coaching staff and is targeting former Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman as his offensive coordinator, according to a tweet from Alex Marvez of Fox Sports.
New @IlliniFootball HC Lovie Smith TARGETING Mike Sherman (OC), Tim Holt (OL) & Andrew Hayes-Stoker (WRs) for staff, source tells @NFLonFOX
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) March 8, 2016
Smith signed a six-year contract to coach Illinois and was introduced yesterday, and Sherman would wind up being a great hire for him. Sherman, 61, has coaching experience that goes back nearly 40 years and he has served as an offensive coordinator on both the collegiate and professional levels. Most recently, he was the head coach at Massachusetts’ Nauset Regional High School (where he went 1-10 last season) after being let go as offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.
But Sherman’s recent history shouldn’t stop him from being a positive hire at Illinois. After all, we’re talking about the same man who recruited Ryan Tannehill and Johnny Manziel to Texas A&M, so his offensive prowess should help balance out the defensive approach of Smith.
Throw in Sherman’s career coaching records of 57-39 in the NFL and 25-25 on the collegiate level, and this hire makes all the more sense on Illinois’ end if it becomes a reality.
Can’t get enough of Campus Sports? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with the latest news and exclusive giveaways!
*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
