Illinois football assistant coaches in legal fight

By Herb Gould hgould@suntimes.com December 27, 2011 8:26PM

?It?s a reality of the business,? Nathan Scheelhaase said of playing in a bowl after Ron Zook?s firing. | Getty Images

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Updated: December 28, 2011 2:09AM

SAN FRANCISCO ? It isn?t ?exactly a hostile takeover, but there are some similarities at Illinois as it prepares to play UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Saturday.

It starts with a new CEO, athletic director Mike Thomas, who was hired in August. He then brought in a new chief operating officer, coach Tim Beckman, on Dec. 9.

It?s awkward for the lame-duck middle managers (assistant coaches) who are leading Illinois while looking for their next job. It?s really awkward for the three assistants who are haggling with the university over the exit terms of their contracts.

When Ron Zook hired coordinators Vic Koenning and Paul Petrino and several new position coaches two years ago, they were given two-year contracts because of the uncertainty of Zook?s situation.

Before this season, Koenning and Petrino traded that security for reduced buyouts in their new contracts. Three other assistants ? Jeff Brohm, Chip Long and Ron West ? followed the guidelines of the Koenning/Petrino contracts, apparently without reading them closely, a source said. Now they?ll only be paid through February.

Four other assistants ? Joe Gilbert, Keith Gilmore, Mike Gillhamer and Deandre Smith ? signed contracts, on the advice of legal representatives, that will pay them through the 2012 season if they don?t find new jobs, the source said. (Gilmore already has been retained by Beckman).

Saying that Zook and retired athletic director Ron Guenther promised to honor their rollovers even though they?re not in their new contracts, Brohm, Long and West are arguing their position through legal representatives.

Thomas has chosen to stick to the letter of the contracts.

??The university intends to abide by all the language in the agreed-to contracts,?? team spokesman Kent Brown said Tuesday, ??and we expect the coaches to do the same.??

It?s a tricky deal for interim coach Koenning, who reportedly will become North Carolina?s defensive coordinator.

??Considering the way everything?s gone down, anything I can get from these [assistants] is great,?? Koenning said. ??A lot of guys don?t have pay coming after February, so they need to be on the phone, trying to find jobs. There?s a lot of uncertainty. We just need to do what?s best for the players, and that?s what we?re trying to do.??

Where does that leave the employees (aka the players)?

Determined not to let all of the turmoil spoil their bowl game.

??It?s a reality of the business,?? quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase said of the oddity of going to a bowl even though the coach has been fired. ??Change happens. You have to adapt.??

That?s the approach Beckman has been stressing as he takes the reins.

Since telling the players ??change is always difficult?? at his first meeting with them, Beckman has softened his phrasing.

??Change is sometimes uneasy, but change is also good,?? he said last week. ??Everybody?s on a level playing field. I?ve been watching to see what type of practice players they are and what type of gamers. What a great opportunity for them to showcase what they can do [in the bowl].??

Like Illinois, UCLA is led by an interim coach after firing Rick Neuheisel. Like Illinois, which has lost its last six games, UCLA is limping in. The Bruins needed a waiver from the NCAA to play in a bowl with a 6-7 record.

But in an age where 70 of 120 teams are playing in bowls, the ?Illini are determined to enjoy this end game.

??It?s definitely a celebration,?? linebacker Jonathan Brown said. ??We?re celebrating the end of a season, trying to wrap it up good, trying to win back-to-back bowl games, which has never been done here.

??We?re eager to play. We?re not thinking about anything else. We?ll deal with the coaching change when we get back in January.??

As Scheelhaase, defensive end Whitney Mercilus and other ?players have said, it?s a business. Three assistant coaches can attest to that.

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/9675782-419/illinois-football-assistant-coaches-in-legal-fight.html

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