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Brady Hoke conducts his first practice as Michigan coach on Saturday as the team kicks off spring ball.

Here's a snapshot of the Wolverines heading into the spring.

The big story: Hoke and his assistants begin installing their systems, their expectations and their demands with their new team. Spring ball is the time for a new coach to establish a foundation for the future, and Hoke wants Michigan to be rooted in toughness. There will be schematic adjustments everywhere, as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Denard Robinson acclimates to a new offense and Greg Mattison begins the rebuilding process with Michigan's defense. Growing pains are inevitable, but Michigan will try to accelerate the learning curve.

Position in the spotlight: Defensive line. Many eyes will be on Robinson this spring, and any of the defensive position groups could fit here, but Mattison has made it clear that his system starts with the guys up front. Michigan will run a 4-3 scheme, and Mattison is on the lookout for playmakers. He has some pieces to work with in Mike Martin and Craig Roh, but the Wolverines are short on depth.

Coaching changes: Uh, just a few. Running backs coach Fred Jackson is the only holdover from Rich Rodriguez's staff. Hoke brought five assistants with him from San Diego State, including offensive coordinator Al Borges. Mattison will be working with a new group of defensive assistants, including secondary coach Curt Mallory, a Michigan alum and the former defensive coordinator at Illinois.

Keep an eye on: Stephen Hopkins. All of Michigan's running backs are in the spotlight this spring as Borges wants to lighten the rushing load on Robinson, but Hopkins could be the best fit for the "downhill" offense the Wolverines plan to use. At 6-foot and 227 pounds, Hopkins has more size than Michigan's other backs and averaged 4.1 yards a carry in limited work as a freshman last season.

Spring game: April 16

She had a nice face, her booty was in place, but Barney don't chase.

• Pennsylvania high school prospects are on the rise, and Penn State must capitalize, Frank Bodani writes in the York Daily Record.
• An excellent piece on former Michigan kicker Phil Brabbs and his cancer fight from annarbor.com's Pete Bigelow. Illinois AD Ron Guenther has some kind words about new Michigan secondary coach Curt Mallory, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Speaking of Guenther, he weighs in on several Illinois football items, Bob Asmussen writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette. GateHouse News Service's John Supinie ponders Guenther's future as Illini AD.
• Nebraska coach Bo Pelini discusses his changes to the staff. The Lincoln Journal Star's Steven Sipple examines a new-look Huskers offensive line.
• In the wake of the Toomer's Corner tragedy, Marc Morehouse recalls Iowa's own brush with herbicides at Kinnick Stadium.
• Wisconsin is charging for this year's spring game, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. DeMontie Cross' move from West Lafayette to Madison could add flavor to the Wisconsin-Purdue rivalry, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Ohio State defensive lineman Joel Hale is doing a little Simon Says to prepare for the 2011 season, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch.
• Former Northwestern running back Arby Fields didn't understand why he went from being "the guy" to "nothing," Tina Akouris writes in the Chicago Sun-Times. Wildcats coaches are finishing their review of the 2010 season, Lindsey Willhite writes in the Daily Herald.
• New Indiana coach Kevin Wilson says his players are "drinking our Kool-Aid," Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required). A few more Hoosiers football nuggets from The Indianapolis Star's Terry Hutchens.

Illinois linebackers coach Dan Disch is leaving the program to become defensive coordinator at Southern Miss.

Disch has served on Ron Zook's staff since 2004, first at Florida and then at Illinois, where he coached special teams and outside linebackers from 2005-06. Disch then served as Illinois' co-defensive coordinator alongside Curt Mallory from 2007-09, but both men were demoted following the 2009 season as Illinois brought in Vic Koenning.

This seems like a good move for Disch, who can become a coordinator again and work in the southeast, an area he knows well. Koenning did very well in his first season at Illinois, so there isn't much opportunity to move up.

Disch could be a significant loss for Illinois because of his recruiting skills, particularly in Florida, where he coached high school football from 1981-2003. He also helped mold standout linebackers at Illinois like All-American J Leman, Brit Miller and Martez Wilson.

His replacement inherits some promising players but will need to replace both Wilson and Nate Bussey, the team's top two tacklers in 2010.

It'll be interesting to see who Zook hires and whether Disch's successor also has ties to Florida and the southeast.

As expected, Michigan coach Brady Hoke completed his staff Monday by announcing the hiring of two defensive assistants: Jerry Montgomery (defensive line) and Curt Mallory (secondary).

Mongtomery and Mallory join linebackers coach Mark Smith and coordinator Greg Mattison in the effort to rebuild Michigan's defense in 2011.

"Curt and Jerry are exceptional teachers and will help our young men develop both on the football field and in the community,” said Hoke. “They are a great fit for our defensive staff and will work very well with Greg [Mattison] and Mark [Smith]. This group will work tirelessly to make the defensive effort what we expect at Michigan."

Montgomery, a former defensive lineman at Iowa, took a position on Kevin Wilson's staff at Indiana last month, but soon left to join Michigan. He has coached defensive line at Wyoming (2009-10) and Northern Iowa (2007-08).

Mallory, who played at Michigan, has been a defensive coordinator for the past four seasons, working with Illinois' defense from 2007-09 before moving to Akron last fall. He has spent his entire coaching career in the Midwest.

Although all of Michigan's defensive assistants will face challenges, Mallory really has his work cut out for him. Michigan's secondary endured a wave of misfortune and calamity in 2010, although the Wolverines regain the services of veteran cornerback Troy Woolfolk and others this fall.

Mallory's recent work hasn't been too impressive, but he mentored several standout defensive backs at Illinois, including cornerback Vontae Davis, and oversaw a productive defense in 2007 when Illinois reached the Rose Bowl.

Several Big Ten teams are still filling out their staffs for 2011, and we'll hear an official announcement or two later Monday.

Here's a roundup of what's been happening the last few days:

INDIANA

The Hoosiers on Friday announced the hiring of Brandon Shelby as cornerbacks coach. Shelby, who previously held the same position at Louisiana-Monroe, starred as a defensive back at Oklahoma during IU coach Kevin Wilson's time there and also served as a Sooners' defensive assistant in 2006. Shelby replaces Corey Raymond, who left Indiana to take a position at Nebraska. Although Nebraska hasn't made an official announcement about Raymond, he's expected to replace secondary coach Marvin Sanders, who resigned Thursday.

Indiana also last week hired Nebraska defensive assistant Brett Diersen as defensive tackles coach and Air Force running backs coach Jemal Singleton to the same position. Diersen replaces Jerry Montgomery, who Wilson said left for a position at Michigan.

These appointments complete Wilson's staff for 2011.

NEBRASKA

So far, Sanders' resignation is the only official announcement Bo Pelini has made about his staff. But Wilson said Raymond is on his way to Lincoln, and all signs point to offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and receivers coach Ted Gilmore being on their way out. Nebraska's offensive production dipped toward the end of the 2010 season, and the Huskers' receivers had an up-and-down year.

Multiple media reports from Nebraska state that Pelini might be targeting Oregon receivers coach Scott Frost, the former Huskers' star quarterback, and Notre Dame offensive line coach Ed Warinner as replacements. Warinner served as Kansas' offensive coordinator from 2007-09 and spent time in the Big Ten as Illinois' offensive line coach and run game coordinator from 2005-06.

The interesting part of this is Pelini reportedly will hand over play-calling duties to running backs coach Tim Beck. The Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald both report that Frost might not leave Oregon unless it's for a job as a play-caller elsewhere.

Pelini seems to be reshaping his staff before Nebraska's jump to the Big Ten. It will be fascinating to see how things play out in Lincoln.

MICHIGAN

Coach Brady Hoke will finalize his staff Monday and announce the defensive assistants to join coordinator Greg Mattison.

Montgomery is on his way to Ann Arbor, and he'll reportedly be joined by Akron defensive coordinator Curt Mallory on the Michigan staff. Expect Mallory to coach the Wolverines' secondary, while Montgomery will work with the defensive line. Mallory played at Michigan and has spent his entire coaching career in the Midwest, serving as Illinois' secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator from 2007-09. Montgomery played at Iowa and most recently served as Wyoming's defensive line coach.

MICHIGAN STATE

After promoting Dan Roushar to offensive coordinator last week, Mark Dantonio reportedly has found the final member of his staff.

According to The (Mount Pleasant) Morning Sun, Central Michigan receivers coach Terry Samuel has left to take the same position on Michigan State's staff. Samuel, who played wide receiver at Purdue, worked his way up through the FCS ranks before joining former Dantonio assistant Dan Enos at Central Michigan last year.

He'll coach the position group that previous Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell oversaw. Samuel inherits a deep and talented receiving corps led by B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin.

WISCONSIN

The Badgers lost a key assistant over the weekend as running backs coach John Settle departed for the same position with the Carolina Panthers. Settle did an outstanding job with Wisconsin's running backs, helping to mold standout players like P.J. Hill, John Clay, James White and Montee Ball.

Although Wisconsin always recruits talented backs, Settle leaves some big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to see who coach Bret Bielema hires as his replacement.

Indiana made things official Monday afternoon and announced Mike Ekeler and Doug Mallory as its new co-defensive coordinators.

Ekeler comes to IU from future Big Ten member Nebraska, where he coached the linebackers and helped mold players like Lavonte David and Phillip Dillard into stars. Mallory, a very familiar surname to Indiana fans, served as New Mexico's defensive coordinator the past two seasons.

Ekeler will continue to coach linebackers with the Hoosiers, while Mallory, the son of former IU coach Bill Mallory, will work with the safeties.

"I am excited to have Doug, Mike and their families join the IU football family," new Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said in a prepared statement. "They are both great additions to our program, university and the Bloomington community. Both men bring unparalleled character, energy, experience, enthusiasm and winning attitudes. This is a great start to the foundation we are building here."

These are undoubtedly Wilson's most important hires as he forms his staff at Indiana. The Hoosiers' defense has been bad for more than a decade and has prevented the program from consistently competing in Big Ten play. Wilson has the track record and the personnel to make things happen on offense at Indiana, but if Ekeler and Mallory can't get the job done on defense, it won't matter.

I like both hires as individuals -- especially Ekeler -- but I've never been a fan of co-coordinators. It didn't serve Indiana well the past few seasons with Joe Palcic and Brian George. Illinois also encountered problems with Dan Disch and Doug Mallory's brother, Curt, before Ron Zook brought in Vic Koenning as the sole coordinator last year.

Maybe this time the pairing works, but the jury is out.

I'm very interested to see how Ekeler and Mallory will work together. Mallory brings a lot of experience to the table and served as Indiana's defensive backs/special teams coach in 1994-96. Ekeler is a rising star and did great work at Nebraska under Bo and Carl Pelini, but he inherits a much tougher challenge in Bloomington.

Indiana's defensive staff also will include Mark Hagen, who moves over from archrival Purdue to coach the Hoosiers' defensive line and special teams. Although IU hasn't officially announced Hagen's hiring, it's going to happen.

Hagen spent the past 11 seasons at Purdue, the past two as the Boilers' linebackers coach. The Indiana alum is no stranger to coaching line play as he worked with Purdue's defensive tackles for most of his tenure in West Lafayette and helped to mold players like Mike Neal and Alex Magee. He's a strong recruiter in the state and in the region.

Overall, I like these hires for Wilson at IU, but it all comes down to whether the co-coordinator thing can actually work.

Time will tell whether the Great Experiment of Champaign works or not, but one big piece of the puzzle seems to fit.

First-year coordinator Vic Koenning is having a positive effect on the Illinois defense.

Yes, it's still very early, but the Fighting Illini defense is showing promising signs after two games. Illinois limited Missouri to 23 points in the opener -- the Tigers' had averaged 43 points in its previous three games with the Illini -- and kept Southern Illinois out of the end zone last Saturday in Champaign. Despite losing three projected starters in recent weeks -- defensive backs Supo Sanni and Terry Hawthorne to injury, defensive end/linebacker Michael Buchanan to suspension -- the Illini are receiving production from a variety of sources.

Again, there's long way to go, but so far, so good.

"We're playing so much harder, we're tackling better, we're chasing the football better and we're not giving up the big plays," coach Ron Zook said. "That was the biggest problem we were having last year, the big plays. They're playing as a group, they're playing as a unit, they're flying around.

"It's hard to find a play where there's not at least eight guys around the football. It's team defense."

Zook's last phrase is the important one. Illinois never has lacked individual talent during Zook's tenure on both sides of the ball.

The two-deep on defense features heralded recruits like Martez Wilson, Corey Liuget and Whitney Mercilus. But since the Rose Bowl run in 2007, Illinois hadn't played well as a defensive unit, slipping to 67th in points allowed in 2008 and 96th last fall.

Although much of the criticism in 2009 was directed toward Mike Schultz and an offense that took eight weeks to get on track despite a fourth-year starter at quarterback (Juice Williams) and an All-America candidate at receiver (Arrelious Benn), the defense didn't hold up, either. Illinois allowed 102 points in its final two games, losses to Cincinnati and Fresno State.

As part of a major staff overhaul in December, Zook demoted co-defensive coordinators Dan Disch and Curt Mallory and brought in Koenning (Mallory left for Akron, while Disch remains on staff as linebackers coach). Illinois beat out Georgia for Koenning's services, and the move seems to be paying off.

Here's what cornerback Tavon Wilson told the (Decatur) Herald & Review this week.

"Coach Vic is more of an enforcer. If the [team] leaders are not taking charge, he will. He won't sit around and let practice go mediocre. He will make sure everyone is running to the football on every play. He'll run to the football with you if he has to. That's probably the biggest difference from coaches in the past. Past coaches wouldn't let it slide, but they weren't enforcing it as much as coach Vic would. He doesn't take a play off just like he expects you not to take a play off."

The Illini are receiving strong performances so far from safety Travon Bellamy (19 tackles, 3 tackles for loss), linebacker Ian Thomas (17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery) and Martez Wilson (14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble.

Five players already have recorded multiple tackles for loss in the first two contests.

"Everyone's involved," Zook said. "It's not just one player that's playing hard. They're all playing hard."

The Big Ten was the only major conference to avoid head-coaching changes this offseason, but the league certainly had its share of staff shuffling with assistants coming and going. Indiana's hiring of Mo Moriarity as offensive line coach on Monday marked one of the last turns on this year's Big Ten coaching carousel. Wisconsin still needs to hire a defensive assistant, but things are just about wrapped up.

Barring any late coaching changes, here's a look at who's gone, who's back and who's in new roles.

ILLINOIS

Offensive coordinator

• Who's out: Mike Schultz (fired)
• Who's in: Paul Petrino (previously offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Arkansas)

Defensive coordinator

• Who's out: Dan Disch and Curt Mallory both were demoted to position coaches. Disch is staying on staff as linebackers coach.
• Who's in: Vic Koenning (previously co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State)

Quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Kurt Beathard (fired)
• Who's in: Jeff Brohm (previously quarterbacks coach at Florida Atlantic)

Tight ends coach

• Who's out: Jim Pry (fired)
• Who's in: Greg Nord (previously running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Louisville)

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Reggie Mitchell (left to become running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Kansas)
• Who's in: DeAndre Smith (previously running backs coach at UNLV)

Other moves

• Mallory left his position as secondary coach to become defensive coordinator at Akron.
• Special-teams coordinator Mike Woodford was fired along with Schultz, Beathard and Pry.
• Ron West was hired as a defensive assistant. His official responsibilities have not been announced.

INDIANA

Offensive line coach

• Who's out: Bobby Johnson (left to become assistant offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills)
• Who's in: Myron "Mo" Moriarity (previously served as head coach at Carmel (Ind.) High School

IOWA

No staff changes, but recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson was named tight ends coach. Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell previously had worked with the tight ends, while Johnson had helped Darrell Wilson with the linebackers.

MICHIGAN

Linebackers coach

• Who's out: Jay Hopson (left to become defensive coordinator at Memphis)
• Who's in: Quality control assistant Adam Braithwaite was promoted to outside linebackers/strong safeties coach. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will take a more active role with the linebackers in 2010.

Other moves

• Secondary coach Tony Gibson will continue to work with cornerbacks and free safeties, and also serve as special-teams coordinator.

MICHIGAN STATE

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Dan Enos (left to become head coach at Central Michigan)
• Who's in: Brad Salem (previously served as head coach at Augustana College)

MINNESOTA

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Jedd Fisch (left to become quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks)
• Who's in: Jeff Horton (previously served as quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions)

Wide receivers coach

• Who's out: Richard Hightower (left to become assistant special-teams coach for the Washington Redskins)
• Who's in: Steve Watson (previously served as associate head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2008)

Other moves

• Running backs coach Thomas Hammock was named co-offensive coordinator

NORTHWESTERN

No coaching changes

OHIO STATE

No coaching changes

PENN STATE

No coaching changes

PURDUE

Defensive line coach

• Who's out: Terrell Williams (left to become defensive line coach at Texas A&M)
• Who's in: Gary Emanuel (previously served as defensive line coach at Rutgers). Emanuel also was named co-defensive coordinator with a focus on run defense.

WISCONSIN

Defensive backs coach

• Who's out: Kerry Cooks (left to become outside linebackers coach at Notre Dame)
• Who's in: Chris Ash (previously served as defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Iowa State)

Other moves

• Randall McCray, who served as Wisconsin's recruiting coordinator and assistant secondary coach, left to become defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee. Wisconsin has yet to fill the vacancy.

Illinois' massive coaching staff shuffle is now complete, as the school named veteran Ron West as a defensive assistant on Monday.

No role was specified for West in a news release, but he will reportedly work alongside Dan Disch, the team's former co-defensive coordinator who will now work with the inside linebackers. West replaces Curt Mallory, who left last month to become Akron's new defensive coordinator.

The Illini also named new tight ends coach Greg Nord as recruiting coordinator and added assistant head coach to offensive line coach Joe Gilbert's title. Nord served as recruiting coordinator at Louisville, his last coaching stop.

West previously served as co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Tulsa. Before Tulsa, he spent 10 seasons on Clemson's staff, where he worked under new Illinois defensive coordinator Vic Koenning. West coached both sides of the ball at Clemson.

"[West] and Vic have a great working relationship and that will add a needed cohesiveness as we move forward on the defensive side of the ball," Zook said in a statement. "Ron shares our passion for getting this program back on track and will be a great teacher and leader for our young men."

The connection with Koenning clearly fueled the move for West, who said in a statement: "I am excited about being reunited with Vic. The last time we were together, the defense was in the top 10 in the country. We'll expect to create that passion on defense that puts us in national rankings."

Although the shuffling on Illinois' defensive staff wasn't as dramatic as the offensive side, it will be interesting to see how these coaches work together. Disch's role is much smaller, Koenning and West are new and line coach Keith Gilmore is the only holdover in the same position.

After finishing as a finalist for Central Michigan's head-coaching job, Illinois defensive backs coach Curt Mallory secured his next best option.

Mallory, demoted from his post as Illinois co-defensive coordinator after the 2009 season, will become Akron's new defensive coordinator, The (Champaign) News-Gazette is reporting. Mallory told the newspaper that he wanted to continue coaching in a coordinator role, and new Akron head coach Rob Ianello will give him the chance.

"I thought I really had a good chance [at the Central Michigan job], but it didn't work out," Mallory said. "That's OK. So you just move on to the next one."

Mallory, the son of former Indiana head coach Bill Mallory, has been at Illinois since 2005, first as defensive backs coach and then sharing the coordinator duties with Dan Disch. Though Mallory survived Ron Zook's staff overhaul at Illinois, he would have been serving under a new coordinator, Vic Koenning. Also, Zook tried to bring Penn State's Larry Johnson as defensive coordinator last year, so it's hard to blame Mallory for looking elsewhere.

The big question is whether Disch remains on Illinois' staff as linebackers coach. Disch is one of Zook's top recruiters, especially in the state of Florida, but it wouldn't be a stretch to see him depart as well.

Mallory will be the sixth assistant Zook must replace since the end of the 2009 season.

Mark Dantonio often attributes his early success at Michigan State to coaching continuity. Since his arrival in 2007, Dantonio has kept his staff fully intact, a rarity in today's college football.

But nothing lasts forever, and for the first time at MSU, Dantonio must replace one of his top assistants.

Michigan State running backs coach Dan Enos has reportedly landed the head-coaching job at Central Michigan, where he's expected to be introduced Tuesday. Enos, a former Michigan State quarterback, looks like an excellent choice for the Chippewas, and a big loss for the Spartans.

He was the biggest reason for Michigan State's recent in-state recruiting surge. Enos served as Dantonio's lead recruiter in the Detroit area and helped to land top prospects like Edwin Baker, Larry Caper, Dion Sims and Keshawn Martin. He also coached star back Javon Ringer and helped Caper and Baker develop nicely this fall.

Michigan State certainly lost some momentum on the field this season, but the program must continue to be a major player in recruiting within the state. Expect Enos' replacement to have strong ties to the Detroit area and some of the top high school programs there.

Illinois defensive backs coach Curt Mallory also was a finalist for the Central Michigan job. Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart reports that Mallory, who recently was demoted from a co-defensive coordinator spot, likey will land at Akron as the Zips' new defensive coordinator.

There's a 66.7 percent chance that Central Michigan's head-coaching vacancy will be filled by a Big Ten assistant.

Two of the three remaining candidates for the Chippewas' top job hail from the Big Ten: Michigan State running backs coach Dan Enos and Illinois defensive backs coach Curt Mallory.

The other candidate, current Central Michigan offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, is reportedly the frontrunner. After the success Central Michigan has had on offense under previous coaches Brian Kelly and Butch Jones, Bajakian makes a lot of sense. Then again, Enos' recruiting exploits for Michigan State make him an attractive candidate as well.

Interviews are complete, and athletics director Dave Heeke is expected to make a decision in the next 24 hours.

Even if Mallory doesn't land the CMU job, expect him to keep looking. Both Mallory and Dan Disch were demoted from their defensive coordinator duties after the season. They'll be retained under new coordinator Vic Koenning, but you couldn't blame either guy from wanting to go elsewhere.

After its dramatic GMAC Bowl victory on Wednesday night, Central Michigan will accelerate its search for a new head football coach.

Two Big Ten assistants reportedly are in the mix for the top job in Mount Pleasant: Michigan State running backs coach Dan Enos and Illinois defensive backs coach Curt Mallory. Enos and Mallory are among six candidates, including two current assistants, being considered for the job, according to the (Mount Pleasant) Morning Sun.

Enos, a former Michigan State quarterback, has been instrumental in the team's recent recruiting success within the state, particularly the Detroit area. I talked to him last summer for a story about Michigan State's turnaround and he mentioned how he spends three weeks every spring recruiting in Detroit, regardless of who's available. Enos definitely strikes me as a future head coach, and he would certainly help CMU's recruiting if he gets the job.

Mallory was in the mix for Miami (Ohio)'s coaching vacancy last year, and he comes from a strong coaching family. But he recently was demoted from his post as Illinois co-defensive coordinator along with Dan Disch. It could be an awkward situation if he stays in Champaign, and this would obviously be a big step up.

After a wild night of rumors and negotiations, Illinois got the man it wanted to run its defense.

Illinois officially named Vic Koenning its new defensive coordinator at a news conference today in Champaign. Koenning, who previously served as Kansas State's co-defensive coordinator, replaces Dan Disch and Curt Mallory, who were demoted to position coaches.

"I’m ready to jump in there with coach [Ron] Zook, start to watch some recruiting tape, start to watch some games and get going," Koenning said Friday. "I couldn’t be more excited to be here. In so many things in life, timing is everything, and the timing has worked out fantastic."

Illinois' hiring of Koenning had been expected for several days, but things got interesting Thursday night as Georgia re-entered the mix for his services. Koenning recalled how Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder came into his office several days ago and asked where Koenning was headed.

Ultimately, Koenning settled on Illinois, calling it a "much-needed change."

"There was some dialogue [with Georgia]," Koenning said. "It made for an interesting last 16, 18 hours, but when push comes to shove, the character and the drive and the enthusiasm that coach Zook exhibited made sure there was no doubt in the outcome."

A week after dismissing four assistant coaches and demoting two others, Zook has filled all four positions and has his staff in place for a make-or-break 2010 season. We can certainly debate whether Zook should still be at Illinois and whether the fired assistants were scapegoats for a miserable season, but you've got to give the team credit for its bold approach to finding replacements.

Time will tell if these hires can turn things around, but the early returns are favorable.

New offensive coordinator Paul Petrino has been around great offenses for some time, and he seems excited about the chance to break away from his brother Bobby and call his own plays. Petrino and new offensive assistants Jeff Brohm (quarterbacks) and Greg Nord (tight ends) were all at Louisville when the Cardinals lit up the scoreboard from 2003-06.

Koenning spent only one year at Kansas State, which ranks 40th nationally in total defense and 16th against the run. He built his reputation as a strong defensive coordinator at Clemson, which finished in the top 25 nationally in scoring, total defense, and pass efficiency defense in each of his four seasons there (2005-08).

Koenning had never been to Champaign and arrived "in the dark of night" early Friday.

"There may be some dark circles under my eyes," he said. "But you have an adrenaline rush when you come into a place like this. We're ready to go."

Illinois will hire Kansas State co-defensive coordinator Vic Koenning to the same position, ESPN.com has learned.

Koenning will be the sole defensive coordinator with the Fighting Illini, who demoted co-coordinators Dan Disch and Curt Mallory last week. Disch will coach the linebackers in 2010, while Mallory will coach the defensive backs.

Koenning and Chris Cosh oversaw a Kansas State defense that ranked 40th nationally and 16th against the run. Koenning spent just one year with the Wildcats after serving as Clemson's defensive coordinator from 2005-08. The Tigers' defense finished in the top 25 nationally in scoring, total defense, and pass efficiency defense in each of Koenning's four seasons there.

An Illinois official couldn't confirm Koenning's hiring and said no official announcement would be made Tuesday.

Credit head coach Ron Zook and the Illinois administration for being aggressive in the recent hires. New offensive coordinator Paul Petrino is a solid addition, and Illinois will pay him handsomely ($475,000 annually). Koenning likely can expect a nice salary as well.

Zook tried to bring in Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson last year, but Johnson ended up staying in State College.