Rapid Reaction: Indiana 80, Illinois 64

March, 15, 2013
Mar 15
1:14
PM CT
video

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at Indiana's 80-64 win over Illinois in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals at the United Center on Friday.

<How it happened: Poor shooting coupled by the play of Cody Zeller led to a disastrous first half for Illinois. The Illini shot 7-of-27 from the field, and Zeller scored 14 points in the first half to give the Hoosiers a 35-21 halftime lead. The Illini's offense awoke in the second half, but their defense still couldn't find any answers for Indiana. The Hoosiers' advantage never fell to less than eight points in the second half. Brandon Paul and Tracy Abrams each scored a team-high 16 points for Illinois. Indiana's Victor Oladipo had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Indiana out-rebounded Illinois 38-26.

What it means: Another win over Indiana could have helped the Illini for seeding purposes, but the Illini are still considered a lock for the NCAA tournament. They went 6-10 against top-50 BPI opponents and have high-quality wins at Gonzaga and against Indiana and Ohio State. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had Illinois as an eighth seed as of Thursday.

Player of the game: Zeller was a factor, but not a huge one in the teams' first meeting this season. He stepped it up in Thursday's rematch. He finished with 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds.

What's next: Indiana moves onto the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday. The Illini will return to Champaign and wait for their name to be called on Sunday.

Eifert, Te'o moving up in rankings

March, 15, 2013
Mar 15
9:00
AM CT

Mel Kiper Jr. released the third version of his mock draft this week, projecting that, for the second time in two years, Notre Dame will have two players taken in the first round.

Kiper projects Tyler Eifert to go to Pittsburgh at No. 17 , with Manti Te'o going to the New York Giants two spots later. Kiper has the two back to back on his Big Board, which does not take into account NFL teams' needs. Eifert is No. 16 there , with Te'o at No. 17.

Both players remain atop their respective position groups on Kiper's top-five-by-position list.

Todd McShay, meanwhile, released his tier rankings , which break the nation's top 115 prospects down into seven different tiers.

Eifert and Te'o come in tiers 3 and 4, respectively, with Eifert the 17th overall prospect and Te'o the 26th.

Offense falters in Northwestern's loss

March, 15, 2013
Mar 15
1:15
AM CT
CHICAGO -- On what could have very well been the last game of Bill Carmody's Northwestern tenure, his Princeton offense flunked.

The Wildcats went scoreless for the first 7 1/2 minutes of their 73-59 loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday night.

For the Wildcats (13-19, 4-14 in Big Ten regular season), it was a fitting swan song to a lost season and for Carmody, a 13-year tenure that resulted in zero NCAA tournament appearances. Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips is expected to make a decision soon on Carmody's future. He has one year remaining on a two-year contract extension.

Northwestern missed its first seven shots and had three turnovers as Iowa went ahead 11-0. Nikola Cerina's layup put the Wildcats on the board with 12:32 left in the first half.

"I think at the beginning we weren't executing our offense very well," said senior guard Reggie Hearn, who led Northwestern with 19 points and 10 rebounds in his final game. "We had some guys out of position, we weren't communicating well about what the play was and our offense was kind of stagnant and I felt at times when we're not going on offense, it affects our defense. And we obviously weren't playing defense well initially and we just got in a big hole."

The Wildcats never led, but got their deficit down to 15-9 before Iowa answered with a 14-2 run.

The undermanned Northwestern team had a rough season after preseason expectations of finally making the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Northwestern lost two key players to injury, Drew Crawford in December and Jared Swopshire in February, and one to an academic suspension before the season in JerShon Cobb. The remaining players would've been more at home in the Ivy League.

"It was really difficult, especially for the senior class," senior guard Alex Marcotullio said. "But that's basketball. You're going to have to deal with injuries and it's really tough for us being our last year and having all these little fluke things happen to us. But it's no excuse."

Give the Wildcats credit for making it hard on Iowa in the second half. The Hawkeyes had a 36-22 lead at the half, but shot only 28.1 percent in the second half as Northwestern sank into a 2-3 zone.

The Wildcats cut their deficit to single digits a handful of times in the second half, getting as close as 50-43 with 8:27 left, but Iowa never let them make a serious run.

"We knew we had to give it our all," Marcotullio said. "We had one last run in us, maybe a couple. We just said to each other, are we going to leave it all out here or are we going to give up? And it seemed like we came together for a few minutes there and we brought it back to seven.

"And a couple missteps here and there and then they increased the lead. So that was kind of deflating. But I'm proud of the way we fought. Just a few things that we needed to clear up and we didn't take care of really early."

Rapid Reaction: Iowa 73, Northwestern 59

March, 14, 2013
Mar 14
10:10
PM CT
Here's a quick look at Iowa's 73-59 Big Ten tournament win over Northwestern at the United Center on Thursday night.

How it happened: The undermanned Wildcats didn't have a chance. Northwestern went scoreless for the first 7½ minutes, going down 11-0, and never got closer than within six points after that. Northwestern shot 32 percent from the field in the first half and 36.7 percent for the game. The Wildcats kept it interesting in the second half, trimming the deficit to single digits several times, but couldn't save their season. Iowa plays Michigan State on Friday.

Player of the game: Reggie Hearn, a former walk-on, scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds and three blocks.

What it means: Northwestern coach Bill Carmody might be fired after 13 seasons, none of which resulted in an NCAA tournament berth. This team was promising before JerShon Cobb was suspended in September and Drew Crawford had shoulder surgery in December. The Wildcats finished 13-19 with a 4-14 record in the Big Ten regular season, their first losing season since 2007-08.

What's next: Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips likely fires Carmody and begins a "national search" for his replacement. Whether that hire works out is anybody's guess.

Paul finds winning touch at crucial moment

March, 14, 2013
Mar 14
4:17
PM CT
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Brandon Paul
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesBrandon Paul was the only Illini player to have his offensive game clicking Thursday.
CHICAGO -- Jeff Pagliocca turned to his right midway through the second half of Thursday's Big Ten tournament game between Illinois and Minnesota and made a comment to Brandon Paul's father, Cliff Sr., while they were seated five rows behind the Illini's bench at the United Center.

"We'll see if the kid wants to be a winner today," said Pagliocca, who trains Paul in the offseason.

Paul had been aggressive and knocked down shots throughout the first half to build the Illini a nine-point lead, but Minnesota pushed back to begin the second half, and Paul's presence shrunk resulting in the Illini relinquishing their advantage. He had gone eight-plus minutes without a basket since scoring at 17:20 of the second half.

With 8:56 left in the game, Paul reappeared. He hit a jumper. Three Illini possessions later, he drove to the basket strong, scored while being fouled and sank the free throw. He drained a 3-pointer on the following possession.

And with the game on the line, Paul answered Pagliocca's question. Paul would later say he was being selfish for the sake of the team.

With 14.6 seconds remaining and the game tied at 49-49, Paul could see his coaches debating whether to call a timeout after the Illini forced Minnesota into a turnover. Paul motioned emphatically for an isolation play and was granted it.

Paul dribbled up court with Minnesota's Austin Hollins defending him. Paul dribbled between his legs a few times at the top of the key and with about five seconds he made his move. He hesitated and crossed hard to his left hand at the 3-point line, creating a few feet between him and Hollins, dribbled once more going forward, stopped, leaped, faded toward his own bench and released a high-arching shot from his right hand.

The ball fell through the net a moment before the buzzer sounded, and the Illini won 51-49 to advance to tournament quarterfinals to face Indiana.

"At the end of the day, I didn't want to lose the game, and I don't want to put anybody else in the situation unless I had to, to try to make the last shot," Paul said. "I don't want anyone to feel down on themselves. I rather that onus be on me."

Paul called the shot the biggest of his career, but it also may have been the biggest game of his career. He's put up bigger numbers and had more all-around performances in his four years at Illinois, but he's rarely shined when it's come to postseason basketball.

Paul had scored in double figures just once in his first nine previous postseason games. He was held to under 10 points in two NCAA tournament games, three NIT games and three of his four first Big Ten games. His highest scoring output was 10 points in loss to Michigan as a sophomore. Last season, he was of 2-of-11 with four points in Illinois' first-round Big Ten tournament exit against Iowa.

Paul delivered Thursday with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range. He also had five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

What made Paul's performance even more clutch was the fact no one else seemed able to get it going offensively for the Illini. The rest of the team shot 8-of-40 from the field and 2-of-17 from 3, and Paul was the only player with more than six points.

"Today, we didn't have a lot going on offense, which is what I thought was more impressive about his offense," Illinois coach John Groce said. "He was able to make plays and be efficient as he was. Because offensively a lot of the things we were running in the second half, I thought Minnesota defended them really well."

Illinois senior guard D.J. Richardson, who made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 49 with 44 seconds left, knew Paul wasn't going to let his team down.

"I had seen that look in his eye," Richardson said. "He was the only guy in double figures, the only guy making shots for us today. He played big for us. We need for him to do that rest of the season for us to be successful."

For at least Thursday, Paul proved he wanted to be a winner.

Rapid Reaction: Illinois 51, Minnesota 49

March, 14, 2013
Mar 14
1:17
PM CT
video

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at Illinois' 51-49 win over Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten tournament Thursday at United Center.

How it happened: Illinois senior guard Brandon Paul hit a fadeaway, mid-range jumper at the buzzer to give the Illini the win. Illinois led by 12 points in the first half, but surrendered the lead when Minnesota opened the second half on a 20-9 run and went ahead 36-34. The Illini trailed the rest of the game until D.J. Richardson hit a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left to tie the game at 49. Illinois forced a turnover with 14.6 seconds left to gain possession for Paul's game-winner. Austin Hollins led Minnesota with 16 points.

What it means: Illinois and Minnesota both still may make the NCAA tournament, but the Illini have to feel much better about their chances after Thursday's win. The Illini hadn't won a Big Ten tournament game since 2010.

Player of the game: Paul scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He was the only Illini player with more than six points. He also had five rebounds and two assists.

What's next: The Illini will play Indiana, who had a first-round bye, in the quarterfinals at 11 a.m. CT Friday.

NU's Hearn reflects on inspirational career

March, 13, 2013
Mar 13
10:14
PM CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- What senior guard Reggie Hearn did at Northwestern on the court, which recently culminated into an all-conference honorable mention selection, can be attributed to the countless hours he put into his game.

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Reggie Hearn
Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesReggie Hearn's hustle and motivation have made him a senior leader at Northwestern. Hearn earned his spot as a starter his junior year; Wildcats coach Bill Carmody now wonders if he should have started Hearn as a freshman.
How he ended up here and ever saw the floor during his four years with the Wildcats was more by chance.

Leading up to Northwestern’s first-round Big Ten tournament game with Iowa on Thursday, Hearn recently reflected on his journey from being barely recruited to becoming a Northwestern walk-on to now being the team’s leading scorer.

It’s a tale Hearn doesn’t mind sharing, and it’s one he certainly doesn’t take for granted. While he never doubted he had the ability to play in the Big Ten, he does understand it was only by chance he was able to prove that.

“To be honest with you, I reflect a lot on my good fortune,” Hearn said. “I think a lot of people of will say, ‘It’s a great story. He worked hard and everything.’ I remember a quote coach [Bill] Carmody said about me at the beginning of the year about Malcolm Gladwell’s book ‘Outliers,’ about a lot of successful people attribute to their hard work and everything, but the opportunities they had are really what get them there.

“You see, with me starting last year, we had two guys ahead of me get injured. Do I see the floor much last year if they don’t get injured? I don’t know. It was just a matter of me being able to capitalize on very fortuitous opportunities that came up for me.”

(Read full post)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern running back Venric Mark stands just 5-foot-8 and weighs only 171 pounds, but he has a nose tackle-sized chip on his shoulder.

It's why his favorite run play is the inside zone. It's why he often gets in the face of defenders half a foot taller after between-the-tackles runs. It's why he runs to contact rather than away from it, like many backs his size.

"There's no question on Venric's toughness," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "He's a tough, tough guy."

But is he a durable Big Ten running back? Mark suffered some minor injuries during the second half of the 2012 season, in which he rushed for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns and led the Big Ten with 2,171 all-purpose yards.

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Venric Mark
AP Photo/Matt QuinnanNorthwestern running back Venric Mark led the Big Ten with 2,171 all-purpose yards last season.
Although Mark started all 13 games at running back for the Wildcats, he got banged up against Boston College, Nebraska, Michigan and Michigan State and eclipsed 18 carries just once in the final six games. Some question whether Mark -- with his size and style of play -- is built to last, even though he tied for fourth in the Big Ten in carries (226) last fall.

Mark greets the durability doubts much like he does those bigger, seemingly badder defenders -- head on.

"They're always talking about, 'Is he durable? Is he durable?'" Mark told ESPN.com. "That was my first year playing running back. People see that I played my freshman and sophomore year. Yeah, but I wasn't an every-down back. So this year, I know what to expect from myself, being my last year, and everybody's going to say, 'Can he last? Can he last?'

"I'm going to let them do their job and talk. I'm just going to play."

He also won't forget what has been said or written.

"It gets on my nerves," he said.

Mark also isn't naïve about the wear and tear his body will take this coming season. Just because he has been through a season as a No. 1 back doesn't mean he'll last through another. And he can't do a whole lot about his size. This winter, he has gained seven pounds to check in at 171 after losing some weight because of injury during the season. He hopes to play this season around 175 pounds.

To prepare himself for the pounding, Mark has been running and cutting with a 20-pound weight vest. Mark wants to emulate how Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter uses his vision to scan the field while still keeping his shoulders square when running between the tackles.

"For instance, if Kain and I, we're running 2-Knife, and I'm running inside zone, and a defender sticks his arm to turn me, [the vest] will help me keep my shoulders square," said Mark, a second-team All-Big Ten selection at running back and an All-American at punt returner. "That way, if a linebacker comes to my right or left, I can plant and still cut instead of running like this [shows his shoulders turning] where I can't make that move."

Mark also talks about the need to play smarter.

"Instead of trying to always run over people, at my size, I need to dip and drive, I need to sometimes cut back, juke," Mark said. "That will help me last longer, of course."

Mark averaged 17.4 carries per game in 2012 and had 20 carries or more just four times. He said 16 carries is the "minimum, minimum" amount he'd like to have in 2013 and would "prefer to get close to 20."

Wildcats offensive coordinator Mick McCall puts a greater value on overall touches than carries. This especially applies to a player like Mark, who averaged 18.7 yards on punt returns with two touchdowns, also serves as Northwestern's primary kick returner and had 20 receptions last season. And McCall doesn't just look at total touches, but what types of plays are being run.

"If it's inside zone 16 or 17 times, that might be a little high for Venric," McCall said. "If it's 20-25 touches but half of those are out in space, that's not bad. So we've got to manage him, how many touches he gets but more so, where he touches the ball.

"Some of it's got to be inside, there's no doubt. He does a great job in there. And as much as you want to manage it, he's still going to get dinged up. If he was a 225-pound back, look at the big backs from a year ago in our conference, they still get dinged up. That's part of that position."

McCall fully expects to play multiple running backs and multiple quarterbacks every year. And he has been pleased with the emerging depth this spring at running back with senior Mike Trumpy, junior Treyvon Green, and redshirt freshmen Malin Jones and Stephen Buckley.

But Northwestern's coaches have no doubts about their No. 1 back. And Mark expects to prove he's built to last this fall.

"He took some hits last year that he didn't need to take," Fitzgerald said. "It was similar to a quarterback going through his first year. V learned a lot on how he's got to take care of his body. The next step is just being smarter.

"He doesn't need to prove his toughness to anybody. That's always been his trademark."

Video: B1G shoes to fill -- Illinois

March, 13, 2013
Mar 13
12:00
PM CT
video
The Illini must find a way to replace three defensive line starters from 2013.

Video: Northwestern RB Venric Mark

March, 12, 2013
Mar 12
2:30
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video
Northwestern running back Venric Mark talks about his offseason, addresses concerns about his durability and lays out the team's goals for 2013.
Jerrance HowardScott Powers for ESPNChicago.comIn his first season at SMU, Jerrance Howard says he will always be an Illinois fan.
Coaching at Southern Methodist hasn't stopped Jerrance Howard from rooting for Illinois.

Howard put 800-plus miles between himself and Champaign, Ill., when he left the Illini's coaching staff after last season and took a position with Larry Brown at Southern Methodist in Texas. It was a difficult decision because Howard grew up an Illini fan in Peoria, Ill. before played for them and then coaching under Bruce Weber.

Howard has no regrets because he believes he did what was best for his career. But Howard has realized that his heart and mind will never fully leave Illinois.

"To be honest, it was hard at first," Howard said. "I was an Illinois fan. I'll always be. That's my school. I'm going to root for them."

(Read full post)

As we hit the road for spring practices around the Big Ten, we're taking a new approach with the blog to truly take you inside these programs. I'll be posting pictures, videos, quotes and short observations throughout the day from Northwestern's practice in Evanston, Ill.

The Wildcats opened spring practice Feb. 27, and hold their fifth workout later this morning. Be sure and follow throughout the day for updates. Also, send in your Big Ten questions and comments as I'll be taking them at 2 p.m. ET, and Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be chatting here at 3 ET.

Pre-spring breakdown: Quarterbacks

March, 12, 2013
Mar 12
8:00
AM CT
With spring practice just more than a week away, we'll go down the depth chart this week and size up what to watch for at each position.

We start today with the quarterbacks.

Starters returning: Everett Golson, Tommy Rees
Players returning: Golson, Rees, Andrew Hendrix
Players departing: Gunner Kiel (transfer)
Newcomers: Malik Zaire

The breakdown: The Kiel departure remains unofficial, though that should change in the very near future. Golson has the leg up on all entering spring and looks like Notre Dame's quarterback of the future after guiding the Irish to a 10-1 record as a starter last season. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Golson completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 2,405 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed it 94 times for 298 yards with six more touchdowns but lost four fumbles, though all came over the season's first six games.

Rees is taken for granted by most but remains an invaluable piece to the program as he enters his senior season. Sixteen starts preceded a May 2012 arrest that ultimately cost him a shot to open the campaign as a starter, but he more than made up for it by saving the Irish late three times over their first six games and starting two others. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 436 yards with two touchdowns (one rushing) and two picks.

Hendrix remains the wild card. While the departure of Kiel will only help him in his battle for playing time, he trails Golson and Rees in the experience department but has the arm strength, speed and size that any coach would desire. He appeared in three games last season and completed 5 of 7 throws for 55 yards while rushing it eight times for 41 yards. The pre-med major is entering his fourth year at the school and has a fifth-year option available after not playing during his first fall on campus. Given his tools, the crowded position battle and the undergraduate degree likely coming his way in the near future, Hendrix would surprise no one if he followed Dayne Crist's steps for his fifth year and played at another school. Then again, Kiel is out of the picture, Brian Kelly is never shy about pulling his quarterbacks and far crazier things have happened than watching a guy jump from No. 3 to No. 1. Especially at Notre Dame.

Zaire, an ESPN300 prospect, enrolled in January. The southpaw is a four-star dual-threat signal-caller from Archbishop Alter High School (Kettering, Ohio).
A year ago, Mason Monheim was in high school.

He's now among the leaders of an Illinois team desperately trying to get back on track for the 2013 season after a 2-10 clunker last fall. Ideally, Monheim could play behind several veterans for a few years, develop physically and mentally and then claim a leadership position. But a wave of injuries, combined with Monheim's emergence as a starting linebacker, have fast-tracked him to the forefront.

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Mason Monheim
AP Photo/Seth PerlmanIllinois LB Mason Monheim said he's trying to learn the nuances of the other defensive positions so that he can become a better leader.
The good news: Monheim is OK with taking the reins. The better news: he likes it.

"I feel more of a leadership role," Monheim recently told ESPN.com. "I'm really taking ahold of the defense. I'm trying to figure other people's positions so I can help them out, and know what they're doing to help me. I'm trying to be more vocal, just trying to bring that fire a little bit, to the group.

"It's a lot better and easier when there's a little fire underneath you."

Monheim said he's not fiery by nature but likes bringing energy to Illinois' spring workouts, whether it's critiquing a teammate or celebrating with them after big plays. Despite his young age, his teammates are responding to him well.

"They're ready for that criticism," he said. "Everybody's trying to learn, whether you've been here for a few years or not."

Much of Monheim's education came between the lines on Saturdays last fall. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Monheim started the final 10 games for Illinois and led all Big Ten freshmen in tackles with 86.

His tackles-per-game average of 7.2 tied for 15th in the league, while no other freshman ranked in the top 50. Monheim had six tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, to go along with two forced fumbles, an interception a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

He earned freshman All-America honors from Phil Steele and made our All-Big Ten freshman team along with fellow Illini linebacker Mike Svetina.

"I guess I didn't expect to play so much, but I went in with an open mind," Monheim said. "I knew if I would get an opportunity, I'd make the best of it for the team. That's what happened."

Monheim, a two-time Division IV all-state selection from Orville High School in Ohio, likely would have played for Toledo if Illini coach Tim Beckman had remained the Rockets' head man. But days after taking his official visit to Toledo, Monheim learned Beckman had accepted the Illinois job.

Monheim, who had received several Mid-American Conference offers, jumped on the chance to follow Beckman to Champaign.

"When I came in [last] summer, I didn't know what to expect," Monheim said. "But it wasn't anything that I was scared or didn't believe in my abilities. I have a lot of great teammates. They made it easy on me."

Monheim's challenge this spring is to better understand his teammates' responsibilities so he can lead them this fall.

Illinois could have three defensive linemen selected in the NFL draft -- Michael Buchanan, Akeem Spence and Glenn Foster, who sparkled last week at pro day after not receiving a combine invite. The secondary loses cornerbacks Terry Hawthorne and Justin Green.

The biggest reasons for optimism can be found at linebacker, as both Monheim and Svetina return along with Jonathan Brown, a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2011.

"We're more together as a group," Monheim said of Illinois' defense. "We're not focused on the individual abilities and talents. When you're together, nothing can break you."

Recapping the Big Ten coaching changes

March, 11, 2013
Mar 11
1:00
PM CT
Is it safe? Is Big Ten coach poaching season over? For the sake of this post, let's hope so.

Although this year's Big Ten coaching carousel didn't include as many riders as last year's, which featured an unprecedented 40 changes in the league, there was a flurry of activity at the end. We saw two coaches -- Jim Bollman and Jim Bridge -- make jumps from one Big Ten school to another (in Bridge's case, he left Illinois the day the Illini opened spring ball for Purdue, where he replaced, you guessed it, Bollman as offensive line coach).

Purdue saw a complete staff overhaul in the transition from Danny Hope to Darrell Hazell, while Wisconsin brought in seven new assistants under new boss Gary Andersen. Illinois coach Tim Beckman survived a disastrous first season in Champaign, but he lost six assistants during the winter months, five of whom left voluntarily. Iowa's stretch of staff stability is over, as Kirk Ferentz hired three new assistants for the second straight year, and Michigan State restructured its staff after losing offensive coordinator Dan Roushar to the NFL's New Orleans Saints. Michigan made its first staff change of the Brady Hoke era after losing defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to Oklahoma.

Despite the movement around much of the Big Ten, the league also had complete staff continuity at four schools: Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Ohio State. Nebraska flipped responsibilities for Barney Cotton and John Garrison, making Cotton the tight ends coach and Garrison the sole offensive line coach. Ohio State added special teams coordinator to the title of cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs.

Minnesota and Northwestern are the only FBS teams without a staff change for the past three seasons.

It seems like the carousel has finally stopped, so let's take a look at the staff changes throughout the league. These changes only include head coaches and full-time assistants.

Here's the rundown (number of new coaches in parentheses):

ILLINOIS (5)

Who's gone?

Chris Beatty, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Billy Gonzales, co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers
Luke Butkus, offensive line
Keith Gilmore, defensive line
Steve Clinkscale, cornerbacks

Who's in?

Bill Cubit, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Mike Bellamy, wide receivers
A.J. Ricker, offensive line
Greg Colby, defensive line
Al Seamonson, outside linebackers

Other moves

Hired Ricker after Bridge left for same post at Purdue
Made defensive coordinator Tim Banks secondary coach (had previously coached only safeties)
Split linebacker duties between holdover Mike Ward and new assistant Seamonson
Promoted Bellamy from assistant director of player personnel

INDIANA (2)

Who's gone?

Mike Ekeler, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers
Mark Hagen, defensive tackles/special teams and recruiting coordinator

Who's in?

William Inge, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers
James Patton, special teams and recruiting coordinator/assistant defensive line

IOWA (3)

Who's gone?

Erik Campbell, wide receivers
Lester Erb, running backs/special teams
Darrell Wilson, defensive backs/special teams

Who's in?

Bobby Kennedy, wide receivers
Chris White, running backs/special teams
Jim Reid, assistant linebackers

Other moves

Reid and holdover LeVar Woods will share linebacker duties
D.J. Hernandez, an offensive graduate assistant hired this winter, will work with the tight ends

MICHIGAN (1)

Who's gone?

Jerry Montgomery, defensive line

Who's in?

Roy Manning, outside linebackers

Other moves

Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will coach defensive line (head coach Brady Hoke also has responsibilities there)
Manning and Mark Smith will share linebacker duties, as Smith now will handle the inside linebackers

MICHIGAN STATE (2)

Who's gone?

Dan Roushar, offensive coordinator/tight ends
Ted Gill, defensive line

Who's in?

Jim Bollman, co-offensive coordinator/tight ends
Ron Burton, defensive line

Other moves

Promoted quarterbacks coach Dave Warner to co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach. Warner will call plays this fall
Moved running backs coach Brad Salem to quarterbacks
Promoted defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi to assistant head coach

PENN STATE (1)

Who's gone?

Ted Roof, defensive coordinator

Who's in?

Anthony Midget, safeties

Other moves

Promoted secondary coach John Butler to defensive coordinator. Butler will continue to coach cornerbacks
Running backs coach Charles London and linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden will oversee special teams, an area Butler previously handled

PURDUE (10)

Who's gone?

Danny Hope, head coach
Gary Nord, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Tim Tibesar, defensive coordinator/linebackers
Greg Burns, defensive backs
Shawn Clark, offensive line
J.B. Gibboney, special teams coordinator
Patrick Higgins, wide receivers
Cornell Jackson, running backs
Donn Landholm, outside linebackers
Kevin Wolthausen, defensive line

Who's in?

Darrell Hazell, head coach
John Shoop, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Greg Hudson, defensive coordinator
Jon Heacock, defensive backs
Jim Bridge, offensive line
Kevin Sherman, wide receivers
Jafar Williams, running backs
Marcus Freeman, linebackers
Rubin Carter, defensive line
Gerad Parker, tight ends/recruiting coordinator

Other moves

Replaced Jim Bollman with Bridge after Bollman left for Michigan State

WISCONSIN (8)

Who's gone?

Bret Bielema, head coach
Matt Canada, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Chris Ash, defensive coordinator/defensive backs
Zach Azzanni, wide receivers
Andy Buh, linebackers
Eddie Faulkner, tight ends
Bart Miller, offensive line
Charlie Partridge, co-defensive coordinator/defensive line

Who's in?

Gary Andersen, head coach
Andy Ludwig, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Dave Aranda, defensive coordinator/linebackers
Chris Beatty, wide receivers
Bill Busch, secondary
Jeff Genyk, tight ends/special teams coordinator
Chad Kauha'aha'a, defensive line
T.J. Woods, offensive line

Retained from previous staff

Thomas Hammock, assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator
Ben Strickland, assistant secondary coach

Other moves

Hired Genyk to replace tight ends/special teams Jay Boulware, who left earlier this month for a post at Oklahoma
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