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Why was an Illinois assistant coach at a meet-up of Texas high school football coaches? Crootin'.

Illinois assistant football coach Andrew Hayes-Coker was making a recruiting visit at a Dallas-area high school when he received a suggestion.

Hayes-Coker, who went to Arlington Lamar and played at TCU from 1998-2002, was told to swing by the the regional UIL realignment meet-up at Birdville's Fine Arts and Athletics Complex on Feb. 1.

Decked out in Illini gear, Coker witnessed Texas high school football's version of the stock market. As soon as the hundreds of coaches in the massive multi-purpose room learned of their district mates for the next year, the loom became loud and hot as they shouted and scoured the room to fill gaps in their schedules.