CHAMPAIGN — If you like Rich Rodriguez's offense, you are going to be fan of the new guy in charge at Illinois.
Lovie Smith on Friday hired Rod Smith as his offensive coordinator. He replaces Garrick McGee, who was fired after the 2017 season.
Smith, the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona, played quarterback for Rodriguez at Glenville (W.Va.) State and worked on Rodriguez's staffs at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona.
At Arizona in 2017, Smith's Wildcats ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense and 12th in total offense.
Smith was given credit for helping the development of West Virginia's Pat White and Michigan's Denard Robinson.