I’ve been going through the history of Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches this past week for a history piece I’m planning to put out next week. With that information fresh in my mind, as I wrote up this piece on Off Tackle Empire explaining that an unprecedented period of sustained stability and competence is right around the corner, I wondered to myself what Lovie’s coaching record might looks like when he leaves Champaign. Then I wondered how that record might compare to our coaches across history.
Specifically, I asked myself the following: how far up the rankings of Illinois coaches can Lovie Smith rise in terms of total wins?