Illini hire Koenning as defensive coordinator

Vic Koenning had what many coaches dream of – a job as defensive coordinator at his alma mater.

But after a year coaching at Kansas State, one in which his family couldn’t live with him due to an inability to sell their previous house, Koenning decided it was time to move on.

So two days after Illinois coach Ron Zook called to offer him the Illini’s defensive coordinator position, Koenning decided to accept on Friday and make Champaign his new home.

“I don’t think that there were some people that were real happy with me,” Koenning said.

“They’ll probably take my pictures off the walls down there. I did know that it was a much needed change for me. It was just something I needed to do. I’m a religious guy, and I prayed about it extremely hard.”

It was the fourth Illinois hiring of the week, after offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and offensive position coaches Jeff Brohm and Greg Nord.

Zook had never met or worked with Koenning but learned through friends about the coach, and he didn’t hesitate to offer him the job.

“We certainly had a strategy in place that we had to get the very, very best,” athletic director Ron Guenther said. “We didn’t look at the budget. What we did was look at getting the best football coaches here that can help us put this thing back on track.”

Koenning took the job after a Thursday-night pitch by Georgia, who wanted him to fill the same position.

But the former Wyoming head coach simply felt more aligned with the values at Illinois.

“I had a conversation with coach Zook and feeling his excitement and feeling his philosophy so much in tune with what I was brought up with,” Koenning said.

“I’m not talking X’s and O’s, I’m talking about how you treat people and the expectations that you have and whatnot that I just felt like it’s an atmosphere that I wanted to be in. He’s a guy that I want to be around every day.”

Values seem to be under speculation around college football, with former Kansas coach Mark Mangino and South Florida coach Jim Leavitt both being accused of abusing players in the last few months.

But Zook has long been known as a “player’s coach,” which may have swayed Koenning toward the Illini.

“I can tell you that I know in this day and age, with the things going on at KU and the things going on at South Florida, I’ve got to find a way to motivate my players besides grabbing them and dragging them around,” Zook said.

Before his season coaching 6-6 Kansas State, Koenning coordinated a Clemson defense from 2005-08 that finished in the top 25 in the nation in scoring, total, and pass efficiency defense each year.

He also held the same position at Troy and Wyoming.

His foray into head coaching, though, was not so successful, as Koenning never won more than two games a season in his three years at the helm at Wyoming, compiling a 5-29 record.

But a head coaching experience that most would label as a disaster, he said, will do him nothing but good.

“I learned when I was at Wyoming that I didn’t have the magic dust to sprinkle. I think it has to do with recruiting players and how those guys grow and how they grow as a team,” Koenning said.

“It helps me understand what he’s going through. We’ve talked a lot in the last few days about situations and the team and this and that, and I can relate exactly and have a perception and understand the things he’s going through so I can be there and understand.”

Koenning prides himself on having an aggressive defense that stops the run before the pass, sometimes using eight-man fronts.

But those expecting a major change in defensive schemes will be disappointed.

“We want to make sure we have more people than they have. Some people refer to it as an eight-man front. But if they have a one-back set then seven will give you more than they have,” Koenning said.

“We need to understand that this is coach Zook’s program, and we are going to do things that don’t stray too far from the philosophies and the foundations that were built,” he said. “But I also talked to him about bringing some differences in and he’s been very open and very honest.”

So after a stressful last few days, Koenning will begin the long process of learning Illinois football, something he has little knowledge of.

But at the moment, he’s interested in getting the rest of his life together as he starts his new job.

“The last 48 hours have been interesting to me,” Koenning said.

“We are supposedly going to sell the house this week and I’m going to find something around here to get my family moved, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of the community.”