Tim Beckman’s time finally has come at Illinois

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Tim Beckman will have seven returning starters on both sides of the ball next season. | Marcio Jose Sanchez~AP

Updated: February 3, 2012 8:15AM

Now what?

Illinois finished a tumultuous 2011 right, shaking off the firing of Ron Zook and unrest among the assistants who say they were short-changed in their exit packages with a feel-good 20-14 win over UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

“It’s a great start for a new year and a new era,’’ said Zook’s successor, Tim Beckman.

The first order of business for Beckman is to introduce the rest of his staff. With both coordinators yet to be named, it’s too early to see what approach the Illini will take next fall

With a chance for seven starters to return on each side of the ball, the new coaches will have some building blocks. But there are some big holes to fill, returnees or not.

On defense, if junior Whitney Mercilus departs early, as expected, the Illini will miss their All-America end along with their departing seniors, linebackers Ian Thomas and Trulon Henry and defensive back Tavon Wilson. But the defensive front has some potential anchors, notably Akeem Spence, Michael Buchanan and Jonathan Brown, and there is some depth in the secondary.

The holes look bigger on offense. Leading rusher Jason Ford and leading receiver A.J. Jenkins are gone, and key blockers Jeff Allen and Jack Cornell won’t return on an offensive line that was inconsistent even with them. There is more talent at receiver than running back, which was a problem area. But quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and backup Reilly O’Toole return.

Talented place-kicker Derek Dimke also must be replaced.

But Beckman is the key.

Many in Illini Nation wanted a bigger name, but that’s always going to happen when a lesser-known candidate is chosen. Winning is the bottom line, whether a legend or a promising newcomer is hired.

Beckman looks like a thorough and hard-working choice who built a good foundation at Toledo after learning from mentors such as Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel and Mike Gundy.

With three nonconference home games and four of its last five games against the Big Ten’s other small-market teams, Beckman’s first Illinois squad will have a chance to play in a third consecutive bowl game.

The long-range prospects are murkier at a school where only two of nine coaches have posted winning records in the last 60 years.

At Illinois, coaches’ weaknesses have tended to trump their strengths. Lou Tepper knew defense but was baffled offensively. Ron Turner could build an offense but had trouble with defense. Both were dogged by recruiting deficiencies, so athletic director Ron Guenther turned to a recruiting ace, Ron Zook, whose coaching deficiencies cost him games and fan support.

What will Beckman’s ­issues be?

It’s too early to say, but the three biggest hurdles at Illinois are recruiting, recruiting and recruiting. Even Zook wrestled with them.

If Beckman can keep pulling players from the Ohio base he worked at Toledo and add some plums from Chicago and St. Louis, which is his goal, he’ll have a chance.

The Mid-American Conference has turned out a good number of successful BCS-conference coaches in recent years. Will Beckman join that group? Illini Nation will start finding out soon.