University of Illinois Hires Toledo’s Football Coach

The 23rd head football coach in University of Illinois history is Tim Beckman, who hails from the University of Toledo.

Introduced in an afternoon press conference Friday, Beckman calls the job an opportunity of a lifetime. He says the top goal is building a family - an accountable group of players that will set aside personal goals to achieve team goals.

"It's very important that each one of these players understands that," said Beckman. "Because throughout my career, throughout my time as a coach's son, I've seen some great, great football teams have excelled on the football field, excelled in the classroom, and excelled in the community because they were successful as being men, and successful as being a family."

In three seasons, Beckman led the Toledo Rockets to a 21-16 record, and two bowl bids. "I was raised in this profession," said Beckman. "There are only certain coaches in college football that can say for every waking minute of my life I've been around football."

Beckman inherited a team that went 3-9 in 2008, improving to 5-7 in 2009 before going 8-5 with a 7-1 record in the Mid-American Conference. Beckman's father, Dave, coached football on all levels, including at Iowa, and worked in the front offices of the Browns and Chargers. He learned under such names as Pat Dye, Urban Meyer, Mike Gundy, and Jim Tressel.

He says his first priority in his new job is recruitment. And he says his players will quickly learn his intense style of play.

"You will see that on every football player's face and every football player's game-type ability that he shows each and every day that he steps out there in this great stadium that we have, or in this great conference that we have in the Big Ten," said Beckman.

"He's a mentor," said U of I Athletic Director Mike Thomas. "And it's not just something that happens in the recruiting process and as these kids are with us for four or five years, but part of their lives when they leave the University of Illinois with their diplomas."

Beckman, 46, is a native of Berea, Ohio. Prior to his three years at Toledo, he held a variety of roles on the staff of teams, including those at Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and Bowling Green Universities. He'll earn a salary of $9-million over 5 years at the U of I. And Beckman confirmed he would only be a spectator at the Illini's appearance in the Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. Vic Koenning will serve as interim coach for that game.

Beckman holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Findlay, and a master's from Auburn University.

Watch Tim Beckman's opening remarks on Friday, December 09, 2011