Move over Mark Morrison because it’s Return of the MAC, or at least return to the MAC for former Illini basketball coach John Groce. The former Illinois head man, who was dismissed two days after the Illini were eliminated from the B1G Tournament is returning to the Mid American Conference, and the same exact state, but this time with a different school.
According to Jeff Goodman, who works for a NCAA basketball broadcast rights holder, John Groce will be the next head coach at Akron. Groce came to Illinois from Ohio, where he went 34-30 in MAC play.
Here you go #Illini fans. https://t.co/N8ZP2Jkxca
— Writing Illini (@WritingIlliniFS) April 4, 2017
It’s funny how 99% of the time, news is broken first by an employee of a broadcast rights holding company! What a coincidence!
John Groce received a $1.7 million parachute from Illinois, but it appears that he landed on his feet very quickly. While Groce very much lacked in both the on-the-court and press conference game, he is still one of the few good guys in the game. He’s a genuinely wholesome, caring, good natured man and someone you want to see succeed.
Akron, and the MAC in general, are a perfect fit for him, and he should flourish as the successor to Keith Dambrot. Since Groce led the Ohio Bobcats to the 2012 sweet 16, the MAC has failed to win a NCAA Tournament game.
Groce never gave the Illini fan base much in terms of wins, and he gave the Illini even less in terms of soundbites and information, but nevertheless his character and morals are commendable. Given how most power five conference basketball coaches are severely lacking in both of those areas, Groce’s positive attributes stand out as superlative.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, LinkedIn and YouTube