That's an area in which former Illinois head coach Ron Turner simply could not get the job done. Illinois won only one Big Ten game during the last two seasons -- a nail-biter against lowly Indiana -- and it was clear that Illinois could not match up with upper-echelon opponents in terms of talent.

Zook should bring more energy to the job than Turner, who appeared beaten up and beleaguered throughout the past two seasons. Zook immediately started the process of working relationships with high school coaches and talking to local stars.

"I came here because this is a great university and it's in a great conference," Zook said.

"I want to get this program to where it should be and I want to do it the right way. We're not looking for a quick fix and neither is Ron Guenther. We are definitely on the same page."

The 50-year-old Zook was fired by Florida midway through the season, but he agreed to stay on with the Gators and finish out the regular season.

Zook was 23-14 in three years at Florida. He was 7-4 this season, including a season-ending win at Florida State, Florida's first win in Tallahassee since 1986.

Before replacing Steve Spurrier as Florida's coach, he was the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints. He also had been defensive coordinator at Florida under Spurrier and had been defensive backs coach at Ohio State.

Zook explained his philosophy as a recruiter.

"It's a 24-hour, 7-day a week job," Zook said. "But it's not the coach that is doing the selling. It's the players who do the selling. The recruits see who you have and how they are progressing and that's what helps many of them make their decision."

That's why neither Zook nor Guenther are expecting a quick fix. Today's recruits may not be all that impressed by the current Illini roster. As a result, Zook will have to push hard in the first couple of years to get the program to the level of Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State.

The fact that Guenther brought in an established name like Zook has to be a relief to Illinois fans. While the Illini basketball team is on a roll this season, there is a fear that Illinois football will never be more than just an afterthought in Champaign. However, the signing of Zook should put those fears to an end.

GAME OF THE YEAR: Illinois 26, Indiana 22 -- The Illini got their first conference win in two years when they defeated the Hoosiers in November. After falling behind 19-0 before the first quarter had reached the midway point, the Illini charged back and won on a late TD pass by QB Jon Beutjer.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: P Steve Weatherford -- It's a sad statement when the team's best player is its punter, but that's just the case with the Illini. Weatherford was the first-team All-Big Ten punter according to the coaches and the second-teamer according to the media. Weatherford averaged 45.4 yards per punt and showed his athletic ability on a regular basis. His run out of a punt formation keyed the comeback win over Indiana and his fourth-quarter TD run against Northwestern gave the Illini a late lead in the season finale.

RAPID REVIEW: The Illini suffered through a tough 3-8 year. They had non-conference wins over Florida A&M and Western Michigan before beating Indiana in the Big Ten. This was on the heels of a one-win season in 2003. As a result of their miserable showing in the past two years, head coach Ron Turner was fired.

FAST FORWARD: Now comes the hard part. If the Illini are going to have any hope of becoming a consistent contender in the Big Ten, they are going to do it with former Florida coach Ron Zook as their new head man. Zook brings more energy and a great track record as a recruiter to Illinois, but he has a ton of work to do since the Illini has been a terrible team the past two years.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He has tremendous energy and really gets involved. He understands what it takes and he's the kind of coach who truly cares about his players." -- Athletic director Ron Guenther on new coach Ron Zook.

RB Pierre Thomas -- In a league with a slew of excellent running backs, Thomas definitely belongs. He ran for 893 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry as a sophomore. He should be a true star in 2005.

ROSTER REPORT: WR Ade Adeyemo's broken leg forced him to miss most of the season. Without his big-play ability, the Illini offense suffered. ... RB Rashard Mendenhall, one of the top recruits in the country, said the firing of Ron Turner would not affect his decision to enroll at Illinois. Mendenhall's brother, Walter, is just completing his freshman season at Illinois. Walter Mendenhall is also a running back.