Jerrance "Snacks" Howard Hired as Illini Assistant

It's now official, Jerrance Howard is the new Illini Assistant Coach and recruiter for Chicago! Congratulations on being selected and get recruiting those remaining players from the 2008 class.

I am starting to realize what a nice choice Howard could be as an assistant coach as I read about what former Illini players are saying about Jerrance Howard. Link

This move could really benefit the Illini by having people like Luther Head, Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Brian Cook staying involved with the program. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Michael Jordan is taking the players out for dinner occasionally. What more could you want to recruit some talented high school players?

Finally, I think Jerrance is the guy who was recruited by Kruger, played for Self and finished playing for Weber. What a great perspective to bring to the high school kids, since he learned from some of the best coaches out there.

Illini Expected to Announce New Assistant Tuesday

Based on my sources and published information, I expect we will hear the formal announcement later today (Tuesday) that Jerrance Howard is the new Illini assistant basketball coach, replacing Tracy Webster, who took a coaching job at Kentucky. Jerrance Howard played for the Illini in basketball, is well-liked by the coaching staff and players that played with him, and seems like an all-around good guy. He does not have a proven record in recruiting or coaching, so he seems like a marginal selection from that standpoint. However, he fits many of the needs of Coach Weber, with his energy, enthusiasm, and excellent votes of support from NBA players like Deron Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown.