Jerrance Howard joins Illini as assistant basketball coach
Illinois coach Bruce Weber wanted a salesman, a passionate believer who wouldn't take no for an answer.
On Wednesday, Illinois announced the hiring of Jerrance Howard as assistant basketball coach, and Weber introduced a former Illini guard who instantly became a key player in Illini recruiting.
"Right away, we need somebody to sell Illinois,'' Weber said. "He loves Illinois, loves the program and loves what we do. He played for me. As a youthful coach, if you have that passion and want to be at a place, you can sell it.
"His positive attitude and that passion for the school and program, that will show to the recruits. He can say, 'I played here and I played for coach Weber, and I know what it's about.' Kids will be more apt to listen.''
Just like the day when Weber got the opportunity to go on the road as a 24-year-old assistant under former Purdue coach Gene Keady, Howard took a big step up the ladder. A former administrative assistant at Texas A&M who left a job as basketball operations at Kentucky, Howard understood the challenges and heard the skeptics to his return home.
But the 27-year-old Peoria Central High School graduate will hit the ground running by building on the network of friends and acquaintances in the lucative Chicago recruiting market. He filled a vacancy created when Tracy Webster left for a job at Kentucky.
"I knew one day I'd be back here, but I didn't know it would be this soon,'' said Howard, already wearing an orange Illinois polo. "Even when I was here, I knew I wanted to coach. What a feeling. Home is home. What I experienced at the University of Illinois, that stays with you forever.
"I know I have to bring something to the table, and people are questioning my recruiting skills. I've been recruiting since I've been in this world. There is negativity about me not having experience on the road. I look forward to proving those people wrong. I'll be Jerrance Howard. That's all I know. I just have to figure it out. We'll get it done.''
While acknowledging Howard as a rookie, Weber found an enthusiastic coach who wants to recruit and "somebody who won't take no for an answer,'' Weber said. "That's what Jerrance can do. He loves to talk. He has that charisma. He has that contagious personality. He's a pied pieper.''
Weber and Howard will make a swing through the Chicago area as soon as late next week, introducing Howard to high school seniors and the younger players on Illinois' recruiting list.
Howard has some powerful contacts. Dee Brown and Luther Head, two Chicago products, have connections that will help Howard, he said. Head's younger brother, Crandle, is a high school sophomore already coveted by the Illini. Howard also played AAU basketball for Larry Butler, a powerbroker in Chicago hoops.
"He had a lot to do with me coming here (as a player),'' Howard said. "I stayed in contact with coach Butler. It's not that, 'Now I'm at Illinois, I need your help.' ''
Butler, Tai Streets and Mike Mullins are three AAU kingpins in the city, and Howard must build relationships on his own, Weber said.
"He's got to get on the phone, and he's got to meet them face to face,'' Weber said.
Howard wanted to be a college coach since before his playing career ended. Howard spent his playing career from 1999 to 2004 behind All-America guards Frank Williams, Deron Williams, Brown and Head.
He scored 58 points in his career, but Howard did more to help the Illini as a leader and a recruiter. He always served as the host on recruiting weekends, and Weber often called Howard the MVP during Weber's first season here in 2003-04.
"He was like a mediator, almost like a player coach,'' said forward Brian Randle, the only player who was here during Howard's playing career. "He would talk to us as a teammate and a peer. At the same time, he was able to go to coach Weber to relay information and receive information. He acted as a mediator. That was his leadership role. He did it well.''
Howard spent the past three seasons working under Billy Gillispie at Texas A&M and followed him to Kentucky. Weber interviewed seven or eight candidates, including four or five in person, he said. Howard made the trip to campus on Sept. 7-8. Then he waited for 10 days to get the call.
"I got emotional when I got here when I pulled into the parking lot today,'' Howard said. "You think about when you decided to come here as a freshman. To be back here is special.''
Now, it's time to get to work.
John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com. For more Illini coverage, see Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com <http://www.sj-r.com> and www.pjstar.com <http://www.pjstar.com> .