Put the biggest basketball game on campus since Magic Johnson and No. 1 Michigan State came to town in 1979 aside for a few minutes.

I’m serious. There is another important matter at hand.

Really, I’m serious.

Illinois needs a football coach.

Athletic director Ron Guenther is locked in a chamber somewhere deciding on his last major hire at Illinois – probably – and he needs a 55-yard touchdown pass of a hire. Guenther needs a modern day Mike White – without the NCAA recruiting violations.

White brought a buzz to Illinois. Fans would show up Thursday to tailgate for a Saturday game.

I’m serious.

The undergrads on campus now are probably too young to remember when White roamed the Memorial Stadium sidelines from 1980-89. White inherited a program a search party couldn’t find. Illinois had one winning season in the 14 seasons before White became coach.

In White’s eight years, he won 47 games and went to three bowl games, including the 1984 Rose Bowl – Illinois’ last Pasadena appearance.

Illinois is not in as bad of shape as when White took over, but Illinois football has fallen off the national – and local – radar after being a program on the rise just three years ago. Now, top state recruits look at Northern Illinois as Illinois football power.

Unless something happens soon, it will stay that way. Illinois has good young players in their sophomore and freshman classes. There is a short window of time where Illinois can win games, make a few bowl games and remind people Illinois still has a football team. If Illinois continues to be a cellar dweller in conference, welcome to the 21st century take on the 1980’s Northwestern teams.

Guenther said he fired Turner because of recruiting woes and bad breaks on the field. Well, the second one happens to every team. So Guenther needs a recruiter. He also needs someone who can build a program.

Here are five coaches, in order of my preference, who fit both criteria and Guenther should go after at all costs.

Dan Hawkins, Boise State Head Coach

Boise State is the college football coaches’ version of Tulsa in college basketball. Hawkins has coached Boise State for three years and has lost only five games. He was the recruiting coordinator for the Broncos before becoming head coach, so he isn’t winning with someone else’s players.

Mike Leach, Texas Tech Head Coach

Leach has taken the Red Raiders to four straight bowl games, and a fifth is on the way for the No. 24 Red Raiders. Oh, and he can recruit too. Leach has signed two consecutive top-25 recruiting classes.

Tim Brewster, San Diego Chargers

Tight End Coach

Brewster knows Illinois. He was on the 1984 Rose Bowl team. He also knows recruiting. He recruited for Mack Brown at North Carolina and Texas, routinely bringing in some of the top recruiting classes for the Longhorns.

Chuck Long, Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator

Long, a native of the Chicago suburb Wheaton, Ill., has always been able to recruit. How else would two All-Americans from Illinois (offensive tackle Akim Millington and defensive tackle Lawrence Damper) end up at Oklahoma? Plus, Long could bring a Bob Stoops disciple to coach the defense. Not a bad coaching tree to pick from.

Mike Price, UTEP

Head Coach

Guenther probably won’t even look at Price, who was fired before coaching a game – for improper behavior, as Alabama put it. I call it going to a topless bar, but anyway, everyone in sports gets a second chance. Especially a coach with two Pac-10 titles to his resume.

Now you can go back to that other important Illinois event.

Bobby La Gesse is a senior in communications. He can be reached at [email protected].