During the No. 3 Illinois-Arkansas basketball game, I expected to watch – gasp – a basketball game.

Three-pointers, fast-break dunks and Jimmy Dykes explaining Illinois’ motion offense on a dry erase board.

What I also got was ESPN telling me Illinois will offer Ron Zook its coaching job on Monday, according to the Gainesville Sunday.

That’s really good to know, but I’ve had enough.

I’m on overload with coaching hiring information. This coaching-search stuff is out of hand.

And I’m not even talking about the really bad stuff. Coaches being fired before having a chance to build a program, or just firing coaches for a lottery ticket in the Urban Meyer sweepstakes, or Meyer being the coach of Florida, yet he still has one more game to coach at Utah.

I’m talking about reports – from every media source including the Daily Illini and myself – on every single little thing to do with a coaching search.

The only thing missing from the coverage of sports hirings is a daily fashion rating.

Where is Steven Cojocaru when you need him?

I know people want as much information as possible on who will be the fearless leader of their favorite team.

But people, the information on Zook isn’t even consistent.

One source – the Copley News Service – reported Zook has already taken the Illinois job.

Another source – the Champaign News-Gazette – said Zook has not been offered the job yet.

Confusing, isn’t it?

And if you listen to other media outlets, Mississippi may be interested in Zook (Jackson-Clarion Ledger). Or, Mississippi has already contacted Zook (St. Petersburg Times).

With conflicting reports on seemingly every topic of coaching searches, what good does the information do?

And which report do you trust?

Reports fall into two categories. Zook may be coming to INSERT YOUR SCHOOL HERE or not.

Wow.

Revolutionary.

Those are the only two options available.

If Zook was to get on a plane in Florida, three papers would have three different accounts of it.

One would have a source saying Zook is on the plane. Another paper would say Zook was not even at the airport. The third paper with another source would say Zook fell getting onto the plane, has a concussion and is in a hospital.

What good is all of this contradictory information?

Zook will most likely end up at Illinois. (So add my take to the already muddled picture of Zook’s next job).

How are you – a fan – to figure out what is correct when the people paid to inform you don’t agree?

Each reporter has sources they are certain are correct. And why wouldn’t a reporter print something they think is the truth?

Only one thing is a fact in the Illinois coaching search – because of an affirmative-action law, the football coaching vacancy cannot be offered to a candidate until 5 p.m. on Monday.

Illinois basketball hosts Chicago State at 7 p.m. on Monday. The two-hour difference is not enough time for the reporters – who must cover both events – to cover everything, making it nearly impossible for a press conference to be held before Tuesday to announce the next Illinois football coach.

It may not be the most interesting bit of news on Zook, but at least it’s a fact everyone can agree on.

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