EVANSTON, Ill. — Tim Beckman rode into Champaign on a horse of hope, preaching of a plan that could cure a program that has lacked stability since John Mackovic left to coach Texas after 1991.

After dealing with Ron Zook for seven years, Illinois football fans needed a head coach that could end the futility, bring some energy and win at least six games a season.

When Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas made his first move in December, Beckman got right to business and referenced his experience with other coaches and a plan that he said will turn things around despite his confusing enthusiasm for taking over a program that doesn’t have much to offer recruits that are even remotely good coming out of high school.

A lot has happened in the year that Beckman has been at the helm of the program. He started out giving the players bracelets with “12-1-12” on them in reference to the Big Ten championship game because all lanes lead to Lucas Oil Stadium. He let fans call plays at the spring game, refused to name “the team upstate,” had injured players wear purple and even made an anti-Northwestern sign as a way to get a heated rivalry going with “Chicago’s (self-proclaimed) Big Ten team.”

Then, after Penn State was sanctioned and its players were free to leave Happy Valley without having to sit out, of all the schools mentioned, somehow Illinois made more headlines than programs that actually landed premier players like Southern Cal (Silas Redd) just because Illinois coaches were spotted on campus. To put it kindly, he pissed a lot of people off.

In all reality, there’s no problem in recruiting — it just could’ve been handled better. But he was clearly there because he wasn’t confident in the talent on his roster. And why pass up a chance to improve?

Then, of course, we had the season. And what a sad season it was. A 2-10 record, a nine-game losing streak, a conference losing streak that was extended to 14, tobacco-gate, blown out every single week, and Beckman literally getting knocked down in the Northwestern game. And the list goes on.

Everything that could go wrong this season didn’t matter if you look at the football problems like the absurd amount of injuries or the aforementioned secondary NCAA violation of using tobacco on the sidelines, a stupid public relations move.

Beckman inherited a team that was coming off consecutive bowl victories, featuring many holdovers from a defense that was seventh in the nation last season.

A 25-point average margin of defeat, not to mention allowing at least 50 points in three games for the first time in program history, wasn’t supposed to be possible with this supposed strong defensive unit.

Is every plan perfect? Nope.

There are always flaws that need to be worked out and changes that need to be made to ensure the plan’s success.

As a few tweets circulated about Beckman’s time in Champaign already over after one season, you couldn’t help but figure that was impossible after the athletic department bought out three head coaches for more than $7 million last season.

Then you take a look back at the season and realize that they weren’t competitive at all. Sure, the games against Indiana, Minnesota and Purdue were close on the scoreboard, but the Illini were outgained in yards in all three and lost the turnover battle. If you win games with those kind of statistics, then it must always be your lucky day.

I find it hard to believe that a head coach would get fired after one season, with the financial commitment Beckman was given and the fact that he hasn’t had a chance to coach his recruits.

Taking a look at the empty stands and judging the reactions around the team after it loses week after week, Beckman’s leash on turning this program around will undoubtedly be shorter than when he arrived.

If this plan that he always talks about works, then no one will have anything to worry about.

Twitter and “sources say” go hand in hand these days, but based on this season’s performance, which finished in 2012 Illinois fashion with a 50-14 loss to the team upstate, the plan has to start working sooner than what was shown in 2012.

Dan is a senior in Media. You can reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @WELINandDEALIN.