When new Illinois offensive coordinator Bill Cubit walked into Memorial Stadium, he was unable to describe the feeling that came over him.

He felt it last year when he was standing on the sideline as the Western Michigan head coach, and that same feeling returned to him on Wednesday. 

As Cubit entered the West Great Hall of the stadium, wearing a black Nike zip-up with small orange Illinois logo on his upper left chest, he took a moment and observed the banners of former Illinois players Kevin Hardy, Bart Macomber, J Leman, Perry Graves, Whitney Mercilus and Ralph Chapman before making his way up to the top floor of Memorial Stadium.

“I had a funny feeling when I came into this stadium last year,” said Cubit, whose Western Michigan team lost to Illinois 24-7 in 2012. “I had no idea but I just love these kind of stadiums, I love this kind of tradition and I love this conference. When (head coach) Tim (Beckman) called me, it was a no-brainer. This is where I wanted to be.”

Cubit described himself as old school. The 59-year-old got to see the coaches box that he will likely be stationed during games, and spoke to the media for the first time. He described himself as an honest man who would “tell it exactly the way it is.”

“I may not always be right, but I’ll never not tell you the truth out there.”

He was honest with himself about an offense that finished next to last in the NCAA in total and scoring offense. When he officially started the job Monday, he started watching film from the 2012 offense.

Cubit said he saw some talent at quarterback, especially at running back and even on the much-criticized offense line. He wants to put the receivers in different positions to succeed.

“I think it will be (drastically different); I think it will be a change,” Cubit said about the offense he plans to install. “Downhill runs, I think getting in a little bit of a quicker passing game, get rid of the football. We have a philosophy that the QB gets rid of the ball in 2.2 seconds.”

He even stressed the importance of a tight end, basically compiling a list of things Illinois failed to do last year.

“It’s to devise a scheme to utilize the talents of your best players, and putting them in spots that they can be successful in,” he added.

Beckman’s new hire brings a lot of credentials. 

Cubit’s Western Michigan teams set records for points, touchdowns, passing yards, total yards and first downs. He has developed receivers such as Greg Jennings, who now plays for the Green Bay Packers; Jordan White, who was an All-American; and quarterback Tim Lester, who finished fifth in NCAA career passing yards. 

Cubit had other job offers and could’ve been a head coach somewhere next season. 

“If I didn’t get exactly what I needed, I don’t want to do it.” Cubit said. “Everywhere I’ve been it’s been a reclamation project, I kind of like that. I enjoy going out there, seeing kids that are out there and maybe have not been successful and giving them a plan and work the plan and all of a sudden you’re successful.”

There was no ego with Cubit. He acknowledged that Beckman was the coach and that he would follow Beckman’s ultimate plan, even as the team searches for a new offensive line coach. Beckman was able to corral Cubit in largely because of the relationship the two developed coaching against each other in the Mid-American Conference. 

“The MAC is probably about as close as head coaches out there because we all have to figure out a lot more with a lot less,” Cubit said.

“But in the MAC you’d better talk to other coaches to find out what’s going on because we all got limitations and some more than others.”

In addition to watching game film, Cubit’s been out recruiting and met with some players on offense, including quarterbacks Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O’Toole.

“I was encouraged,” Cubit said. “I’m kind of that guy that thinks we can go against anybody that can go against anybody, score against anybody and move the ball against anybody. We’re never intimated. I don’t care where we’re at.”

Jamal can be reached at [email protected] and @jamalcollier.