......Redbird head coach Brock Spack recently dismissed his co-offensive coordinators, along with wide receivers coach Kane Kiernan and brought back former OC Kurt Beathard. Beathard was the Illinois State offensive coordinator in 2014-15, presiding over two of the most successful offensive seasons in program history.
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky left the program to accept the same position at FBS Miami (Ohio). Running backs/defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator Lamar Conard resigned from the Redbirds' staff.
So how will these changes affect Redbird recruiting?
"I don’t hear a lot, and that’s kind of interesting. I hadn’t heard that there was any pressure to win now and that there were going to be wholesale changes," O'Halloran said.
"I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but that’s a tremendous amount of coaches to jump all of the sudden with the firings and the guys who left. It’s obviously a bad time of the year.
"I know they got Beathard back. It’s timing; you’ve got the dead period, you’ve got the holidays, so we’ll see. I talked to a handful of kids who committed to Illinois State, and they still seem to be good. I haven’t heard to any kids who are ready to completely bail out of ISU. They’re concerned. It certainly raises an eyebrow, especially for the kids who were recruited by the guys who are gone. ISU is getting something done though, because they're staying on course for now."......