The postseason coaching carousel continues to spin, with Lovie Smith the latest to make a key addition to his staff.
Rod Smith, it was confirmed by the school Friday, has been hired by Smith to serve as the next offensive coordinator at Illinois. In addition to his coordinating duties, Smith will also serve as quarterbacks coach as well.
Smith replaces Garrick McGee, who was fired two days before Christmas after two seasons with the Fighting Illini.
“Rod Smith brings terrific and exciting offensive experience to our staff at Illinois,” Smith said. “His background and development of dual-threat quarterbacks and multiple-threat offenses is the direction we are going here. Rod has developed explosive quarterback play and offensive performance at each of his coaching stops.”
Smith had spent the past six seasons as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona. With Rich Rodriguez‘s dismissal earlier this month, it was expected Smith wouldn’t be retained by new boss Kevin Sumlin, whose hiring was confirmed over the weekend.
Smith heads to Champaign armed with experience in the Big Ten, coaching quarterbacks and co-coordinating Indiana’s offense in 2011 as well as spending 2008-10 as Michigan’s quarterbacks coach.