Moving faster than one of his running backs can hit the hole, Illinois football coach Lou Tepper hired Chicago native Tom Beck away from Notre Dame to be his offensive coordinator Monday and also filled two other staff positions.
Tepper had said in El Paso last week while preparing for the John Hancock Bowl that he doubted he would be able to make any key appointments until after this week`s coaches` convention in Dallas.
But Monday, he announced not only that Beck would fill the key offensive coordinator`s role, but that he had hired two defensive coaches as well-Chris Cosh, from Minnesota, to handle the inside linebackers and Dan Martin, from Western Illinois, to coach the defensive backs.
With Tepper planning to devote much of his energy to coaching the defense, Beck`s appointment was the most significant.
”With Tom as offensive coordinator, I`ll lean on him a great deal for his expertise,” said Tepper. ”Tom has always been associated with high-octane offenses and I look forward to working with him to formulate our offensive scheme.
More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Day Skincare Deals 2026
”Illinois has established an outstanding quarterback tradition and Tom Beck is a coach who can help that tradition flourish in the future.”
Beck spent last year as Notre Dame`s running backs coach after six highly successful years as head coach at Grand Valley State, where he compiled a 50-18 record. In 19 years as a college head coach, his record is 137-52-1.
A graduate of Chicago`s Lake View High, Beck played at Northern Illinois and was offensive coordinator there in 1975.
”He has an extraordinary ability as an offensive coach and as a recruiter,” said Tepper. Beck replaces Gene Dahlquist, who left after the Hancock Bowl to join ex-Illini coach John Mackovic at Texas.