In most years basketball would have seized the spotlight by now at Illinois State.
But in this November to remember, sixth-year coach Brock Spack’s Redbirds football team remains the talk of the town as it stands on the brink of history.
Ranked seventh nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision entering Saturday’s regular-season finale against Southern Illinois in Normal, the Redbirds (9-1, 6-1) can clinch at least a share of the Missouri Valley title and the program’s first 10-win regular season.
“It’s been quite a ride,” said Spack, a Rockford native and longtime Purdue defensive coordinator who took over at Illinois State in 2009. “Our whole program’s premise is work ethic and toughness.”
Spack’s teams are 42-25 overall with winning records in five of six seasons, including a breakthrough 2012 with a 9-4 mark and two-game playoff run.
For anything similar Illinois State would have to reach back to 1999.
The Redbirds went 11-4 that year — still the standard for wins. They were 6-0 in the Gateway Conference and reached the third round of the Division I-AA playoffs before falling 28-17 to Georgia Southern.
But they were a collective 45-46 over the next nine years while Spack burnished his credentials at Purdue.
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Upon arrival in Normal, Spack emphasized a dual focus on improving academics and recruiting the state.
“We tried to get our recruiting in line with the philosophy of the university with grade point averages and test scores,” he said. “We set an academic GPA record here the last three semesters in a row (most recently 2.94).”
Among the key players from the Chicago area are defensive back Mike Banks (Mount Carmel), a four-year starter; junior linebacker Pat Meehan (Lincoln-Way East); and senior wide receiver Cameron Meredith (St. Joseph).
Spack also sprinkled the roster with out-of-staters such as running back Marshaun Coprich, a junior from Victorville, Calif., who’s third on the ISU single-season list with 1,523 yards and second in single-season touchdowns (19) and career touchdowns (28).
“But we live and die with recruiting in the Chicago area,” he said.
The success is no surprise to Joe Tiller, the retired Purdue coach and Spack’s mentor.
“He was our top recruiter all the years he was with us,” said Tiller, who worked with Spack for 16 seasons at Purdue and Wyoming. “He loved recruiting and he’s very good at it. He’s a bulldog. He gets on it and stays on it and it pays off.”
Tiller said Spack has excelled in both on-field and managerial challenges.
“He coaches the way he played; he was a linebacker and got his nose bloodied from time to time,” Tiller said. “Brock’s good with people, he’s a straight shooter and what you see is what you get. There’s no fluff about him. He’s smart and he manages people well.”
Win or lose Saturday, the Redbirds are bound for the FCS playoffs next week. And their consistent winning under Spack could prompt interest from FBS programs.
But Spack, named Thursday as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the top FCS coach, insists he’s quite content in Normal.
“You can never say never, but I’m very happy here,” he said. “A Big Ten opportunity, I’d probably listen, but I’m not motivated by money. I want to work with good people who appreciate what we do.
“I also want to have an opportunity to win and be successful. That’s what Illinois State has given me.”