CHAMPAIGN — Before he starts to design a play, Illinois interim head coach Bill Cubit asks a simple question: Can the players carry it out?
If the answer is “No,” Cubit moves on to the next concept.
“I think you’ve got to look at what your kids can do, evaluate that first,” Cubit said. “Evaluate your staff if they can teach it.
“You can have all these plays. But if you don’t have the answers to what the defense is doing, you’re going to get shut down.”
Teachability is critical.
“If the kids can’t understand it, you’ve got to throw it out,” Cubit said.