| I.M. Material | |
|---|---|
| Former Position | |
|
Title: Head Coach Team: Illinois State Redbirds Conference: Missouri Valley Conference Record: 18-5 Annual Salary: $300,000 | |
| Biographical Details | |
| Born January 5, 1962 (Age 60)
Rockford, Illinois | |
| Coaching Career (HC unless noted) | |
| FCS Season V-FCS Season VI: Illinois State Redbirds | |
| Head Coaching Record | |
|
Overall: 18-5 Postseason: 4-0 | |
| Accomplishments and Honors | |
|
Conference Championships: N/A Playoff Appearances: Season VI National Championships: Season VI | |
| Usernames | |
|
Reddit: /u/KirbyKobe Discord: KirbyKobe158#1400 |
I.M. Material (born January 5th, 1962) is a former American football head coach. He was last employed by the Illinois State Redbirds, a position he held from Week 6 of FCS Season V until the conclusion of FCS Season VI.
Coaching Career[edit | edit source]
Season V
Material was brought on as the head coach of the Redbirds prior to Week 6 of FCS Season V, inheriting a 3-2 record from a multitude of temporary coaches. In his first game against Northern Colorado, Material's arrival was delayed due to a misunderstanding of the rules; thus, his team started the game down 8-0. It didn't get much better from there, as the final score was a 53-22 walloping where Material's playcalling on both sides of the ball was questionable. The rest of the season showed signs of promise, as Material led his team to some impressive wins and a couple of close losses to ranked opponents. Illinois State finished the regular season at 7-5, with Material himself posting a 4-3 record.
Season VI
Material was expecting big things in the following season. His team were returning many starters, and he had developed a much more effective playcalling system over the offseason. However, the Redbirds' schedule was daunting, as 10 of their 12 opponents were ranked in the preseason Top 25. Despite the perceived strength of schedule, Material led the Redbirds to a 9-0 start, and a perch atop the MVC standings. But perhaps Material began to look ahead to the playoffs, as his team proceeded to drop two of their next three games, causing them to miss out on the MVC Championship Game by virtue of tiebreakers. Nonetheless, Material's Redbirds were seeded 5th overall in the Season VI FCS Playoffs. They proceeded to reel off four wins in a row, becoming the first MVC team to win a national championship. Shortly after the game, Material announced that he would retire before FCS Season VII began, and he rode off into the sunset with a 35-22 win over the FBS Season VI National Champions, FAU.
Head Coaching Record[edit | edit source]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Playoffs | Coaches' Poll | Committee Ranking |
| FCS Season V | Illinois State Redbirds | 4-3 | 3-3 | T-6th | None | NR | NR |
| FCS Season VI | Illinois State Redbirds | 14-2 | 6-2 | 3rd | W 28-7 vs. #21 Northern Arizona W 34-28 vs. #4 Houston Baptist W 28-14 vs. #16 Tennessee State W FCS Season VI National Championship |
1 | 1 |