BY JOHN SUPINIE
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

CHAMPAIGN - Ron Zook didn't win enough football games to keep the fans and administration happy at Florida.

Less than two months after getting fired by the Gators, Zook has been given a second chance as a college head coach. He'll be introduced as Illinois coach today at a 1 p.m. news conference.

Zook takes over a program that won just nine games over the last three seasons under Ron Turner, who was fired after a 3-8 finish in 2004. Zook interviewed with Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther early last week and quickly became the leading candidate. Zook had the experience as a head coach and respect as a recruiter - two elements sought by Guenther. Known for a high-energy style, Zook learned on the fly as the Gators' head coach. Florida went 23-14 in three seasons under Zook and was 7-4 overall and 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference East Division this season. He never was able to win over the majority of Florida fans after replacing the popular Steve Spurrier, who left the Gators for the NFL.

An agreement between Zook, 50, and Guenther likely was finalized Monday night after an affirmative-action moratorium on hiring a coach ended at 5 p.m. Sources said Zook wanted to coach Florida in the Peach Bowl against rival Miami, but Guenther needs a coach on the job immediately in an effort to save the recruiting season.

The Illini canceled visits last weekend for the nine players who already had committed. They likely will be invited to campus this weekend. Illinois also will play host to campus visits the following weekend.

Zook, 50, is expected to get a five-year contract, but terms were not disclosed. Sources in Florida and Illinois originally indicated Friday that Zook had agreed to become the Illinois coach.

He'll fill the vacancy left by the firing of Turner on Nov. 22. Zook will be the 22nd football coach in the school's history.

Florida fired Zook on Oct. 25, when the Gators were 4-3, but allowed him to coach the rest of the regular season. Florida won three of its last four games under the lame-duck Zook.

Zook's recruiting ability was felt immediately upon his hiring as head coach at Florida before the 2002 season. Quarterback Rex Grossman was leaning toward early entry in the NFL draft after his sophomore year. But he met Zook and quickly chose to remain at Florida.

"I had already made up my mind (to leave)," said Grossman, a second-year quarterback with the Chicago Bears. "Then I had a chance to talk to him, and I decided to come back.

"I thought I was coming back. Then Spurrier left. All these guys were leaving, and I just decided to stick it out one more year. While I was there, Zook was awesome. He recruited me back. He's a hell of a recruiter."

A source said Guenther also interviewed Leslie Frazier, the defensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals and a former Illini assistant. Pittsburgh's Walt Harris also was mentioned as a member of Guenther's short list.

Zook inherits a program that has disappeared from the radar after winning the Big Ten Conference title outright under Turner in 2001. The Illini were 9-26 over the past three seasons. Illinois totaled just four victories in the past two years, including two wins over Division I-AA programs. "He was a guy the players were hoping to get," Illini senior wide receiver Mark Kornfeld said.

A key question is whether offensive coordinator Larry Fedora, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, offensive line coach Joe Wickline and recruiting coordinator Mike Locksley will come with Zook from Florida.

"Without these guys, he's going to be Lone Ranger without Tonto," recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said.

Zook's stint at Florida was his only tenure as a college head coach. Among other stops as a college assistant, Zook served as defensive backs coach at Ohio State from 1988-90. Zook has a lengthy resume in the pro and college ranks.

Before his head coaching run at Florida, Zook spent two seasons as defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints and also served as an assistant with Kansas City Chiefs in 1999 after three years with Pittsburgh Steelers. Under Spurrier, Zook worked as associate head coach and special teams coordinator in 1995 and special teams coach in 1994. He was the Gators' defensive coordinator from 1991-93. Zook also served as an assistant at Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Kansas, Cincinnati and Murray State.

He is a native of Loudonville, Ohio, and was a three-year letter winner at Miami (of Ohio).