Former Northwestern offensive coordinator Garrick McGee is Lovie Smith's "clear top target" for the same position at Illinois, according to a report.
Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel reported Tuesday, a day after Smith was introduced as the new Illinois head coach, that McGee was Smith's top choice for his offensive coordinator.
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McGee is currently the offensive coordinator at Louisville, where he's spent the past two seasons after his departure from UAB, where he was the head coach for two seasons. McGee spent four seasons, from 2004 to 2007, as an assistant at Northwestern, working under both Randy Walker and Pat Fitzgerald. The final two years of that tenure were as the Wildcats' offensive coordinator. He has also worked as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas.
A Tulsa native, McGee played quarterback at Oklahoma. Tulsa is Smith's alma mater and where he got his first collegiate coaching job in the 1980s.
Last season, McGee's Louisville offense ranked 51st in the country in total offensive yardage, while the passing game ranked 44th in total passing yardage. The season prior, Louisville ranked 68th in total offensive yardage and 43rd in total passing yardage.