By day, Megan Coffey worked behind the scenes helping put together Illini coaches’ TV shows.
By night, she mixed drinks behind a bar in Campustown.
“When I recall my days at Illinois, I recall a lot of great memories and places. But two memories that stick out the most are my days working for both Illini Productions and Fubar," says the associate director of video services at the University of Cincinnati.
“Illini Productions gave me my real first taste of working in college athletics. I spent a lot of my senior year year in Bielfedlt working on coaches shows and editing videos, in what is now State Farm Center — it will always be Assembly Hall to me — watching and working basketball games, and running around to soccer and gymnastics events. It was one of the best experiences I had and resulted in my current career.
“No longer on campus, Fubar is where I spent most of my time my junior and senior years — both as a bartender and as a patron. Lots of late nights, early mornings and hours spent behind the bar, meeting new friends, and lots of nights we have a hard time remembering — but do know they were a good time.
"Being a bartender was great because not only did you make decent money but you also got to meet a ton of people. Fubar not only introduced me to some of my best friends in college, it brought together some of my friends, as well — and also resulted in lots of great stories that can’t be written down.
“Other memories I will never forget:
— “When the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 and Green Street was nuts.
— “The first time school was cancelled due to too much snow in 2007. School was closed for two days.
— “Unofficial and the madness that was on campus.
— “Traveling to Ohio State to watch the Illini beat the Buckeyes — yeah, Juice Williams — and getting into the Rose Bowl.
— “And last, but not least, the infamous Joe’s Barscramble that sent us running all over campus.”
