Illinois athletics director Ron Guenther said at halftime of the Illinois-Purdue game that he plans to retain coach Ron Zook for the 2010 season but make other changes within the football program.

“There will be changes but there won’t be a change on the top,” he said in a brief discussion with reporters. “There’s a great deal of frustration obviously within the program at the moment, and that’s all I’ve got to say.”

Assistant athletics director Kent Brown said Guenther had told attendees at a management meeting Friday in Champaign that Zook would not be fired during or after the season.

The Illini are 1-5 before today’s game at Purdue, which leads 21-7 at halftime.

The decision to announce the decision was likely made, in part, to help Zook with his recruiting effort. It also sets up the probability of massive changes within the coaching staff.

“We’re still gooing to evaluate (in the offseason), but I think it’s unfair to start jumping at the end of the fifth year on (Zook),” Guenther said. “That’s what I wanted to put aside. We’re still going to evaluate.”

Zook has a contract that runs through the 2013 season at $1.5 million per year. He was given a one-year extension in July after the Illini went 5-7 in his fourth season. He is 19-35 at the school.