Dysfunctional, thy name is Illinois football.
In his first official day on the job, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made a stunning move Saturday by announcing the firing of football coach Bill Cubit…
Cubit was named the interim head coach on Aug. 28 after former athletic director Mike Thomas fired Tim Beckman following an investigation into claims of player mistreatment. Cubit led Illinois to a 5-7 overall record and 2-6 mark in the Big Ten.
He was awarded with a two-year contract extension.
Amusingly, Whitman did this in the name of “providing stability”. I’m sure that will provide a good deal of solace to whatever recruits signed NLIs with the program a month ago. As for the rest of the team, they’ll have to wait a while to get started, as Whitman went on to say that spring football practice, originally scheduled to start on March 11, would be delayed until a new coach is named. Awkward timing on both ends, to say the least, but the man is obviously ready to plow ahead.
Unfortunately, Whitman left one thing off his to-do list. He neglected to schedule a meeting with the players about the firing.
That’s one helluva first day, if you ask me.
Is it really that hard to find reasonably competent human beings to run athletic departments these days? You’d think with the money they’re paying…
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UPDATE: More player appreciation.
“I’m refreshing my Twitter feed for updates on my own football team,” quarterback Chayce Crouch tweeted Saturday morning. “This is crazy.”
Get The Picture 
Not sure even SEC schools are this dumb.
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I don’t know…I remember a guy named Damon Evans who got the AD job at a prominent SEC university… 😉
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I wonder if the coach found out through Twitter unbelievable.
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The failure to tell the players directly is inexcusable, but props for making the right decision on firing a coach who was in way, way over his head. Having an undergrad degree from Illinois (before I found religion and headed to Athens for a law degree), I follow Illini sports a bit. If you think the UGA administration moves slowly, you should follow the glacial pace at which decisions are made in Champaign. That’s why this move, a great one IMO, is so surprising. Not sure if its fair to call the AD incompetent quite yet.
Rumors are that the AD has his eye on Lane Kiffin.
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so hard the lulz..
This is obviously a mess. I pray that he doubles down on the mess by hiring a currently getting divorced kiffin in the middle of spring practice. I am sure that will be a major success.
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word on the street is Lovie Smith. I’m hoping Groce is gone right after the B1G Tourney.
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Apparently Whitman said he’s safe for next year.
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Maybe there should be some kind of litmus test every few years for schools to remain eligible for the P5. Maybe that would glean some of the A.D. wheat from the chaff.
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We rag on ADGM a bit – and deservedly so, sometimes – but some of these other guys make him look like a genius.
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Josh Whitman will be just fine.
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And he played football at Illinois not tennis.
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Lovie Smith will be the new IIlini coach and it’s the second best hire in the country this year. This needed to happen however it went down, Oskeewow!
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yeah all the Bears fans want Lovie. my question is how many kids has he recruited? answer is none. and let’s not say he can tell a kid he can get him to the NFL because Illinois only puts about 2 or 3 players a year in the combine. I’m not drinking any of the kool aide for Lovie. he’s been fired twice in the past 2 or 3 years! if hired, he won’t be the coach in 4 years. he’ll be back in the NFL asap.
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And you are going to tell me he is worse than what we’ve had in the decade? You must live in Carbondale! 🙂
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Hey, that’s my hometown! Don’t go knocking the ‘Dale!
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We used to go down there and party like there was no tomorrow! My mom was from Du Quoin and my dad was the basketball coach at Benton.
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Small world. My mom (PhD, UGA, ’84) was on the faculty at SIU, and I went to junior high and high school in Carbondale. Dawg fans were few and far between down there, but Illini fans were plentiful, especially in the late 80s. Other than notifying the team, I think Whitman handled this as well as could be. I imagine Lovie will appeal to a lot of players and families the way Richt does. My father and Illini friends (not to mention, myself) are as excited about Illini football as I’ve seen since the Mike White/John Mackovick years.
May have seen your dad roaming the sidelines at some basketball games over the years, depending on when he coached there. Isn’t John Malkovich from Benton?
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Wouldn’t say he is worse at all, but this is a huge risk to take. Seems myopic to go the NFL route (seemingly because of the Bears connection) considering the number of collegiate candidates. I have nothing against Lovie Smith as a coach but NFL/CFB head coach is apples to bacon to me when considering recruiting and staffing. Add in the late date and this adds a lot of difficulty to what is, already, a difficult task. Lovie must need a job badly if he accepts this position.
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A huge risk? Are you serious? The Illini are awful.
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And that is your continued expectation? It is a chance to change the momentum, I expect other fans aren’t as easy to please. It isn’t like you have to be great to be competitive in the Big ?, look at some coaches who have succeeded before, or get a new hot shot with some energy. Lovie just doesn’t bring much to the table at this point, imo. But I haven’t watched an Illini game since Mackovic left.
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You didn’t watch Zook’s team beat Ohio State to put us in the Rose Bowl? Actually I taped it because it was the same day/night as the Blackout Game!
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It’s just astounding how shitty these recruits and players get treated. And not just at Illinois.
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It’s official! Now the Illini Nation can get over HOW it happened just like the Dawg Nation did!!
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14919209/illinois-fighting-illini-hire-lovie-smith-new-coach
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Whitman email to I Fund donors:
Today, we took a bold step forward with our football program, announcing Lovie Smith as the 25th head coach of the Fighting Illini. Lovie comes to Champaign after eleven seasons as a head coach in the National Football League, highlighted by nine years with the Chicago Bears. He has coached in two Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XLI, when he and mentor Tony Dungy became the first African-American head coaches in Super Bowl history. Lovie Smith is one of the finest coaches in America, and he is now a Fighting Illini.
In the time Lovie and I have spent together, several themes have emerged. First and foremost, Lovie is a natural leader with deep personal investment in the development and well-being of the young men under his charge. Second, he is an intense competitor who will leave no stone unturned in his quest to be successful. Third, this is a man with the highest ethical standards, who will lead us to a position of national prominence without cause for concern about the way in which our success is attained. Under Lovie’s leadership, I have great confidence we will achieve the three goals I outlined in my previous letter. We will change the lives of our student-athletes. We will energize and impassion our fan base. And we will win!
Today’s announcement demonstrates our university’s commitment to enhancing our brand, in the state and across the country, through football and, more broadly, intercollegiate athletics. It also shows our ability, when presented with such a unique opportunity, to act quickly and decisively. I would like to express my thanks to Chancellor Barb Wilson who, with support and cooperation from President Tim Killeen and the Board of Trustees, spearheaded our hiring efforts with full appreciation for the need to move promptly and confidentially. They provided extraordinary leadership at a historic moment.
With Coach Smith at the forefront, we are assembling a team to begin our ascent toward the pinnacle of college football. We are providing him with the resources necessary to compete aggressively for top talent, among both coaches and prospective student-athletes. And understand this: that team includes you, along with a coalition of hundreds of thousands of Illini supporters around the globe. Today is a signal that we will not accept mediocrity. Ours is a standard of excellence, built on a championship culture and fueled by the passion of our fans and alumni. Together, there is truly no limit on what we can accomplish.
Please join me in welcoming head coach Lovie Smith, his wife MaryAnne, and the entire Smith family to the Illini Nation. Be proud to be a Fighting Illini. With your help, we will be champions.
With tremendous enthusiasm for our bright future,
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This has to be the most time this blog has ever devoted to Illinois football. 🙂
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And I, for one, appreciate it because it obviously won’t last!
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One more and I’ll quit:
After a tumultuous period since Ron Zook was fired in 2011, the Illinois program is thirsting for change. Smith was treated like a savior on campus Monday. He received a standing ovation when he met the team in the morning and reportedly mobbed by students at the student union.
The players, who have endured a lot over their entire tenure at Illinois, were thrilled with the announcement.
“Excitement,” said defensive lineman Chunky Clements. “We’re excited and optimistic. We just want to see what’s going to happen. We’re ready to be coached again. We had good coaches before. But this is a great coach.”
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