Looks like Lovie Smith is going to be the next Head Coach at Illinois

[IowaRam]

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-football-tampa-bay-bucs-chicago-bears-030516

On the heels of new Illinois AD Josh Whitman firing head coach Bill Cubit, one-time Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is expected to become the next Illini head coach, a source told FOX Sports Saturday.

The Saturday firing of Cubit and his son Ryan, the offensive coordinator was made on Whitman's first official day on the job. CBS in Chicago reported that Smith is expected to be the new coach. At a press conference, Whitman seemed to have a head coach option in mind but said any hire would have to wait until the school's HR process plays out.

Though Smith has been away from college football for over two decades, there are some things that would add up to him being the guy. The connection is Whitman played for Ron Turner at Illinois and is close to his old coach. Turner, now the FIU head coach, was an assistant on Smith's Chicago Bears staff for several years.

The 57-year-old Smith was fired a few months ago as the Tampa Bucs head coach. Smith's last stint as a college coach was 21 years ago when he was the defensive backs coach at Ohio State. A source told Fox Sports that Smith might be tempted by the job because he could also bring two of his sons who were on his staff in Tampa Bay with him.

Smith led the Bears to three NFL North titles and to a Super Bowl appearance in 2006. His career record in the NFL is 89-87. He was fired after two seasons in Tampa Bay after he'd gone 8-24.

 

[tahoe]

Thats really cool, as a casual illini fan. I hope he stays for a while and doesn't leave after a year or two to go back to the nfl.

 

[Merlin]

I've been a big fan of Lovie's since the job he did with our defense in '01. It really pisses me off how he's gotten screwed by two teams as head coach, too.

He's gonna be great there. Runs a simple defense that requires speed and discipline, and he's a great leader for young players. Hopefully he hires a talented offensive staff so he can build something special.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Not a Lovie fan personally. His player evals leave a bit to be desired. He is a system guy who couldn't figure a way to use a stud like Barron and thought Jamie Duncan was better than London Fletcher.

However this could be great news for Illinois football and continue the Big Tens climb back to relevancy. I hope it does because that side of the Big Ten is a bit weak. Wisconsin and Northwestern may have competition. I wonder how he will take to recruiting, or if he will remember how.I hope gives it a shot, but seems like a big leap in another direction.

 

[den-the-coach]

Good for Lovie and Kudos to the new Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman....The Fighting Illini have been a non entity for a number of years and although I'm not sure Lovie will catapult them on the national stage I do believe this a good move for the school and a good gig for Lovie Smith.

 

[dieterbrock]

Funny how things work. Cubit took over a program run in to the ground by Beckman, coaches 1 season, gets a vote of confidence and then gets fired in March which takes him and his staff out of the running for a job in 2016.
But hey, it's cool because Lovie Smith is getting the job?
I hope they lose every game and Lovie bolts for the NFL

 

[Merlin]

Funny how things work. Cubit took over a program run in to the ground by Beckman, coaches 1 season, gets a vote of confidence and then gets fired in March which takes him and his staff out of the running for a job in 2016.

I don't know man, Cubit has always been a JAG as a head coach. Dude is nothing special and since he was an interim coach if I'm the AD there's no way I let him and his idiot OC son lose for another year before I make the required change.

 

[dieterbrock]

I don't know man, Cubit has always been a JAG as a head coach. Dude is nothing special and since he was an interim coach if I'm the AD there's no way I let him and his idiot OC son lose for another year before I make the required change.

Jag as a head coach?
He totally turned around Western Michigan and has won at every lower level.
The team was terrible under Beckman because they had some of the worst D in d1 giving up 30+ppg. At least in Cubit 1 season the defense improved quite a bit
The way this was handled was awful. The players found out by social media for gods sake.
But because "good guy" Lovie smith gets the job everyone is happy.

 

[Merlin]

@dieterbrock I looked up his record to see if my memory had some holes in it, which admittedly happens a lot nowadays, and he was 51-47 overall there at Western Michigan. Yeah he had some winning seasons and yes he took over a struggling program, but I just never saw him as a special head coach.

It was a d!ck move to give him the extension, granted, and the way they did it was crappy. But if I was AD there is just no way I would have kept him and his son onboard from his interim season. To me bringing in a coach who has turned the Rams defense around in one season in 2001, then won ten games as the Bears coach before he was fired, followed by a respectable season with a rookie QB after which he was also fired is a better choice.

It's not simply that Lovie is a good guy. It's that I think he's a better option. He's a very stable leader, resonates well with the players, and runs a defense guys will be able to pick up quickly at the collegiate level. If Cubit is as good as you think he is then he'll bounce back with another job, it's a tough life being a coach and them's the breaks.

 

[dieterbrock]

@dieterbrock I looked up his record to see if my memory had some holes in it, which admittedly happens a lot nowadays, and he was 51-47 overall there at Western Michigan. Yeah he had some winning seasons and yes he took over a struggling program, but I just never saw him as a special head coach.

It was a d!ck move to give him the extension, granted, and the way they did it was crappy. But if I was AD there is just no way I would have kept him and his son onboard from his interim season. To me bringing in a coach who has turned the Rams defense around in one season in 2001, then won ten games as the Bears coach before he was fired, followed by a respectable season with a rookie QB after which he was also fired is a better choice.

It's not simply that Lovie is a good guy. It's that I think he's a better option. He's a very stable leader, resonates well with the players, and runs a defense guys will be able to pick up quickly at the collegiate level. If Cubit is as good as you think he is then he'll bounce back with another job, it's a tough life being a coach and them's the breaks.

First off, its a poorly executed move by the University, period. Cubit's merits, or lacktherof is irrelevant to my main contention. You don't fire a coach on March 4th unless there was some sort of egregious behavior. They have recruits signed and players at the school under the guise of the coaching staff. Again, like him or not, he was the fill in guy when Beckman got fired and based on the team's performance, he was given an extension and the official title. Its just not how business is done.
As for his coaching record, which is a moot point, I believe he is much better than you are giving credit. He took over a 1-10 team for a school that hadn't played in a bowl game in 20 years. And he lead them to 3 bowl games in a 5 year span. At Illinois, he took over a dreadful offense and had a Big 10 leading QB the next year. In his one year he improved the defense from being Div 1 worst to a credible one.

As for Lovie? Never been a HC in college, so Im not sure I see the upgrade but be that as it may I think celebrating his good fortune is seeing only one side of this. And the flip side, Cubit's "firing" is pretty reprehensible

 

[Merlin]

First off, its a poorly executed move by the University, period. Cubit's merits, or lacktherof is irrelevant to my main contention. You don't fire a coach on March 4th unless there was some sort of egregious behavior. They have recruits signed and players at the school under the guise of the coaching staff. Again, like him or not, he was the fill in guy when Beckman got fired and based on the team's performance, he was given an extension and the official title. Its just not how business is done.
As for his coaching record, which is a moot point, I believe he is much better than you are giving credit. He took over a 1-10 team for a school that hadn't played in a bowl game in 20 years. And he lead them to 3 bowl games in a 5 year span. At Illinois, he took over a dreadful offense and had a Big 10 leading QB the next year. In his one year he improved the defense from being Div 1 worst to a credible one.

As for Lovie? Never been a HC in college, so Im not sure I see the upgrade but be that as it may I think celebrating his good fortune is seeing only one side of this. And the flip side, Cubit's "firing" is pretty reprehensible

Ok man, I give! Uncle already!