Illinois fired their football coach today

[williston_gator]

And hired Lovie Smith a few hours later.

@BruceFeldmanCFB: Lovie Smith is expected to become the new #Illinois HC, source told FOX Sports. 1st reported by CBS/Chicago: http://foxs.pt/1UIDokH

#teaserthreadtitle

 

[CGgater]

Wow. And to think zook and chump thought they got a raw deal from UF...


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[T REX]

Lovie was absolute trash as the head coach of the Bucs. Worthless. It was a job fair for friends and relatives. One of the worst coaches in Buc history. Can't stand that loser.

 

[rogdochar]

Illinois was able to fire their past coach 'cause his buyout was $57.00 .

 

[GatorJ]

Lovie was absolute trash as the head coach of the Bucs. Worthless. It was a job fair for friends and relatives. One of the worst coaches in Buc history. Can't stand that loser.

That entire organization is trash to me until they get rid of Winston.

 

[MidwestChomp]

Illinois has a new AD. First day on the job he canned the football coach who was promoted from interim coach after the season. The cuurent AD played football for IL under Ron Turner who after getting fired at IL was an assistant with Lovie on the Bears. Nice, huh.

Lovie must miss Illinois.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

Just five of the reasons Illinois football sucks.

 

[BMF]

Unbelievable. Lovie Smith? And the timing....

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

I'm sure Leyer is sharing his Prozac with Harbaugh and D'Antonio at this news that the mighty Lovie is in their conference.

Ill-a-noise = Bye

 

[oxrageous]

This is what is so stupid: The new AD acts like Lovie is going to kick some ass and be a long-term answer at Illinois. Good coaches don't stay long-term there. If by some miracle Lovie sets the world on fire, he'll bolt for a better job in a millisecond, leaving the team in a lurch. Then it's back to square one.

 

[OllieGator]

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Seems like an odd hire. Were there no Sunbelt or WAC coaches available? This new AD clearly doesn't know the real path to longterm success.

 

[MJMGator]

This is what is so stupid: The new AD acts like Lovie is going to kick some ass and be a long-term answer at Illinois. Good coaches don't stay long-term there. If by some miracle Lovie sets the world on fire, he'll bolt for a better job in a millisecond, leaving the team in a lurch. Then it's back to square one.

That would hold true for anyone they hired. Haul ass as soon as you get a better opportunity.

 

[CGgater]

Seems like an odd hire. Were there no Sunbelt or WAC coaches available? This new AD clearly doesn't know the real path to longterm success.

Are you suggesting that UF should've hired Smith instead of Mac?


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[divits]

I've got a friend who was the IL tight ends coach. Guess he'll be looking for another job.....again. He's buddies with Meyer so maybe he'll end up at OSU.

 

[TLB]

Lovie Smith.....


Fightin Illini tradition continues

 

[BMF]

I've got a friend who was the IL tight ends coach. Guess he'll be looking for another job.....again. He's buddies with Meyer so maybe he'll end up at OSU.

I imagine he'll be keeping some of the current staff. It's hard finding coaches this time of year and/or pulling them away from other jobs. This is from Scout.com:

Scout.com reports Lovie Smith’s assistant salary pool at Illinois will be $4 million. That would be third in the Big Ten based on last year’s salaries, behind only Michigan and Ohio State.

By comparison, Bill Cubit got $2.4 million in assistant salary pool. Illinois will need that extra money if they’re looking to hire coaches away from other jobs at this time of year. But couple this with Smith’s average $3.5 million salary, this is an unprecedented investment in the coaching staff at Illinois.

 

[BMF]

More from Scout:

Bill Cubit knows his dismissal is especially tough on his assistants. Cubit added four assistants this offseason, including several who left jobs to come to Illinois. Now they're likely out of work.

"There's a lot of lies," Cubit told Scout.com. "This time, to wait this long, there's guys that can't get jobs. The job market's done. To me, that's not fair to these coaches. ... I don't have anger. Me personally, we uprooted a lot of coaches and their families with the understanding that we were going to be here this fall. Now, that's not it.


“There's three families that just moved from long distances. These poor guys. They just got leases and rents. What do they do? That's where I'm disappointed I guess. I don't have much anger in my life anymore, but that bothers me."

 

[Swamp Donkey]

"There's a lot of lies," Cubit told Scout.com. "This time, to wait this long, there's guys that can't get jobs. The job market's done.

Each one is under, at least, a one year contract.

 

[BMF]

How much is Nussmeir making, $600K? I'm assuming McGee got a raise to leave Louisville or similar pay.

Lovie Smith has his coordinators at Illinois: Garrick McGee will run the offense, and Hardy Nickerson will run the defense.


McGee earned $850,000 as Louisville offensive coordinator in 2015, but didn’t call offensive plays. He is expected to get a raise at Illinois. Hardy Nickerson is another NFL coach making the move to college, after spending the past two seasons with Smith in Tampa and joining the 49ers as linebackers coach this winter.


Bobby Petrino said in a statement on McGee, “I know it was a difficult decision for him because he's had such a close relationship with Lovie Smith, and he feels like this is the right move for him. I wish him nothing but success and I am grateful for his dedication through the years.”