Isn't it almost always the case that some big name or names is rumored to take a vacant Illini job, but then it doesn't happen? My memory could be incorrect here, though.....
Illini fire Cubit
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I like Fitz a lot. I've met him several times. He does a great job with the team. His record in conference is better than his 2 predecessors. I've heard from some several people that he's recruited that he's an amazing representative for the university... Even if they didn't choose NU. He runs the program with moral standards that's completely lacking in college football. He's a good human being. Can't disagree with his views on social media either.
You've been listening to Turk too much if you think Fitz is stubborn and doesn't change. He moves guys positions. He's recruits different styles of players to correct problems. He took NU from an offensive team to a defensive identity. What Fitz doesn't do is fire guys to appease a fan base. I think that's awesome. His job makes him accountable to the players and university... Not the fans, boosters, and definitely not the media.
Calling Lovie Chicago's Big Ten Coach implicates that Illinois, not Northwestern, is Chicago's Big Ten Team. That's a knock on Northwestern i.e. negativity.
Sometimes our own fans are our worst enemies.
I thought Lovie was a great coach. I thought Angelo was a terrible GM. I don't think there was a single year where Lovie had a serviceable OLine and most QBs he had were pretty bad too. Lots of other holes on the team due to draft busts, lack of identifying talent... So to me, I think it's amazing that Lovie actually made a Super Bowl using Angelo's talent.
If Whitman brings in Lovie Smith, then he will instantly make UI newsworthy and peripherally relevant. I will wait until it actually happens but if he can pull this off, then the Illini may not be as funny in the future as they have been the past few years
You should meet him. Are Belicheck, Popovich, Saban, Hardballs, Krzyzewski snarky with the media? You know why? Maybe constant silly questions implying you don't know what you are doing would make you snarky? You want a choir boy, go to church.
Totally agree. When I woke up this morning and heard the firing news, I rolled my eyes and laughed. When I heard they may have gotten Lovie...as a Northwestern fan, I cringed a little - black coach who took the Bears to the Super Bowl and is coming off of another pro job...in-state recruiting might take a turn, not to mention Lovie's brand recognition is probably solid in Florida.
Only slightly related: I was hoping for Fleck. People think he's the next big thing but I didn't see any reason why he'd be able to come from the MAC and turn a broken Illini team around.
In my opinion Lovie is a good defensive coach, a good developer of talent but a poor in game coach and a coach that shown a stubborn unwillingness to adapt to change. If he lands at Illinois, success won't be a foregone conclusion in my opinion. It will be largely dependent on the type of staff he surrounds himself with and his willingness to adapt his schemes to match the strengths of his players and the changing trends in football. The transition from professional football to college football with the limitations on practice time and the need to recruit players will be difficult and I am not sure a guy his age will be able to make the transition successfully. He would not have been my choice.
It's hard to imagine Lovie's personality selling on the recruiting trail, which is an integral part of being a college coach (and has changed a TON since Lovie's last college experience in 1995).
1 of only 55 men to coach a Superbowl team, has friendly ties to local and national media, accepted and respected by the casual Chicago fan, well spoken and restrained in public comments about opponents this could be a Kyle Schawber shot for the maligned Div 3 AD.
Yes. If I'm looking for a "face of the University", I prefer Chris Collins and his approach. I'm in the minority on PF, and am not trying to convince anyone I'm "right". I'll just drop it now because this has gone on far too long.
No. Anyone who had an Illini offer and an NU offer is a Wildcat or went somewhere else other than Illinois. That's been the way it has been for ages.
Perhaps, someone with a national championship ring that has no head coaching experience.
Honestly, that is probably their best bet and a good one at that. Gary Barnett went to NU on the tail end of two decades of futility.
If they go the route many on this board prefer, e.g. some MAC coach or other person who has had some success at a mid-major program as a head coach but has no idea how a national championship caliber program at the highest level is run, then we will continue to beat their asses like we did Beckman.
If they take any of them, we will continue to beat their asses like we did Becks. See my post above.
Maybe Fleck knows what needs to be done as at least he was in the League and was a GA at dOSU.
It's a fool's errand to evaluate a coach on his dealings with the media. Many coaches employ a different persona for the media, for valid reason.
I think Coach Lovie is one of them. But he is very genuine. What you see is what you get, all the way from Big Sandy, TX. He will talk about effort, getting better, going 1-0 each week, winning each quarter of the season, and rarely discuss individual players to the media. Of one thing I am sure--his players will give full effort, unlike some Beckman teams.
This is a good hire for Illinois. He brings the one thing the program utterly lacks right now: credibility.
I think Coach Lovie is one of them. But he is very genuine. What you see is what you get, all the way from Big Sandy, TX. He will talk about effort, getting better, going 1-0 each week, winning each quarter of the season, and rarely discuss individual players to the media. Of one thing I am sure--his players will give full effort, unlike some Beckman teams.
This is a good hire for Illinois. He brings the one thing the program utterly lacks right now: credibility.
You state it that way, and he sounds a lot like Coach Walk.
"Keep the main thing, the main thing."
He's a left field hire, but I think he'll be a good one.
Combs. thought you had left the country or the world for that matter. Whitman's resume says that he was an AD at a Div.3 school and that's it. Those 'money guys" are going to get really tired throwing bad money on top of bad money and just as soon as NFL top job opens up, Lovie is gone. Most good assistants are tied up at their current programs, so Lovie's assistants will be guys off the un-employment line, maybe Ditka. Heard that he wants to get his son's a job, so that might be the reason he's taking a job at a university that's in total turmoil. Well, they have at least announced that the basketball coach is staying, guess until they come up with a another million dollar donor.
You clearly do not understand the dynamics of the relationship between the UI DIA and some of the money guys (who, to this point, have not put up "big money"). You also do not understand Whitman's background and the importance of having an "Illini" in this leadership position. The two are tied together.
"Following his graduation from Illinois, Whitman pursued a professional playing career in the NFL. Over a four-year period, he spent time with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins, as well as with the Frankfurt Galaxy of the now-defunct NFL Europe. He retired from the NFL following the 2004 season.
Whitman began his career in athletics administration with his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served as the assistant to the athletic director from 2007-08 and as coordinator of special projects from 2005-07.
While at Illinois, Whitman was involved in numerous aspects of the athletic department’s operations, including development, marketing, sports information and communications, internal operations and student-athlete programs.
He also attended the University of Illinois College of Law, earning a juris doctoris, summa cum laude, in May 2008.
After graduating from law school, Whitman served as a law clerk for Judge M.S. Kanne of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He then joined the Washington, D.C., law firm of Covington & Burling, which has a nationally recognized sports practice and serves as the primary outside counsel to the National Football League.
Whitman is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and remains licensed to practice law in Illinois and the District of Columbia."
https://source.wustl.edu/2014/06/josh-whitman-named-washington-university-new-athletics-director/
After NU (clear first), UM (clear second) and POSSIBLY Wisconsin (we usually tie them in most rankings, averages out), we're the next best school in the Big Ten (not that I could afford to go there!). I know you guys look at everything from your throne, but Illinois is a very, very good school, especially for a public school. And as far as location, I don't know if you've been to Champaign recently, but what was an absolute dump in 2002 has become a super cool, nice Campustown and vibrant, growing downtown. Additionally, while you guys can definitely recruit on your location, UI will forever remain the flagship of a state that includes Chicago; this is probably a point of pride for you guys, but as a Chicagoan I can say that people simply don't cheer for NU unless they went there... They cheer for no one, Illinois or Notre Dame if they're Catholic or live on the south side (this of course excludes specific alumni). We, as has been mentioned, have quite wealthy boosters who are hungry for success, and we are finally taking the steps to get there.
I'm not expecting you guys to have an affection for Illinois. But we have too many resources to be as pathetic as we are.
I get that the new AD has carte blanche to fire Cubit no matter how recently his contract was inked. I also get that it was a weak contract and not one that engendered long term stability for recruiting, boosters etc.
But not telling the players? I can't believe that there wa such a critical timeline that the AD could not spare a few HOURS to tell the players and then make the announcement. Huge , huge gaffe.
But not telling the players? I can't believe that there wa such a critical timeline that the AD could not spare a few HOURS to tell the players and then make the announcement. Huge , huge gaffe.
I hate Fitz because he's so corny about his hate for Illinois, but he is a damn good coach. You guys are very lucky to have him.
Total rumor (so grain of salt and all), but I heard that he met with Cubit first and he was PISSED and texted multiple staff members before Whitman could meet with the players.
I think Lovie will definitely give you guys a short term boost. I would be leery if I was a recruit that he will bolt back to the NFL, so he will have to dispel that quickly. We will see about Whitman, but it was the best you were going to do and it makes sense. Thomas and Becky were bozo's, so major upgrade.
Not notifying the players before the press was a rookie mistake. Of course, Cubit was pissed, was the reaction a surprise to Whitman. Having the great pleasure of letting people go throughout my career, you always have a very planned out timeline to insure the notification of impacted staff ( players in this case) get the news immediately after the notification and BEFORE they hear it on the street. Whitman blew the notification and there no legitimate excuses to justify that.
If the rumors are true, I wouldn't be too pleased as an Illinois fan to hear that Lovie will be bringing on his two sons as assistant coaches. In college you have limited slots for assistant coaches and if I was Lovie I would looking to fill those slots with coaches who have recruiting experience with established recruiting networks. Anyone who thinks Lovie will be successful recruiting Illinois or any other territory just because he was an NFL coach and took the Bears to Super Bowl ten years ago is sadly mistaken.
The hiring of Lovie reminds me a lot of another former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt to the Pitt Panthers. Both had average records as NFL coaches and had been out of the college game for awhile. The biggest and hardest difference for Lovie is that Pitt had a better roster to start with and more local talent to recruit. Regardless, Lovie brings respect and interest to Illinois two things they were sorely missing before.
Wow!!! "We're the 4th possible 3rd best big ten school" sounds like a great recruiting pitch.
How do you notify the kids before the press if the news has hit the internet before you even close the door on the meeting? There is no perfect way to do this, especially in the social media driven world we now live in. I'm certain the AD had a timeline, but didn't plan on Cubit or Cubit Jr going public before he had a chance to get with the players.
U
You have the players already gathered while you are speaking with Cubit and you walk into the meeting with the players the moment you walk out of the meeting with Cubit. That's how it should have been handled.
You have the players already gathered while you are speaking with Cubit and you walk into the meeting with the players the moment you walk out of the meeting with Cubit. That's how it should have been handled.
I thought that, but it's pretty tough to get the players together before you have the conversation with Cubit in an appropriate fashion.
Option A. You either lie about it and say it's a meet the AD meeting and then drop the bomb on the team.
Option B: you give a huge tip that Cubit will be fired with the undescript, "we need to talk about something" and hope it doesn't get reported that Cubit will be fired.
Option C: you blindside the team as they're coming in for practice or a pre-existing something.
None of these sound good. You tell Cubit and the minute he walks out the door, you send an email the team that the firing occured. You apologize for informing them over email but needed to do so before They heard about it over the Internet, and you tell them a time and a place to meet so you can discuss in person.
Putting aside the fact that you clearly seem like a total a*shole I'd never want to meet in person, I think with your (presumed) NU degree you could grasp that pitching yourself as the flagship university of a state of 13 million people in a town that was just ranked as the number one party school and also the 8th best public school in the country isn't exactly a negative.
The feeling is mutual. But I guess you know that getting a degree from the flagship university in the state.... Which is still the 3rd best college in the state.
To me, the bottom line is that if I am a recruit that was recruited by Beckman or Cubit and I find out that I am going to be playing for Lovie Smith, then I think I have won the lottery. Any negative vibes about how I was informed would go away very quickly.
As a player, I would not be as exuberant as I would be worried about where I would fit into a new coach's game plan. If the new coach then came in and I found out that I was okay, then the lottery example would apply.
There will be some players and possibly recruits that will not fit the new scheme and will not make it into the two deeps but that is the same with any coaching change. If the Illini successfully bring in Lovie Smith, then how the players were notified will become yesterday's news very quickly - including with the players.
The AD calls a football team meeting but takes the coach aside to speak with him individually 5 minutes before the meeting starts. You dismiss the coach and then walk into the meeting with the players to let them know the news. Not complicated.
