In a stunning move, the University of Illinois fired head coach of the football team Bill Cubit. On November 29, 2015, after leading the Illini to a 5-7 record as an interim coach, Illinois signed Cubit to a two-year contract.
Illinois Fighting Illini Fire Head Football Coach Bill Cubit
The dismissal occurred on Illini’s new athletic director Josh Whitman’s first day on the job. Whitman emphasized that the move was to create stability for the football program and not a reflection on Cubit. Whitman stated that Cubit served the “football program during what has been, unquestionably, a very tumultuous time.”
Cubit will receive approximately $985,000 as part of the buy-out agreement according to the university. Whitman praised Cubit for helping coach “on an interim basis under incredibly difficult and unusual circumstances” and that Cubit had “continued to work diligently for the betterment of our student-athletes.” Whitman added that Cubit “had kept the program moving forward.”
Clearly eager to point out the purpose of the surprise dismissal, Whitman went on to state that “Bill is a good man and a good football coach. All of us in Illini Nation owe him a debt of gratitude for his work leading our team these last months. At this juncture, however, I think it is most important that we position our program for long-term success by creating a more stable environment for the coaches, players, and prospective student-athletes.”
Cubit Stunned By News
Cubit was reportedly stunned by the news stating, “total shock. Recruiting was good, we had five kids in today.” It appears as if all of the assistants have also been dismissed including Cubit’s son, Ryan Cubit, who was the offensive coordinator.
While shocking in that Cubit had just signed a new two-year deal, the new athletic director did not hire him and it did put both Cubit, the program and potential recruits in a difficult and precarious position. It has been a difficult nine months at Illinois with previous head coach Tim Beckman fired a week before the team’s opening game last season.
Former Chicago Bears Coach Lovie Smith Expected to be Named New Illinois Head Coach
In a late development, CBS reported that one-time Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is expected to become the next head coach of Illinois. Whitman played for Ron Turner when he was coach at Illinois and Turner was an assistant on Smith’s Bear staff for several years.
Smith was recently fired as Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. Smith has not coached in college since he was a defensive backs coach at Ohio State 21 years ago. Smith led the Bears to a Super Bowl appearance in 2006 and three NFC North titles. Smith was 8-24 after two seasons in Tampa.
