Mike Thomas: "Anyone who believes I was reaching out to another coach is totally wrong"

[Dan]

Q: Do you feel misrepresented at times? Mirroring your earlier, rumor-filled search for football and basketball coaches, the past week has been packed with more airborne falsehoods. A report by 670 The Score in Chicago had you negotiating with a possible replacement for UI football coach Tim Beckman.

Mike Thomas: That was absolute nonsense. As I've shared, even publicly on radio shows locally at the end of the season, Tim and I are involved in a collaborative effort, and we will work it out together. I was clear in that regard. I didn't think it was necessary to make a formal statement. Tim not coaching for us next year was never a consideration, so I didn’t think anything formal was required. I was responding to a question here on the radio, and I answered it (that Beckman will continue). It's wrong for anyone to think it was anything other than that. Anyone who believes I was reaching out to another coach is totally wrong.

http://www.illinihq.com/sports/illin...e-earn-it.html

[Groundhogday]

Yes, Thomas was pretty clear about where he and Beckman stood for anyone willing to listen. It isn't as if he went into hiding as Guenther so often did or refused to talk about the football program.

Berstein = complete joke

[IlliniRunIn07]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Yes, Thomas was pretty clear about where he and Beckman stood for anyone willing to listen. It isn't as if he went into hiding as Guenther so often did or refused to talk about the football program.

Berstein = complete joke

+1 on all accounts.

[CaliforniaIllini]

I know people are giving Mike Thomas a hard time because they think Beckman is a bad hire, but I like Mike Thomas' attitude. It seems to me that he has a vision for all the sports and a plan to get that vision to become reality.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaIllini

I know people are giving Mike Thomas a hard time because they think Beckman is a bad hire, but I like Mike Thomas' attitude. It seems to me that he has a vision for all the sports and a plan to get that vision to become reality.

And you can argue that one bad hire (if it truly does turn out to be that way) out of three searches going on at the same time is pretty darned good...

[WizardBill]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaIllini

I know people are giving Mike Thomas a hard time because they think Beckman is a bad hire, but I like Mike Thomas' attitude. It seems to me that he has a vision for all the sports and a plan to get that vision to become reality.

I personally will wait on this hire. I THINK Beckmann was a good hire, but who knows.

[orangekrush117]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Yes, Thomas was pretty clear about where he and Beckman stood for anyone willing to listen. It isn't as if he went into hiding as Guenther so often did or refused to talk about the football program.

Berstein = complete joke

Bernstein.

What would you expect Thomas to say, IF in fact he had been looking behind the scenes for another replacement?

It's been rumored that Bernstein's source pegged Doren as the possible replacement, and that Doren told Thomas no thanks, that he felt there were better opportunities.

Lo and behold Doren takes the NC State job just a few days later.

Go ahead and believe that our fearless leader is completely honest. You're only fooling yourself. Sometimes these guys have to lie. It's part of the job.

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by orangekrush117

Bernstein.

What would you expect Thomas to say, IF in fact he had been looking behind the scenes for another replacement?

It's been rumored that Bernstein's source pegged Doren as the possible replacement, and that Doren told Thomas no thanks, that he felt there were better opportunities.

Lo and behold Doren takes the NC State job just a few days later.

Go ahead and believe that our fearless leader is completely honest. You're only fooling yourself. Sometimes these guys have to lie. It's part of the job.

If you know anything about Bernstein you know he's a joke.

[KJKobs]

Originally Posted by orangekrush117

Bernstein.

What would you expect Thomas to say, IF in fact he had been looking behind the scenes for another replacement?

It's been rumored that Bernstein's source pegged Doren as the possible replacement, and that Doren told Thomas no thanks, that he felt there were better opportunities.

Lo and behold Doren takes the NC State job just a few days later.

Go ahead and believe that our fearless leader is completely honest. You're only fooling yourself. Sometimes these guys have to lie. It's part of the job.

Doeren

[orangekrush117]

Originally Posted by KJKobs

Doeren

I saw it spelled Doren on the site I looked at. Turns out they made the error.

[orangekrush117]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

If you know anything about Bernstein you know he's a joke.

No. Not really. At all.

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by orangekrush117

No. Not really. At all.

:laugh: Sure thing.

[Illini87InClt]

Originally Posted by orangekrush117

Bernstein.

What would you expect Thomas to say, IF in fact he had been looking behind the scenes for another replacement?

It's been rumored that Bernstein's source pegged Doren as the possible replacement, and that Doren told Thomas no thanks, that he felt there were better opportunities.

Lo and behold Doren takes the NC State job just a few days later.

Go ahead and believe that our fearless leader is completely honest. You're only fooling yourself. Sometimes these guys have to lie. It's part of the job.

I think that it's a stretch to link Doeren going to NC State and Berstein's "scoop" regarding Thomas. This more likely was more about the MAC season completing on Friday and that Doeren was sure to be a target for multiple openings. Even if Thomas thought that Beckman was not going to ever succeed at Illinois, I'm not sure that he would go right back to the MAC.

[illinoisportsfan]

Originally Posted by KJKobs

Doeren

[I Hate Lemonier]

Originally Posted by orangekrush117

Bernstein.

What would you expect Thomas to say, IF in fact he had been looking behind the scenes for another replacement?

It's been rumored that Bernstein's source pegged Doren as the possible replacement, and that Doren told Thomas no thanks, that he felt there were better opportunities.

Lo and behold Doren takes the NC State job just a few days later.

Go ahead and believe that our fearless leader is completely honest. You're only fooling yourself. Sometimes these guys have to lie. It's part of the job.

You would have to believe that Mike Thomas is a fool to believe Bernsteins story. Hiring another MAC coach who hasn't been successful for all that long to replace the one you had for one year with a similar resume is a good way to get yourself fired quickly. Not to mention the BOT flack you would get for not hiring a minority and basically replacing what you have with a carbon copy.

Thomas isnt a fool

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by orangekrush117

Lo and behold Doren takes the NC State job just a few days later.

Go ahead and believe that our fearless leader is completely honest. You're only fooling yourself. Sometimes these guys have to lie. It's part of the job.

Doeren wasn't going to take any job until after his conference championship game. That was what controlled his timing.

If Bernstein wants to make up a coach Thomas wanted to hire, you would think he would take the time to think of a realistic prospect. Why would Thomas fire Beckman to hire another guy from the MAC with even less of a track record and no demonstrated ability to turn a program around. Secondly, Thomas would be out of a job in a big hurry if he tried to anyone other than an African American coach without going through a thorough search. Bernstein's rumor is completely ludicrous, just something a shock jock with no real information would make up to get attention.

The fact is that Thomas doesn't have to lie. A year ago, he refuse to give a vote of confidence to Zook or Weber. This year he has been consistently behind Beckman in almost weekly interviews. And if you look at his track record at other schools, it is clear that he stands behind his coaches even when they struggle out of the gate (e.g. Cronin and Jones.)

If you are determined to think the worst of Thomas, then I'm sure Bernstein's nonsense fits perfectly into your world view. But his theory defies credibility.

[illinibob]

Who did this interview? Can't tell.

[WinOrElse]

I can't think of anyone in the sports world less credible than Bernstein. He is a proven liar. Thomas is not. Some people will believe anything if, as GHD says, it fits their world view.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by illinibob

Who did this interview? Can't tell.

Loren Tate did the interview, per Marcus Jackson's twitter.

[PVR]

Of course Thomas is going to respond as he did to that question. But I really hope that he was just being political. What I like about Thomas is that he came in and was aggressive from day 1. Not everyone would have the balls to come in and clean house in their three highest profile programs. I understand all of the arguments set forth in favor of giving Beckman more than one year. They're valid and might be correct. But for me, Beckman does not pass the smell test. If our AD has even remotely the same gut feeling, I certainly want him out there exploring alternatives.

I want Thomas to be constantly trying to make our football program better, and weighing all possibilities including unorthodox or even risky moves like cutting losses with a new coach after a year if he thinks the writing is one the wall. I never want him playing by the book. This is Illinois football. The book won't necessarily work for us.

[kgwasmyfavorite]

Wait! So you're saying the guys at the score are just boobs who have no idea what they're talking about?! Whoa!!! Who saw that one coming??? :rolleyes:

[Illiniferret]

Mike Thomas: That was absolute nonsense. As I've shared, even publicly on radio shows locally at the end of the season, Tim and I are involved in a collaborative effort, and we will work it out together. I was clear in that regard.



This is my favorite part of his statement. Hopefully after Beckman tanks next year they are both out of their behinds.

[stevo99]

Originally Posted by Illiniferret

Mike Thomas: That was absolute nonsense. As I've shared, even publicly on radio shows locally at the end of the season, Tim and I are involved in a collaborative effort, and we will work it out together. I was clear in that regard.



This is my favorite part of his statement. Hopefully after Beckman tanks next year they are both out of their behinds.

Yeah, cuz Thomas' bball hires have flopped so far.

Get a clue. And congrats for being on the record about hoping for Illini failure.

[HsvIllini]

Originally Posted by stevo99

Yeah, cuz Thomas' bball hires have flopped so far.

Get a clue. And congrats for being on the record about hoping for Illini failure.

This.

[DrewD007]

I'll never understand the hate that Mike Thomas has gotten so far. I guess the Beckman hire could be questioned, but everything else he's done has been great for Illinois athletics. We're no longer being marketed like we're the University of East Central Illinois.