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.

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