Personally, I think they might have accidentally made a very gutsy and exciting choice. They likely defaulted to Whitman out of their misguided "Illini Guy" silliness. On paper, he doesn't have the qualifications. But they fell backwards into a rare talent with skills that go beyond simple athletic directing who can grow into a top-tier guy (like Jim Phillips) that's also loyal and does not view Illinois as a stepping stone but as a final destination.
+1