Lovie Smith Named Illinois Football Coach

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#851      

PaytonHighstep

PaytonHighstep
Downers Grove, IL
PaytonHighstep
Dan said:
Cc9DfTHXIAAQ6U7.jpg

https://twitter.com/Illinois_Alma/status/706857872265768960
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Awesome! Nothing quite like realizing the columns at Soldier Field and Memorial Stadium are similar. I really love this hire and how it ties Champaign back to the Bears in just a way it feels like it was meant to be. He just looks like he belongs in a place with history tied to the Bears organization. HOME RUN!
 
#853      

roz77

R
roz77
MadIllini4 said:
Anybody notice Whitman looks a lot like Jon Hamm?? Can we get some gifs in here please!
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The first picture I saw of Whitman, I legitimately thought it was Jon Hamm in some weird flash-forward (because of the lack of hair) from Mad Men.
 
#855      

CUWPC

C
Geneva, IL
CUWPC
I see Luiget, Juice and Vontae all have tweeted something positive about this. To me that is the first thing Lovie should do is reach out and get these guys at camp and get the kids excited. I have a feeling camp is going to be crazy this year. I don’t think we'll see SEC or OSU type crowds but I expect the attendance has just increased.
 
#856      

Second and Chalmers

S
Second and Chalmers
It's 6 years $21 million to us, but it's 6 years $27 million to Lovie because of the Tampa money.

It's slightly apples to oranges to make that comparison, but if you consider the average annual value to Lovie at the $4.5 million he's making rather than the $3.5 million we're actually paying him, that would make him the 8th highest paid coach in the country and 3rd highest in the B1G behind Meyer and Harbaugh.

Dantonio, Franklin, and Ferentz make between $3.5MM and $4.5MM.
 
#857      

Dan

Dan
Admin
Dan
Illini AD Josh Whitman on The Score this morning

https://twitter.com/JWernerScout

AD Josh Whitman tells @670TheScore that he'd been in contact with [Lovie] for about a week or more.

AD Josh Whitman tells @670TheScore "Lovie is absolutely the right person at the right moment for our program."

AD Josh Whitman tells @670TheScore: Lovie is "an absolute home run for us."

AD Josh Whitman tells @670TheScore that Ron Turner "was critical piece" of his pursuit of Lovie. Didn't know Lovie prior.

AD Whitman on @670TheScore: "If there wasn't mutual interest coming from Lovie, then I think we would've gone a different direction"

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: "Lovie is an incredible leader of men."

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: Smith is connected to Chicago, St. Louis, Texas and Florida. All great areas.

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: "There's not a living room in America that wouldn't open their doors" to Lovie.

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: Assembling staff "absolutely vital." Smith will get full support of competitive compensation

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: "This is a holistic move. This isn't about one individual."

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: Will evaluate need for new facilities. "All pieces of the puzzle."

AD Josh Whitman on @670TheScore: "My responsibility is to advance our program." Smoetimes you have to make bold moves.
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#858      

lstewart53x3

lstewart53x3
Scottsdale, Arizona
lstewart53x3
EthanM said:
That was brilliant. As much as I wish Tim Beckman could be completely erased from Illini history and his name never spoken again, there are just too many laughs there at how incompetent he was. Unfortunately, probably just as many tears too.
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I think Beckman should get at least a portion of the credit for this hire. As bad as the fans thought he was, he built a fairly good team. Lovie might not have taken the job, had he had to walk into the dumpster fire that Beckman did.
 
#859      

ATL Chief

A
Jacksonville
ATL Chief
When is the last time we had positive IL news that made it difficult to get any work done???

What a game changer!
 
#861      

hooraybeer

hooraybeer
Pittsburgh, PA
hooraybeer
just changed my bookmark from "fighting Illini basketball" to "fighting Illini forums"
 
#862      

Love My Alma Mater

L
Love My Alma Mater
ivwilsoniv said:
From FightingIllini.com - "Smith and the UI have a six-year agreement calling for payments of $2 million annually for 2016 and 2017, $3 million for 2018, $4 million for 2019 and $5 million annually for both 2020 and 2021. He will have opportunities for performance incentives tied to team academic and athletic achievements."
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This part is incredible as well. Get Lovie relatively inexpensively for two years while Tampa pays him $3m per year, then make Lovie "whole" by upping his salary after his buyout ends.

Great negotiating by Whitman, and happy that Smith would take, " on paper" a lower amount. Theoretically, this should help with assistants' salaries.

I think Whitman out did himself :thumb:
 
#863      

Ransom Stoddard

Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
Bloomington, IL
Ransom Stoddard
We're into the "suggested trending topics" on Facebook now! and not for something stupid!!!
 
#864      

Kramer

Kramer
Des Moines, Iowa
Kramer
MadIllini4 said:
Anybody notice Whitman looks a lot like Jon Hamm?? Can we get some gifs in here please!
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He sound like him even more... Especially when he is speaking Illini. I keep thinking he's going to say one of Don Drapers best lines that gets everyone fired like "We Will Win" or something like that.
 
#866      

IrishIllini

I
IrishIllini
A coworker of mine is a big OSU fan. He's trying to down play it by saying the East is still better and that he doesn't expect much out of us. Would be nice to curb stomp them in the B1G Championship game this December, no?

:chief::shield:
 
#871      

TheBucket

T
TheBucket
My boss, who is an I-Fund donor, is the first person that I have run into who is not excited let alone happy with the hire. His reaction: "He's a ****ing terrible coach and won't be able to recruit".

I just walked away. Dude. You just went from Tim Beckman, to Bill Cubit, to LOVIE SMITH.
 
#873      

EthanM

E
EthanM
lstewart53x3 said:
I think Beckman should get at least a portion of the credit for this hire. As bad as the fans thought he was, he built a fairly good team. Lovie might not have taken the job, had he had to walk into the dumpster fire that Beckman did.
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I'll give him credit for recruiting depth at some positions where we sorely needed it. Zook's last couple of classes had way too many washouts. The problem was that a lot of Beckman's recruits aren't B1G caliber players. He definitely got some good players, but the overall talent level just wasn't there.

Overall, i don't think it's possible to say that the program was in a better place because of Beckman due to all of the on and off field embarrassments. If Beckman walked into a dumpster fire, what did he leave behind? This program is nationally seen as a laughingstock because of Beckmans's tenure, the timing of both his and MT's firing, the Cubit contract, and the extended AD search. Lovie is walking into a toxic waste dump.

That being said, If I have faith in anyone to turn this thing around, it's JFW. Which MAC coach would we have ended up with, had this hire been attempted during the normal coaching carousel. Hiring Lovie is nothing short of a miracle, because of the positive national press we're going to get. Lovie gives this program the instant credibility we've lacked for years.
 
#874      

CUWPC

C
Geneva, IL
CUWPC
TheBucket said:
My boss, who is an I-Fund donor, is the first person that I have run into who is not excited let alone happy with the hire. His reaction: "He's a ****ing terrible coach and won't be able to recruit".

I just walked away. Dude. You just went from Tim Beckman, to Bill Cubit, to LOVIE SMITH.
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Can't make everyone happy. You would find people who'd complain if Saban was hired.
 
#875      

Chambana13

C
Charleston, IL
Chambana13
EthanM said:
I'll give him credit for recruiting depth at some positions where we sorely needed it. Zook's last couple of classes had way too many washouts. The problem was that a lot of Beckman's recruits aren't B1G caliber players. He definitely got some good players, but the overall talent level just wasn't there.

Overall, i don't think it's possible to say that the program was in a better place because of Beckman due to all of the on and off field embarrassments. If Beckman walked into a dumpster fire, what did he leave behind? This program is nationally seen as a laughingstock because of Beckmans's tenure, the timing of both his and MT's firing, the Cubit contract, and the extended AD search. Lovie is walking into a toxic waste dump.

That being said, If I have faith in anyone to turn this thing around, it's JFW. Which MAC coach would we have ended up with, had this hire been attempted during the normal coaching carousel. Hiring Lovie is nothing short of a miracle, because of the positive national press we're going to get. Lovie gives this program the instant credibility we've lacked for years.
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im pumped to see how he utilizes Dudek!
 
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