Illinois Hires Lovie Smith As Head Coach
DAVID MERCER, Associated Press
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — The University of Illinois said Monday that former NFL coach Lovie Smith has been hired as its new football coach.
Smith, who was head coach of the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was expected to be introduced on campus at a 2 p.m. news conference. He replaces Bill Cubit, who was fired Saturday after one season in charge at Illinois.
The 58-year-old Smith said in a news release that he did not hesitate to take his first college head-coaching job when Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman offered it.
"Josh approached me about this possibility, and I immediately seized on the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the young men who are part of the program today and in the future," Smith said. "I take this responsibility very seriously and can't wait to get a staff in place to start our move to make Illinois a contender for Big Ten titles. We will play an exciting brand of football that will make our fans, alumni, student body and members of the University community extremely proud."
Smith coached the Buccaneers for two years and had an 8-24 overall record. He was fired in January.
The defensive-minded Smith also took the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006 where they lost to the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears fired Smith after the 2012 season.
Cubit was 5-7 as Illinois' interim coach last fall.
Smith would also be Illinois' first black head coach in either football or men's basketball, the school's two most high-profile sports. The university has sometimes been criticized by state lawmakers and others for never hiring a black coach to run either program.
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