In the middle of a press conference where Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman addressed the dismissal of head football coach Bill Cubit, reports popped up of a big name that could be Cubit's successor.
Multiple reports indicated that former Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith could be the next head coach of the Fighting Illini.
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Smith was fired as the Buccaneers' head coach in January after two seasons during which he posted an 8-24 record. Previously, he spent nine seasons as the Bears' head coach, posting an 81-63 record and leading the team to three division championships and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI.
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Smith has never worked as a head coach at the college level but has plenty of collegiate coaching experience, working as an assistant at Ohio State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arizona State, Wisconsin and Tulsa before he jumped to an assistant role in the NFL.
Cubit was dismissed Saturday morning after just a little more than three months on the job as the Illinois head football coach. He spent all but the final game of the 2015 campaign as the team's interim head coach, leading the Illini to a 5-7 record. He took over when head coach Tim Beckman was fired a week before the season opener.
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Smith would certainly be a big splash for Illinois and Whitman, who already made eyes pop with his decision Saturday. Smith would bring a big name to Champaign and plenty of excitement to a program that is in desperate need of it.