Two months after a surprise firing in Tampa Bay, Lovie Smith has landed at the University of Illinois.
Illinois announced today that Smith has been hired as the school’s third head coach in the last seven months. Coach Tim Beckman was fired just before the start of the 2015 season after allegations that he abused players. Beckman’s successor, Bill Cubit, was fired last week on the first day of the job for new Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman.
“I am extremely excited to be named head coach of the Fighting Illini,” Smith said. “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. 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.”
This is Smith’s first college head coaching job after two stints as an NFL head coach, with the Bears and Buccaneers. His last college job of any kind was in 1995, when he was defensive backs coach at Ohio State.
Smith signed a six-year, $21 million contract, structured so that his salary escalates in the later years. That is likely a result of Smith’s contract with the Buccaneers, which requires the team to keep paying him for three more years after firing him two years into a five-year contract: Smith will get paid by both the Bucs and Illinois through 2018.
