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Lovie Smith (Former HC Illinois Fighting Illini)

Dryden

Sober as Sarkisian
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Tech Admin
http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...ni-head-coach-six-year-deal-21-million-030716

Lovie Smith getting six-year deal to be Illinois head coach
By Bruce Feldman @brucefeldmancfbMar 7, 2016 at 9:13a ET

Illinois is hiring Lovie Smith as its new head coach, as FOX Sports reported Saturday afternoon.

The 57-year-old Smith, who was fired a few months ago as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, is getting a six-year deal for $21 million. Smith was previously head coach of the Chicago Bears and led them to three NFC North titles and to a Super Bowl appearance in 2006. His career record in the NFL is 89-87. He was fired after two seasons in Tampa Bay after he'd gone 8-24.

Smith's last stint as a college coach was 21 years ago when he was the defensive backs coach at Ohio State.

Smith's deal averages out to $3.5 million per year, which would make him the sixth-highest paid coach in the conference. Sources tell FOX Sports that he is expected to retain Illini defensive coordinator Mike Phair, who came to Illinois from Smith's staff in Tampa Bay. Smith also is likely to bring his sons Mikal and Miles who were also on his staff with the Bucs, but let go after Lovie Smith was fired.

Cont'd ...
 
Good for them. Hopefully they can control themselves and their expectations this time and not fire him for no reason.

As Zook found out, once you make it to the Rose Bowl for the first time in decades, apparently you're not allowed to have mediocre seasons anymore at Illinois.

Maybe they learned their lesson?
 
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The Illini are getting roasted by people on my Twitter timeline over this and it makes no sense. This is exactly the kind of hire that the other lesser B1G schools get ripped on for not making. I can't predict whether it'll work or not, but at least it's not another MAC Flavor-of-the-Week.

Agreed. You look at what Illinois is getting in Smith, and then you look at what Minnesota got in Tracy Claeys, and the winner couldn't be more obvious.
 
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AT least they're trying to move in the right direction. Like jlb said, I have no idea if this will work. Given the Illini's history, I'd tend to lean to him making them "better", as in occasionally getting to 8-9 wins, but I think the challenges are just too great for him to elevate that program above that.
 
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AT least they're trying to move in the right direction. Like jlb said, I have no idea if this will work. Given the Illini's history, I'd tend to lean to him making them "better", as in occasionally getting to 8-9 wins, but I think the challenges are just too great for him to elevate that program above that.
I'm just hoping he'll make them slightly less embarrassing.
 
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If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say he gets them to 7 wins pretty quickly, then maybe 9 by year three. That will send expectations through the roof (like 2007-08), with their dumbass fans expecting them to become playoff contenders, which they won't get. They'll turn on him soon after.

They are one of those fanbases that, inexplicably, think they belong among the CFB elite...despite every ounce of their history showing that is unrealistic. Their goal should be to match Wiscy's, or maybe even Nebraska's, success over the last decade or so, but they think they should be Ohio State.
 
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Scary good hire. I bet Lovie is "great at the dinner table" and recruits well. I bet he'll try and get their schedule a bit tougher too. Would love it if the Dawgs could get on their schedule. We've never played UI!
 
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