INSIDER
Illinois fires coach Lovie Smith after 5 seasons
Read full article: Illinois fires coach Lovie Smith after 5 seasonsCHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday with a game left in its ninth consecutive losing season. Smith became Illinois' first Black head football coach when he was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman in March 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17-39 in five seasons at the school. Smith’s original deal was for six years and $21 million, but he received a two-year extension through 2023 after Illinois went 4-8 in his third season. The slide continued into this year, with Illinois losing its first three by a combined 117-45 score.
Illinois football vs. Purdue: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score
Read full article: Illinois football vs. Purdue: Time, TV schedule, game preview, scoreHead coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches as his team takes on the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on November 24, 2018 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Illinois 24-16. - Illinois pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the college football season last week when the 31-point underdog Fighting Illini rallied to stun No. Illinois will now try to make it two wins in a row when it travels to Purdue on Saturday in the battle for the Cannon Trophy. PREDICTION: Purdue 34, Illinois 24More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.