Illinois fires AD Thomas

News conference later this morning.

 

So Tim Beckman's hunger strike worked?

 

UPDATED: Mike Thomas to be fired : SPlog : Smile Politely

 

Probably could have gone on the coaching carousel thread, but Illinois almost had to do this before hiring their next football coach. Thomas was pretty much a dead man walking, and would have made hiring any coach beyond the Illinois high school level difficult to impossible, knowing you'd likely have a different boss at any moment in the future.

 

The State Farm Center renovation is also allegedly near completion, and a faction of bitters wanted Thomas barred from the stadium, the state, and possibly the nation when the unveiling takes place.

 

When was the last time Illinois was good at anything?

 

Interim chancellor, Interim AD, Interim head football coach.

 

They were pretty good at cheating their asses off when Mike White was there.

 

They made the Final Four when Kendall Gill was there!

Umm, in basketball it seems like they have a spectacular regular season about once every five years.

 

They were Final Four in 2005, thanks to one of Lute's epic gag jobs in the Elite Eight.

Zook took 'em to the Rose Bowl in 2007, where they were promptly moose dicked by USC.

 

Good to see Illinois and Missouri athletics getting some headlines for a change.