While most teams are spending March preparing for spring practice, Illinois will be looking for a head coach.
From an Illinois release:
URBANA, Ill. – University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced the dismissal of head football coach Bill Cubit on Saturday following one season as interim head coach.
Whitman, who made the announcement on his first official day as the university's athletic director, indicated that providing stability to the Fighting Illini football program was an immediate need.
Firing your head coach on March 5 is providing stability to your football program? That's certainly a fun way to look at it.
To make things even more interesting, the players evidently were not notified.
Love finding out about this through Twitter. https://t.co/vl1TD6qVVq
— Mikey Dudek (@MDFlash_7) March 5, 2016
Firing your head coach just weeks before spring practice without a viable candidate to succeed him and without informing your players – that's a bold strategy, even for Illinois.
To no surprise, Cubit had no idea his termination was coming.
From The News-Gazette:
“I’m in shock,” Cubit said. “Total shock.”
At about 10:30 a.m., new Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman walked into Cubit’s office and said, ‘I’m going to let you go. I’m going to let (offensive coordinator) Ryan (Cubit) go, too. Here’s the (termination) letters.’ ”
The meeting lasted about five minutes. Cubit didn’t try to state his case.
“That doesn’t do any good,” Cubit said.
Two weeks ago, Cubit spent 30 minutes with Whitman, talking about the future.
“I never saw him after that,” Cubit said.
Your move, Purdue.
