The Lovie Smith era in Champaign is no more.
Illinois is parting ways with Smith after five years with him as its head coach, choosing to go in a different direction as it enters the offseason, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Big Ten Network's Howard Griffith. The former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach had a 17-39 all-time record leading the Illini who never finished with a winning record or higher than fourth in the Big Ten West during his tenure.
He reportedly told the team about the decision in a meeting at noon on Sunday.
Smith, 62, was under contract through the 2023 season after receiving a contract extension in the fall of 2018. The 2005 NFL Coach of the Year will now look to continue his career elsewhere.
The Illini must now embark on a coaching search amid a pandemic that has sapped athletic departments of much of their cash flow. Yahoo's Pete Thamel threw out a number of possibilities, including former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman.
Some names for Illinois: Army's Jeff Monken, Buffalo's Lance Leipold, former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, Kent's Sean Lewis, Iowa State OC Tom Manning, Ball State's Mike Neu, Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard and Cincinnati DC Marcus Freeman.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 13, 2020
