U of Illinois trustees OK hiring of new athletic director

URBANA, Ill. (AP) - University of Illinois trustees have approved the hiring of Josh Whitman as athletic director at the Urbana-Champaign campus.

The trustees' executive committee voted Monday to make Whitman's hiring official.

Whitman will take over from Mike Thomas, who was fired in November after allegations of player mistreatment by football and women's basketball coaches.

Whitman was introduced as the athletic director on Feb. 18 and starts next month.

He will have a five-year contract and be paid $600,000 annually plus up to $200,000 a year in bonuses. Further details of his contract have not yet been released.

Thomas was paid $475,000 a year plus up to $200,000 in bonuses.

Whitman played football at and graduated from the University of Illinois. He is leaving the AD's job at Washington University in St. Louis.