Imrem: Illinois AD Whitman could make big splash with Lovie
Fans of University of Illinois football had to be encouraged Saturday.
Or maybe not depending on what they think of Lovie Smith.
New athletic director Josh Whitman announced a decision Saturday that's expected of high-powered executives like, say, Hewlett-Packard's Meg Whitman.
Sometimes the moves work. Sometimes they don't. But the worst thing to be is indecisive and Josh Whitman certainly wasn't that.
On his first official day as AD, Whitman whacked football coach Bill Cubit.
Just like that: Whack! No hesitation: Whack! No questions asked: Whack!
That would have been a big enough story but Whitman added that he's retaining John Groce as basketball coach.
Then came the biggest splash when several news outlets reported that Whitman wants Smith, the former Bears' coach, to replace Cubit.
This Whitman guy sure isn't bashful. He wants to show off. He's saying, “Hey, look at Illinois and what we're doing.”
My goodness, Love Smith? He wasn't exactly beloved here at end of his Bears' tenure but the college level might suit him better.
Name recognition is important to recruits and their parents. Just knowing who Smith is, whatever their perception, might get the Illini into some homes they otherwise would be locked out of.
That would especially be true in talent-rich Florida, where Smith recently was fired somewhat abruptly and some say unfairly by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This marriage would smack a little of two desperate parties coming together: Smith out of options to get a prominent job and Illinois out of options for an impact football coach.
The job opening likely must be posted so we'll have to wait to see whether this ever comes to be.
Hiring Smith could be a gimmick or it could be genius.
As for Cubit, he had to go sooner than later. His presence led to suspicions that Illinois administrators were being played for fools.
After Illinois fired former football coach Tim Beckman for mistreating players, Cubit said that he had no idea that was going on.
Cubit was Beckman's offensive coordinator. He insisted he lived with those players every day. Yet he knew nothing of the transgressions?
Whitman apparently wasn't fooled. He did what he had to do as quickly as he could do it.
The immediate assumption was that Whitman must have somebody in mind to replace Cubit or at least a short list of candidates to pursue.
It makes sense if Lovie Smith indeed is the target.
Whitman, at 37 years of age and coming from Division III Washington University in St. Louis, has to prove he's equipped to hire a Division I football coach.
If Whitman lands someone who at least looks like the right guy, the future of Illini football will be more relevant and credible. If he hires someone who looks like Tim Beckman, uh, not so much.
Illinois football is a tough sell for an athletic director.
The university still doesn't have a permanent chancellor. The state's budget problems make this more a departure point than a destination point. The overall mood is gloomy skepticism for those coming and going.
Josh Whitman elevated expectations of him as an athletic director Saturday by firing his football coach.
Now he'll have to meet those expectations by hiring the right replacement.
If nothing else, Lovie Smith sure would be a blockbuster.
mimrem@dailyherald.com