Struggling Illini fire Smith, who was 17-39 in five years as coach
Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday with a game left in its ninth consecutive losing season.
Smith became Illinois’ first Black head football coach when he was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman in March 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17-39 in five seasons at the school.
Smith’s original deal was for six years and $21 million, but he received a two-year extension through 2023 after Illinois went 4-8 in his third season.
Whitman praised Smith’s integrity and “unshakeable leadership,” especially this season during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Nonetheless, based on extensive evaluation of the program’s current state and future outlook, I have concluded the program is not progressing at the rate we should expect at this advanced stage in coach Smith’s tenure,” Whitman said. “To achieve our competitive objectives, I believe new leadership of the football program is required.”
The Illini made one postseason appearance under Smith, losing, 35-20, to California in the Redbox Bowl in 2019. They were 6-4 last season after a thrilling comeback victory at Michigan State, but then dropped their last three games.
The slide continued into this year, with Illinois losing its first three by a combined 117-45 score. It is 2-5 after it was pushed around in a 28-10 loss at Northwestern on Saturday, allowing 411 yards rushing in its sixth straight loss in the series against the in-state Wildcats.
The school said offensive coordinator Rod Smith was elevated to acting head coach.
Auburn fires Malzahn: Auburn has fired coach Gus Malzahn, who led the Tigers to the national championship game in his first season but could never replicate that success.
Athletic director Allen Greene announced the firing, a day after the Tigers finished the regular season with a 24-10 victory over Mississippi State. They’re 6-4 in a pandemic-shortened season of all Southeastern Conference opponents, getting blown out by highly ranked teams Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M.
They were also upset by a struggling South Carolina, which wound up firing coach Will Muschamp during the season.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will be interim coach. Auburn will owe Malzahn a $21.45 million buyout for the remaining four years of a sevenyear, $49 million deal.
The school must pay half of that within 30 days.
Malzahn went 68-35 in eight seasons and was 39-27 against SEC opponents. He led the Tigers to an SEC title in 2013, his first season.