School fires AD after allegations

Need for change is cited in latest leadership move.

— The University of Illinois fired athletic director Mike Thomas on Monday, saying that he had done nothing wrong but that a change was needed after the department was plunged into crisis when football and women’s basketball players said they had been mistreated by their coaches.

Thomas, who will be paid $2.5 million to buy out the remainder of his contract, said he believes he acted appropriately but accepts the decision.

“I believe it is a good time to turn the page and put the focus of this organization back on the success and welfare of our student-athletes,” Thomas said in a statement.

Thomas is the latest high-profile leader to be swept aside in the turmoil at the university’s flagship campus this year, after the resignation of one of his top backers, Chancellor Phyllis Wise, and the August firing of football coach Tim Beckman.

The school also released final reports, more than 1,200 pages in all, on independent investigations into the allegations. The football report found that Beckman pressured players to play hurt, sometimes profanely questioning their toughness in front of other players, and interfered in medical decisions. That echoed details that were disclosed when he was fired.

The latest women’s basketball investigation found no evidence to back up allegations from seven former players that, among other things, some were pressured to play hurt.

Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson praised Thomas for leading the athletic department through a difficult six months, but said the university’s sports programs needed a fresh start. She declined to offer details on exactly why she decided to fire Thomas.

“It’s time to put the distractions of the past months behind us,” Wilson said at a news conference. “This has not been an easy decision, but I believe it’s the one that will allow us to concentrate on the future.”

Senior associate athletic director Paul Kowalczyk was named interim athletic director.