Illinois’ Josh Whitman sets foundation for football program
By Michal Dwojak, Staff writer
March 6, 2016
Tweet: Josh Whitman wastes little time putting his plan for Illinois football into place with Cubit firing Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman has made his intentions for the University’s athletic program clear. In his first letter to donors on the day it was announced that he would ...
The ever-changing hunt: the evolution of college football recruitment
By Michal Dwojak, Staff writer
February 1, 2016
John Holecek fulfilled a lifelong dream when he committed to play football at the University of Illinois in 1991. Holecek was a three-sport athlete at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, and received offers to play football from multiple Big Ten schools. Now an IHSA ...
Bill Cubit, Illinois football loses more players to transfer
January 26, 2016
Illinois head football coach Bill Cubit's roster continues to shrink just over a week before national signing day. As first reported by The News-Gazette, linebacker T.J. Neal Jr. plans on transferring from Illinois. The Pennsylvania native made the announcement official in a tweet that he s...
Illini resolutions for 2016
By Kevin McCarthy
January 18, 2016
Let me tell you a story.When I was nine years old, I rode my first-ever roller coaster at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. I’ll cut to the chase: It turned me green.As bad as the experience was for my weak stomach on that beautiful Florida day, it was actually far worse for my father. He ended...
Wilson adds search firm to Illini AD hunt
By Peter Bailey-Wells
December 17, 2015
Interim Illinois Chancellor Barbara Wilson announced Wednesday that the University had selected an executive search firm to assist her previously chosen search committee with hiring a new athletic director.The search firm in question is Korn Ferry, the world's largest executive search firm, which has...
UI tasks search committee with finding new athletic director
November 24, 2015
Illinois has a search committee for a new athletic director.Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson announced in a press release Friday the eight people that will aid in the search for a replacement for interim athletic director Paul Kowalcyzk, who has been on the job for a little more...
Wes Lunt happy to be at Illinois football’s helm during bowl push
By Michal Dwojak, Staff writer
November 18, 2015
On a cold, rainy Monday in November, Wes Lunt was where he usually is on a Monday afternoon: sitting in a chair in the Memorial Stadium press box. It’s part of the Illinois quarterback’s weekly routine: meet with media members after head coach Bill Cubit concludes his press conference. He stare...
Illini freshman Julian Jones suspended indefinitely
By The Daily Illini Staff Report
November 12, 2015
Illinois head coach Bill Cubit has suspended freshman linebacker Julian Jones indefinitely pending an investigation, according to a press release from the athletic department.The investigation is into an alleged crime Jones committed in Georgia during the team's bye weekend of Oct. 16-18. Jones i...
Takeaways from the Franczek Radelet report into the athletic department
By Declan Harty
November 10, 2015
The University released the results of Chicago-based law firm Franczek Radelet’s lengthy investigation into the athletic department on Monday.The report explored the department’s handling of sports injuries and accusations from student-athletes in the football and women’s basketball programs. The re...
A change in culture: Mike Thomas and where Illinois athletics goes from here
By Peter Bailey-Wells
November 9, 2015
Mike Thomas was inevitably going to get fired.It was simply a matter of when, not if. Even despite Thomas’ relative innocence in relation to the abusive actions of Tim Beckman — as described in Franczek Radelet’s report — interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson dismissed him from the University....
Illinois football’s Bill Cubit will continue to serve his team after Mike Thomas departure
By Michal Dwojak, Staff writer
November 9, 2015
The Illinois football investigations were hanging over head coach Bill Cubit’s and the heads of the rest of the team since former player Simon Cvijanovic made allegations against former head coach Tim Beckman in May. The preliminary findings of the investigation resulted in the firing of Beckman in...
Illinois defense falls in the shadows in Purdue win
By Michal Dwojak, Staff writer
November 9, 2015
While Illinois football’s running back Josh Ferguson was the star of his team’s 48-14 win at Purdue on Saturday, the defense made sure to do its job so that the margin would never be close. The defensive players responded against the Boilermakers after allowing 39 points to Penn State the week ...
