Lovie Smith will not be returning as Illinois head coach, the school announced Sunday.
Illinois hired Smith ahead of the 2016 season, giving the veteran NFL head coach a six-year contract and his first collegiate head-coaching job. However, Smith failed to put together a winning season with the program, going just 17–39 throughout his five seasons in Champaign. Illinois also made just a single postseason appearance throughout Smith s tenure, falling last year in the Redbox Bowl.
A 28–10 loss to Northwestern on Saturday dropped this year s team to 2–5 on the year. Lovie Smith led the Illinois football program with unquestioned integrity during his nearly five years of service, director of athletics Josh Whitman said in a statement. I have tremendous respect for coach Smith and will always be grateful to him for providing a steady, experienced hand at a time when our program required stability. His unshakeable leadership, never more needed than during this pandemic, will