OT: Beckman Fired
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Whitey23
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URBANA, Ill. – University of Illinois Director of Athletics Mike Thomas dismissed head football coach Tim Beckman on Friday, citing preliminary results of an external review into allegations involving the program.
Thomas said the timing is unfortunate with the season one week away. But based on preliminary findings, he said, it was in the best interests of student-athletes to act now rather than when a final report is issued and publicly released, which likely will occur during the season.
"The preliminary information external reviewers shared with me does not reflect our values or our commitment to the welfare of our student-athletes, and I've chosen to act accordingly," Thomas said. "During the review, we have asked people not to rush to judgment, but I now have enough information to make this decision in assessing the status and direction of the football program."
Thomas said he has met with players and staff to inform them of the decision and reiterated that the health and well-being of student-athletes is the top priority throughout the athletic department's 21 programs.
During a preliminary briefing from the external reviewers, Thomas said he learned of efforts to deter injury reporting and influence medical decisions that pressured players to avoid or postpone medical treatment and continue playing despite injuries. He also said in some instances student-athletes were treated inappropriately with respect to whether they could remain on scholarship during the spring semester of their senior year if they weren't on the team.
"Both of those findings are unsettling violations of University policy and practice and do not reflect the culture that we wish to create in athletic programs for our young people," Thomas said. "I expect my coaches to protect players and foster their success on and off the field."
He said the review continues and a final report has not yet been issued. To date, more than 90 individuals have been interviewed by the Franczek Radelet law firm and 200,000 documents have been reviewed, along with a large volume of practice and game video from Beckman's three years as head coach.
Thomas said Bill Cubit, who joined the Illini coaching staff as offensive coordinator in 2013, has been named interim head coach for the 2015 season. The appointment will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval at their September 10 meeting. Thomas said the external review did not indicate any findings related to Coach Cubit.
Beckman will not receive the $3.1 million remaining on the last two years of his original five-year contract or the $743,000 called for if his contract had been bought out.
Beckman's record in three years as head coach was 12-25 overall, 4-20 in Big Ten Conference games. He led Illinois to the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl in December 2014.
Thomas said the timing is unfortunate with the season one week away. But based on preliminary findings, he said, it was in the best interests of student-athletes to act now rather than when a final report is issued and publicly released, which likely will occur during the season.
"The preliminary information external reviewers shared with me does not reflect our values or our commitment to the welfare of our student-athletes, and I've chosen to act accordingly," Thomas said. "During the review, we have asked people not to rush to judgment, but I now have enough information to make this decision in assessing the status and direction of the football program."
Thomas said he has met with players and staff to inform them of the decision and reiterated that the health and well-being of student-athletes is the top priority throughout the athletic department's 21 programs.
During a preliminary briefing from the external reviewers, Thomas said he learned of efforts to deter injury reporting and influence medical decisions that pressured players to avoid or postpone medical treatment and continue playing despite injuries. He also said in some instances student-athletes were treated inappropriately with respect to whether they could remain on scholarship during the spring semester of their senior year if they weren't on the team.
"Both of those findings are unsettling violations of University policy and practice and do not reflect the culture that we wish to create in athletic programs for our young people," Thomas said. "I expect my coaches to protect players and foster their success on and off the field."
He said the review continues and a final report has not yet been issued. To date, more than 90 individuals have been interviewed by the Franczek Radelet law firm and 200,000 documents have been reviewed, along with a large volume of practice and game video from Beckman's three years as head coach.
Thomas said Bill Cubit, who joined the Illini coaching staff as offensive coordinator in 2013, has been named interim head coach for the 2015 season. The appointment will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval at their September 10 meeting. Thomas said the external review did not indicate any findings related to Coach Cubit.
Beckman will not receive the $3.1 million remaining on the last two years of his original five-year contract or the $743,000 called for if his contract had been bought out.
Beckman's record in three years as head coach was 12-25 overall, 4-20 in Big Ten Conference games. He led Illinois to the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl in December 2014.
djorange1989
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half my neighbors are Ilinois grads. To say they will be happy about this is an understatement. The guy is a bum, have thought that about him since he was at Toledo.
CuseLegacy
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Well he sure as heck shouldn't get a dime more.
Millhouse
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they must've found something really bad
javadoc
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I suppose this is a "firing with cause" scenario and thus the ability to void any future pay. I wonder what coaches' contracts spell out in that regard, short of criminal conduct.
OrangeMojo
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Illini have any 2016 commits that SU was after?
CuseLegacy
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"In May, former offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic released a series of damning tweets regarding Beckman and the medical staff’s mishandling of his knee injury. He said he has to go to therapy for “the rest of my life” because it wasn’t repaired properly.
In other reports former players called Beckman “the worst coach I ever met.” The Chicago Tribune recently interviewed more than a dozen current and former players who painted a troubling picture of the coach.
Former receiver Kenny Knight said that at a practice in 2013, teammate Jaylen Dunlap burrowed his head into Knight, knocking him to the ground after Knight made a catch. Knight said he got up to verbally confront Dunlap when he felt an arm grab him tightly around the chest from behind and throw him onto the turf. Beckman, he said, was the one grabbing him.
“Do I expect to have the screaming and yelling? Yes,” Knight told the Tribune in May. “But never in my wildest dreams would I think that a coach would think it was the right thing to throw me on the ground like a piece of trash.”
690West
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Mark Hasty @MarkHasty 26m26 minutes ago
This is going to set Illini football back at LEAST a week and a half.
This is going to set Illini football back at LEAST a week and a half.
orange79
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lol
TheCusian
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Scooch said:
"Some" being the operative word. When we say it about our coaches it's either due to track record (JAB) or known integrity or character (Shafer), etc. You build up that trust over time.
So when Shafer says a local kid can play LB at Syracuse there is not a lot of arguing. He's earned it. It's way harder to be deferential when it comes to offense or hiring OC's. (I've tried - hard to defend following McDonald.)
djorange1989
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The only one that comes to mind is Mike Epstein from Florida, 2017 RB. Dumping Beckman might actually help them keep their commits, actually!
CuseLegacy
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gocraz4dasu
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He must have done something exceptionally bad for them to fire him at this juncture. I respect that the Illinois AD took action.
Orange4
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Bet our boys from Illinois are especially happy to come to Syracuse rather than Illinois now. I think one of the only real guys we would pursue if he decided to transfer would be Defensive Tackle Jamal Milian. Hasn't even played a snap for them or indicated whether he would transfer or not but have to think the staff is keeping an eye on him because they really liked him out of High School
Here was an article I linked at the beginning of July on it-
http://syracusefan.com/threads/some...f-going-down-at-university-of-illinois.91665/
http://syracusefan.com/threads/some...f-going-down-at-university-of-illinois.91665/
CuseLegacy
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orange79
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Oh, I don't know. Maybe a little going-away soiree? But since he got cut off financially, it's definitely BYOB now!
