UI chancellor: 'We needed some stability'
Mon, 11/30/2015 - 3:02pm | Julie Wurth
Video:
Daniels: Cubit deal curious decision
» more
Videographer: Bob Asmussen/The News-Gazette
Beat writer and sports editor Matt Daniels recaps Illinois' 24-14 loss at Northwestern and Bill Cubit's new deal.
Bill Cubit will join staff writers on WDWS' News-Gazette Sports Page at 5 p.m. Monday at the Esquire
What's your take? Submit a Letter to the Editor here
URBANA — Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson said today she never considered hiring a new head football coach at this point to replace former interim Bill Cubit, saying she wanted to let the new athletic director make that call.
In her first public comments on the decision to sign Cubit to a two-year contract as head coach, Wilson told The News-Gazette that one of her primary goals was restoring stability to the program.
“We are impressed with what he’s accomplished in a tough situation. He’s really risen to the occasion,” Wilson said. “He’s helped provide a lot of stability for the team. He will help us in the near-term recruitment. We needed some stability.”
Asked if she considered hiring a new coach now, Wilson said, “No. That’s just not the way things should unfold. We hire a permanent AD, and that permanent AD makes decisions about coaches.”
Wilson said the decision wasn’t “any one person’s call” but involved “lots of consultations with many of us.”
“We think it’s the best decision for where we are right now,” Wilson said.
The consultations included phone conversations with individual UI trustees, though Wilson didn’t say how many.
“The president and I were both involved in these discussions,” she said. “Every appointment is contingent on board approval, so we do a lot of discussions with board members. They’ve been very supportive. They’re interested in doing what’s best for the football program. So they’ve been consulted and they’ve been involved all along.”
Wilson would not confirm whether Cubit’s $1.2 million-a-year contract includes a buyout in the second year.
“We haven’t worked out all the details on that yet. Everything’s contingent on board approval,” she said.
Former athletic director Mike Thomas fired former head coach Tim Beckman in August, citing a preliminary investigative report that found Beckman had pressured players not to report injuries and threatened to take some players’ scholarships away. Thomas was then fired Nov, 9, when the full report came out, though it cleared him personally.
Regarding the athletic director search, Wilson said she hopes to announce a search committee by the end of the week. She said she hasn’t decided whether to use an outside search consultant. The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has a pre-existing contract with Parker Executive Search, but Wilson said no decisions have been made.
“We’re making good progress,” she said.
The search committee will be small — with fewer than 10 members — “but it will be representative over all the important stakeholders,” she said.
Wilson would not discuss any specific candidates for the post but acknowledged receiving lots of suggestions from alumni and others.
“Mostly I’m talking to people about what the criteria are that will be important for the next AD. I’m learning a lot. I’ve talked with the coaches, I’m talking with alums, I’m talking with people in DIA,” she said. “I would say there’s a good amount of interest in this, and that’s good. That’s healthy.”
She also declined to predict how long the search will take.
“I’m hoping the committee can move expeditiously, but I won’t be putting a strict time frame on them at this point. I want them to do a good job and give me a short list of people that will be phenomenal.”
Mon, 11/30/2015 - 3:02pm | Julie Wurth
Video:
Daniels: Cubit deal curious decision
» more
Videographer: Bob Asmussen/The News-Gazette
Beat writer and sports editor Matt Daniels recaps Illinois' 24-14 loss at Northwestern and Bill Cubit's new deal.
Bill Cubit will join staff writers on WDWS' News-Gazette Sports Page at 5 p.m. Monday at the Esquire
What's your take? Submit a Letter to the Editor here
URBANA — Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson said today she never considered hiring a new head football coach at this point to replace former interim Bill Cubit, saying she wanted to let the new athletic director make that call.
In her first public comments on the decision to sign Cubit to a two-year contract as head coach, Wilson told The News-Gazette that one of her primary goals was restoring stability to the program.
“We are impressed with what he’s accomplished in a tough situation. He’s really risen to the occasion,” Wilson said. “He’s helped provide a lot of stability for the team. He will help us in the near-term recruitment. We needed some stability.”
Asked if she considered hiring a new coach now, Wilson said, “No. That’s just not the way things should unfold. We hire a permanent AD, and that permanent AD makes decisions about coaches.”
Wilson said the decision wasn’t “any one person’s call” but involved “lots of consultations with many of us.”
“We think it’s the best decision for where we are right now,” Wilson said.
The consultations included phone conversations with individual UI trustees, though Wilson didn’t say how many.
“The president and I were both involved in these discussions,” she said. “Every appointment is contingent on board approval, so we do a lot of discussions with board members. They’ve been very supportive. They’re interested in doing what’s best for the football program. So they’ve been consulted and they’ve been involved all along.”
Wilson would not confirm whether Cubit’s $1.2 million-a-year contract includes a buyout in the second year.
“We haven’t worked out all the details on that yet. Everything’s contingent on board approval,” she said.
Former athletic director Mike Thomas fired former head coach Tim Beckman in August, citing a preliminary investigative report that found Beckman had pressured players not to report injuries and threatened to take some players’ scholarships away. Thomas was then fired Nov, 9, when the full report came out, though it cleared him personally.
Regarding the athletic director search, Wilson said she hopes to announce a search committee by the end of the week. She said she hasn’t decided whether to use an outside search consultant. The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has a pre-existing contract with Parker Executive Search, but Wilson said no decisions have been made.
“We’re making good progress,” she said.
The search committee will be small — with fewer than 10 members — “but it will be representative over all the important stakeholders,” she said.
Wilson would not discuss any specific candidates for the post but acknowledged receiving lots of suggestions from alumni and others.
“Mostly I’m talking to people about what the criteria are that will be important for the next AD. I’m learning a lot. I’ve talked with the coaches, I’m talking with alums, I’m talking with people in DIA,” she said. “I would say there’s a good amount of interest in this, and that’s good. That’s healthy.”
She also declined to predict how long the search will take.
“I’m hoping the committee can move expeditiously, but I won’t be putting a strict time frame on them at this point. I want them to do a good job and give me a short list of people that will be phenomenal.”
