It’s Official: Lovie Smith Will Coach Illinois
March 7th, 2016
Simple as that.
Lovie Smith has a new job, and Team Glazer looks like it fired another coach whose heart wasn’t in NFL coaching.
Remember when Team Glazer fired Chucky? It was bizarre. Chucky claimed total love of NFL coaching, but effectively retired on that January day back in 2009. There was Chucky, 45 years old and finished with his stated passion.
Now look at 57-year-old Lovie Smith. Team Glazer booted him, and Lovie, who is still owed about $10 million, now appears to be washing his hands of the NFL. Smith has accepted the head coaching job at the University of Illinois this morning. BSPN report he got a six-year, $21 million dollar deal. No word on how much of that is guaranteed cash.
It’s a surprising move for a 20-year NFL coach, a guy who believed he just coached the Bucs to being “on the verge” of greatness.
The public story on Lovie’s firing his that he didn’t want to meet with Team Glazer and fight for his job.
Perhaps Lovie’s heart was simply moving away from the NFL game.
March 7th, 2016 at 8:59 am
Congratulations to Coach Smith. Given how well he did with Jameis in his rookie year perhaps being in a position to be more of a mentor to student athletes is a better suit for him at this point of his life.
March 7th, 2016 at 9:04 am
Congratulations! Coach Lovie – Wish U the best. Hopefully you can build a solid program for The Fighting Illini
March 7th, 2016 at 9:11 am
JOE can you even imagine him it feels to BACK-STABBED AND THEN KICK OUT BY THE GLAZE DONUT KLAN! Good luck LOVIE !!
March 7th, 2016 at 9:12 am
This a win for the BUCS and Lovie, now we are off the hook for the remainder of his contract basically. And he can take his “college level coaching staff anyways” back to chicago. He probably wants to work his way back in the league is my guess. I’m happy for him tho. Congrats.
March 7th, 2016 at 9:14 am
I’m CONFUSED ABOUT THE 10 MIL. Do we still pay him the 10 mil since he will be coaching in college?
March 7th, 2016 at 9:14 am
he won’t even be as good as ZOOK
March 7th, 2016 at 9:17 am
Congrats, I hope he is successful there, no hard feelings, coach did us a solid with the race to win Jameis
March 7th, 2016 at 9:21 am
I wish him the best but I am very happy he isn’t the Bucs coach anymore. If he treats this job like the Bucs job then I feel sorry for that fan base. But if he’s willing to make adjustments, not be stubborn and hires qualified coaches then he might be ok. But sense he gets 10 mil the next couple years regardless I guess it might not matter to him. We’ll see….
March 7th, 2016 at 9:22 am
@TDTB2015
The bucs put in a clause on His contract that means if he gets a job elsewhere, (doesn’t have to be a HC job) whatever he makes will be deducted from what we have to pay him. So let’s say he makes 3 million this year then the bucs only have to pay 7 million. So whatever he makes counts towards what we owe him.
March 7th, 2016 at 9:22 am
Mike & Mike just said Illinois just got a GREAT ONE! Then they follow up saying that the only reason they fired Smith in Tampa is because of the coach and QB relationship. Man they have no clue what is going on in Tampa do they. Shameful how little they pay attention to teams not names the Cowboys, Pats, Giants, Jet, Redskins, Steelers or whoever the past super bowl winner is.
March 7th, 2016 at 9:28 am
That was very smart of the Bucs to throw that in the contract. One less HC the glazers have to pay. Now we’re only paying two I believe. Lol, (Schiano & Koetter) just got done paying chucky and morris.
March 7th, 2016 at 9:29 am
C’mon Joes because the man took a job on the college level doesn’t mean his heart wasn’t into his job. So now you’re calling his character and integrity into question which I don’t believe you.
March 7th, 2016 at 9:30 am
Big 10 offensive coaches just rejoiced!!
Aloof their 3rd string qbs and freshmen will rack use big yards
March 7th, 2016 at 9:46 am
Lovie will do well in the college coaching ranks. he has a wealth of experience to depart to up and coming football players. At least he did not just sit back on his laurels and collect Glazer money as many of YOU have said he would. He easily could have. Says a lot about his desire to..stay in the football game. Forward march Buccaneers. Get up off of some of that cash and stop being..tightwads. You gotta sign Martin and get us a pass rush!!
March 7th, 2016 at 10:14 am
Crying Illini- welcome to the legendary basement of incompetent Lovie Smith. Bucs fans have just recently found the door to get out and are leaving so there is plenty of room down here for you. Make yourself comfortable because 6 years is a long time.
March 7th, 2016 at 10:24 am
Soon a styrofoam statue of Lovie will be erected outside of RJS. Resting on his noggin will be a birdbath and feeder, a testament to his enduring legacy. Below the statuette will be a small retention pond able to be flushed to sanitize and eliminate the droppings.
March 7th, 2016 at 10:39 am
Best of luck…..
To the Illini.
March 7th, 2016 at 10:43 am
If he wanted to coach it would have to be somewhere that actually wanted him. All the talking heads were ripping the Buc’s for cutting him loose, but which NFL team made an effort to employ him? Not a single one that I heard of.
I’M ecstatic that Lovey Dovey isn’t here anymore. The same way I was when J5, Perkins, Dilfer, Williamson, Leeman, Talib, et all were escorted off the premises.
March 7th, 2016 at 10:56 am
Congrats to Lovie. Unlike Schiano who I actually liked and continue to hope succeeds in his future coaching endevors, I don’t particularly care if Lovie succeeds or fails in Illinois. I am happy for the dude to at least get a shot to redeem himself somewhere though, so good for him on that.
March 7th, 2016 at 11:31 am
Lovie is going to bring “relevance” to the Illinois football program… LMAO!
Heard that before.
I’m Lovie will do real well recruiting against Meyer, Harbaugh, etc…
“Hey kids, if you love Jesus, don’t like swearing and want to play vanilla football, come to IU with me and my sons!”
Good luck IU!
LOL
March 7th, 2016 at 11:46 am
Good luck Lovie. I’m happy that your still coaching elsewhere… And not here…
March 7th, 2016 at 1:18 pm
good luck lovie!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
March 7th, 2016 at 1:32 pm
College ball is totally different than the NFL. If Lovie can parlay his name recognition, and drop enough hints about his players being NFL ready..and he gets a couple of really, really strong charismatic recruiting coaches..he can do it.
He’s not going to be able to match Urban and Harbaugh, but nobody expects the “Fightin’ Illini'” to be perennial conference powers. If Lovie can just get them competitive and stop the embarrassment he’ll be able to keep his job.
March 7th, 2016 at 4:38 pm
Mike & Mike just said Illinois just got a GREAT ONE! Then they follow up saying that the only reason they fired Smith in Tampa is because of the coach and QB relationship. Man they have no clue what is going on in Tampa do they. Shameful how little they pay attention to teams not names the Cowboys, Pats, Giants, Jet, Redskins, Steelers or whoever the past super bowl winner is.
guy golic knows more than you about nfl football, the rams forced out vermeil to keep martz. the glazers panicked
March 7th, 2016 at 4:43 pm
I’m Lovie will do real well recruiting against Meyer, Harbaugh, etc
all he has to do is seal the borders and raid Missouri because the redneck politicians over there to want the players scholarships yanked for protesting. then go to st louis county and say look get your sons away from these kkk cops and send them to illini.lol but there will some some truth to what I said. your kid is close enough to visit but you got them out of missouri