Lovie Smith Out at Illinois

[Fryowa]

Dear lord people. He won 10 big ten games in 5 years. 10-33. 5 years is more than most coaches get these days. I know they are unlikely to do so, but if you are Illinois, why not roll out the red carpet for Phil and float him like a 5 year $20 million deal? He's probably not interested, but why not find out? If nothing else, you cause a little heartburn for a rival in the division, and maybe force them to to give Phil a big raise. And if you get really lucky, you nab a guy who quickly builds a salty team, knows how to pull 2 and 3 star gems from Illinois' recruiting footprint, and probably brings some Iowa assistants with him.

Agreed. If I were running Illini football call number 1 would be Phil. Number 2 would be Leonhard up at Wisconsin. If I needed a third call it would be Pelini. But then again, I'm not a complete fucking idiot.

Phil has one of the top 5 jobs in all of the Big Ten. If he were enticeable with money he'd have been gone a long time ago to a better program than Illinois.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

Phil has one of the top 5 jobs in all of the Big Ten. If he were enticeable with money he'd have been gone a long time ago to a better program than Illinois.

So you think he's turned down $20 million before?

 

[Fryowa]

So you think he's turned down $20 million before?

Nope because he hasn’t been offered it. But I also think if he was open to leaving he’d have been offered big time money already.

He’s been asked numerous times publicly if he’d consider it and he knows he could have a good shot at the Iowa gig. Every time he says no. And he knows if he were offered and took the Iowa job it’d be 8 figures as well.

Look, the HC money in P5 is insane. But that’s not the only thing these guys are after. The reason I say Phil has one of the top 5 jobs is because he’s making $850K a year which will soon turn into a million. He’s the best DC in the league, and that job is his as long as he wants it. He could make 7 figures for another 8-10 years and never have to move, go through hiring again, get to learn another staff, and never for a minute worry about his job. And he says he loves being a DC because he actually gets to coach instead of deal with all the bs.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

I'm not saying what Phil thinks or what he values - I'm saying what call Illinois should make. Why not call and find out? And he has generally said he loves what he does and where he is at - except for the one time he said in an interview that he'd be interested in the opportunity to be a head coach. It was a year or two ago. I'd guess most interest in him at the P5 level has been as DC. If anyone has come hard at him with a P5 HC opportunity, we haven't heard about it. I'm only saying I'd put on the full court press if I'm the Illinois AD.