This news is beyond exciting for the Illinois fan base. Smith is a name that most sports fans know and all people who have some affiliation with the state of Illinois would know.
Illinois really hasn’t made a big impact hiring in a long time. I think Ron Zook was the last big-ish hire that I can remember. He was a great recruiter but an average coach.
If and when Lovie comes in as the next head coach of the Illinois football team this would send shockwaves through the Big Ten and the recruiting world.
I would expect many things would improve under the guidance of Smith.