Big Ten roundtable: Which school with a new head coach improved the most?

playNew Illinois head coach Lovie Smith breaks down why he decided to return to the state of Illinois to join the Fighting Illini and why he's looking forward to pursuing a new coaching opportunity outside of the NFL. (2:06)The firing of Bill Cubit and subsequent hiring of Lovie Smith one day later at Illinois was a bombshell nobody but new athletic director Josh Whitman saw coming. Suddenly, the Illini have renewed credibility and have demonstrated they are serious about competing in the Big Ten West.

Smith, the former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, still has numerous tasks ahead of him. But Illinois now has the league's attention. Smith is the third new Big Ten head…