The News-Gazette · Mar 7, 2016
Lovie Smith trending nationwide
Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made a splash on his first day on the job, firing football coach Bill Cubit. Whitman made a bigger splash Monday morning, announcing former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith as the Illini's new coach.
The news of Smith's hiring is trending nationwide on Twitter. Here's a sampling of what current players, former players, media members and fans have said:
— Josh Whitman (@IlliniAD) March 7, 2016
Oh yes we will! Go #illini https://t.co/eQHRs8IkOb
— Chief Illiniwek (@chiefilliniwek) March 7, 2016
Seriously: A guy who is among the top 50 all time winningest coaches in NFL history just signed on to coach Illinois football.