He has worked at the school since 1987, the last two-plus years as athletic director. Larry Lyons cheered on the Illinois State football program as it reached unprecedented heights in 2014, falling just short against North Dakota State in the FCS title game. The Pontiac native and Illinois graduate has big plans for the Redbirds. Staff writer Bob Asmussen caught up with Lyons earlier in the week:
What is the state of Illinois State athletics?
The program is in pretty good shape. We’ve had good successes up and down our roster of sports. The institution has strong enrollment, and we’ve had good leadership.