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Illinois Fighting Illini (you'll see)

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Zook has a new boss, as Illinois hired new AD Mike Thomas away from Cincy.

SI.com

Illinois hires Cincinnati AD to replace Guenther

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- The University of Illinois introduced Mike Thomas Wednesday as its new athletics director, turning the program over to the man credited with raising the stature - and success - of sports at the University of Cincinnati.

Thomas, 51, will replace Ron Guenther, who retired this summer after 19 years on the job.

Among Thomas' successful hires since taking over the reins at Cincinnati in 2005 was Brian Kelly, the football coach who won two Big East championships before moving to Notre Dame.

Thomas said Illinois has great facilities and a great base to build the athletics program on.

"We are in the Big Ten, we're in the Big Ten to win championships, and we're in the Big Ten to graduate our students," Thomas, who wore an orange and blue tie, said at a news conference.

He said he expects to begin work before the opening game of the football season, at home against Arkansas State on Sept. 3.

Thomas was hired just a week after the university selected a new leader for its flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign. New Chancellor Phyllis Wise, who won't officially begin work until October, introduced Thomas.

"We've been able to find and recruit someone who cares about athletics within the context of an excellent research university," said Wise, who is leaving the provost job at the University of Washington. "He's been at the University of Cincinnati since 2005, and in that short time has been able to truly convert that program into one of stellar success."
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Under Thomas, Cincinnati's athletics program also raised $70 million from donors.

At Illinois, one of his first tasks will be to take on the planned renovation of the Assembly Hall, the 48-year-old basketball arena. University President Michael Hogan said Wednesday that an architectural firm has been hired to study the costs of a project the university hopes to start in 2013.

Thomas will be paid $475,000 a year, plus another $100,000 a year in deferred compensation that he would receive if he stays on the job five years, university spokesman Tom Hardy said. Other incentives, likely to be based on on-field performance, fund-raising and other factors, are still being worked out.

Thomas took over in the aftermath of the firing of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins over NCAA rules violations and other trouble at the university.

Thomas was previously the AD at Akron. He is a graduate of Colorado State University and Western Illinois University.

The 65-year-old Guenther retired in June as the Big Ten's longest-serving athletics director.

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I come across a lot of ThaKid's stupidity....but this one needed to be shared:

ThaKid said:
*Some article talking about Jeff Cumberland in the NFL*
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This makes you realize how poorly our offense was coached prior to petrino coming on board. In spite of his obvious gifts, Cumberland was pretty much a non-factor his entire career here.
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I wouldn't say that, but he definitely wasn't utilized to his full potential. An underrated problem, IMO, that went with all the other problems of 2008 and 2009 is that they just had too MANY weapons.
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Apparently the reason Illinois has sucked for all but the one year they fell backwards into the Rose Bowl was because they just had too many good players all on the field at once.

Makes me feel kind of bad for them. I'd hate to be in that position.
 
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Meanwhile Illinois has 8 commits for 2012...

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/r...ory/_/id/6878575/big-ten-recruiting-breakdown

Illinois Fighting Illini
Commitments: 8
ESPNU 150 commitments: 0

Who they have: Usually known for his recruiting prowess, Fighting Illini coach Ron Zook hasn't been able to persuade recruits into picking Illinois through the early parts of this recruiting season. The Illini don't have much room for another big class, but even the recruits currently on board don't bring the same type of excitement as previous classes. Three-star linebacker Tajarvis Fuller (Fort Meyers, Fla./Dunbar) leads the current class, and the Illini have scored a trio of three-star skill position players in defensive backs Zach Jackson (Snellville, Ga./Brookwood) and Cody Quinn (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) and receiver Jason Robertson (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East). The most troubling part about the Illini's current class is that Robertson is the lone recruit from the Land of Lincoln, and he's the No. 17 prospect overall in Illinois. Zook has even allowed Florida to invade Illinois; it's usually the other way around.

Who they still want: The Illini want a lot of players, but none more than ESPNU 150 offensive tackle Jordan Diamond (Chicago/Simeon). The 6-foot-6, 291-pound prospect is the No. 14 offensive tackle and has a laundry list of schools from all over the country that have offered. Despite his being an in-state recruit, the chances the Illini land Diamond aren't promising. Same goes for ESPNU 150 defensive end Faith Ekakitie, who will not take an official visit to the in-state Illini. They are still in the running for Sunshine State prospects Orlando David (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna) and Kenneth Bynum (Jacksonville, Fla./Raines). They also will look to try to lock down the remaining players in Illinois beginning with defensive tackles Vincent Valentine (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) and Vontrell Williams (Chicago/Mount Carmel).
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Fork-in-the-Road.jpg
 
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Me and a friend at work were talking about Al Golden. How he was taking a stand at Cryami and working to suspend the players involved. In turn that led to the understanding that he could realistically be on his own job interview for another school next season. That's when my friend said "He could be great for the Big Ten." After thinking about it, he could make a really good fit at Illinois and replace Zook after this year. Think of the potential when you would have 6 new coaches within the last 2 years (7 with Nebraska) And 2 other young and upcoming coaches. Dantonio is fairly new at MSU. And Iowa/State Penn could be changing soon too.
 
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NateG;1975265; said:
Me and a friend at work were talking about Al Golden. How he was taking a stand at Cryami and working to suspend the players involved. In turn that led to the understanding that he could realistically be on his own job interview for another school next season. That's when my friend said "He could be great for the Big Ten." After thinking about it, he could make a really good fit at Illinois and replace Zook after this year. Think of the potential when you would have 6 new coaches within the last 2 years (7 with Nebraska) And 2 other young and upcoming coaches. Dantonio is fairly new at MSU. And Iowa/State Penn could be changing soon too.
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Golden is gunning for the PSU job.
 
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Sportsbuck28;1975317; said:
Golden is gunning for the PSU job.
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Based on PSU's record of discipling players (or not discipling them, as the case may be), suspending players at Miami may not be the best way to impress the PSU brass. It seems they favor the "threaten to make them clean the stadium" method of discipline.
 
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