New Illinois AD Josh Whitman fires coach Bill Cubit

Illinois has parted ways with football coach Bill Cubit.

Cubit was hired at the beginning last season on an interim basis and when new athletic director Josh Whitman came on for his first official day on Saturday, one of his first duties was to let Cubit go.

“I appreciate the leadership that Bill Cubit provided our football program during what has been, unquestionably, a very tumultuous time,” Whitman said in a statement. “He accepted the challenge on an interim basis under incredibly difficult and unusual circumstances, and he has continued to work diligently for the betterment of our student-athletes. Through his efforts, he has kept the program moving forward. Bill is a good man and a good football coach. All of us in the Illini Nation owe him a debt of gratitude for his work leading our team these last months. At this juncture, however, I think it is most important that we position our program for long-term success by creating a more stable environment for the coaches, players, and prospective student-athletes.”

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Stability is definitely something that has eluded this Illini program in the past year. Former coach Tim Beckman was fired on August 28, 2015, following an internal investigation into verbal abuse and injury reporting of players. Cubit led the Illini to a 5-7 record, which was good enough to have his interim tag removed on Nov. 29. At the time, Cubit was given a two-year extension. Illinois will pay him the $985,000 balance of his contract.

Cubit’s son Ryan, who was the team’s offensive coordinator, also was fired. He will receive the $361,000 remaining on his contract. All other assistant coaches will have an opportunity to interview for their jobs.

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Illinois spring practice was slated to begin on March 11, but that date will be pushed back to a time when the school can bring in a new head coach, which Whitman said would be done immediately. The April 16 spring game also is in flux.

For more Illinois news, visit OrangeandBlueNews.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

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