Illini fire Cubit

GECat2

Sophomore
Oct 8, 2012
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You can't make this s*it up. There program is the laughing stock of the Big 10. Here is to another decade of comedic Illini football.
 

FloridAlum

Senior
May 29, 2001
16,227
588
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A spokesman for Coach
Groce, who is still shaking a bit too much to post on Twitter, has stated that news of his death has been greatly exaggerated.
 
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Eurocat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
18,147
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Players found out about this on twitter.

Spring practice cancelled.

Lordy lordy.
 

FloridAlum

Senior
May 29, 2001
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I believe they mailed a letter to each of the players on the team which should arrive about Monday or Tuesday.

Seriously, supposedly the new A.D. informed the media two or three hours before the players found out.
 

julescat

Junior
May 29, 2001
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It is the right move for U of I. Cubit is a lightweight and they can do much better. I think this AD will improve things a ton down there.
 

GECat2

Sophomore
Oct 8, 2012
1,927
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This new AD must have someone lined up to replace Cubit immediately. Either that or he is a complete imbecile.
 

Eurocat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
18,147
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You cant make this **** up. Wow

A good hire might help them but, honestly, who would go?

I am not joking when I say they should consider Mike Singletary.

* NFL Hall of Fame. College Football hall of Fame. Baylor Hall of Fame. Big 12 (what is left of it) Hall of Fame.

* NFL Experience. That counts with the recruits.

* He is an ordained minister, That counts with recruits moms and dads.

Tell me this strory wont work on mom and dad -

http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100413aaa.html

The intensity that caught Teaff's eyes right away was on display for the world to see in his phenomenal 12-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears, where Singletary's trademark was the focused, wide-eyed looks that he gave before every play.

Introducing her husband at the 1998 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions, Kim Singletary said, "If I were to ask you to describe Mike Singletary, No. 50 for the Chicago Bears, no doubt you would mention the arms extended with fingers pointing, hollering signals before the ball is snapped; or feet in constant motion, anticipating the running back's next move. But most likely you remember the eyes, wide with intensity in anticipation of the quarterback's call, often before he even called the play."

But at Baylor, other than the mind-boggling tackle stats, Singletary's claim to fame was singlehandedly breaking Baylor's equipment budget by cracking 16 helmets in four years. Football team managers made a point of keeping four or five extra helmets on hand, just in case.

"The first time my helmet broke was when I hit (running back) Dennis Gentry in practice," Singletary said. "He came up the middle, and I tried to rock him. When my helmet broke, people began yelling, `Your helmet's cracked!' I was just glad it wasn't my head. And then on the next play, I I hit Gentry again and my helmet split again. . . . To get a good hit, I thought you needed to run through someone and get your facemask right in the middle of their chest and drive them back."

* Before coaching he was a professional motivational speaker. That rah rah might get old with the pros but it works on the kids.

* So he screwed up as a HC in the NFL. So did Saban and Spurrier and Holtz.

* Every single (well okay ninety five percent) HS coach in Illinois grew up watching Samurai Mike destroy the opposition while with the Bears. They would love to have him over to talk football and they will send their best players his way.

* He has learned from his mistakes as a HC.

I am telling you that is who they should hire. But they are dumb and they won't.
 
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corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
30,524
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The sequence of events is regrettable but I don't blame the new AD for making a change right away if he didn't feel Cubit was the right guy. I don't believe he is the right guy either and keeping him a year to make sure would have just made the rebuild that much harder. The mistake was made when the administration hesitated and didn't fire Beckman and the old AD right away last summer. I feel bad for a guy like McGarigle who just went over there from Western Michigan.
 
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CSCatFan1

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Dec 4, 2002
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The sequence of events is regrettable but I don't blame the new AD for making a change right away if he didn't feel Cubit was the right guy. I don't believe he is the right guy either and keeping him a year to make sure would have just made the rebuild that much harder. The mistake was made when the administration hesitated and didn't fire Beckman and the old AD right away last summer. I feel bad for a guy like McGarigle who just went over there from Western Michigan.

Unless Fleck is the replacement for Cubit. In that case, Timmy is in the right spot.
 
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FloridAlum

Senior
May 29, 2001
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Let us not forget that Coach Cubit was instructed to take his son with him when he leaves town.
 

corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
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Unless Fleck is the replacement for Cubit. In that case, Timmy is in the right spot.

That's a possibility. While I give the new AD credit for being decisive with this move, the communication and timing leaves a lot to be desired if it is true that the players found out about this on Twitter. This should have been communicated to them by the AD before the press release was made public.
 

corbi2961

Senior
Sep 9, 2005
30,524
786
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I am not joking when I say they should consider Mike Singletary.

* NFL Hall of Fame. College Football hall of Fame. Baylor Hall of Fame. Big 12 (what is left of it) Hall of Fame.

* NFL Experience. That counts with the recruits.

* He is an ordained minister, That counts with recruits moms and dads.

Tell me this strory wont work on mom and dad -

http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100413aaa.html

The intensity that caught Teaff's eyes right away was on display for the world to see in his phenomenal 12-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears, where Singletary's trademark was the focused, wide-eyed looks that he gave before every play.

Introducing her husband at the 1998 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions, Kim Singletary said, "If I were to ask you to describe Mike Singletary, No. 50 for the Chicago Bears, no doubt you would mention the arms extended with fingers pointing, hollering signals before the ball is snapped; or feet in constant motion, anticipating the running back's next move. But most likely you remember the eyes, wide with intensity in anticipation of the quarterback's call, often before he even called the play."

But at Baylor, other than the mind-boggling tackle stats, Singletary's claim to fame was singlehandedly breaking Baylor's equipment budget by cracking 16 helmets in four years. Football team managers made a point of keeping four or five extra helmets on hand, just in case.

"The first time my helmet broke was when I hit (running back) Dennis Gentry in practice," Singletary said. "He came up the middle, and I tried to rock him. When my helmet broke, people began yelling, `Your helmet's cracked!' I was just glad it wasn't my head. And then on the next play, I I hit Gentry again and my helmet split again. . . . To get a good hit, I thought you needed to run through someone and get your facemask right in the middle of their chest and drive them back."

* Before coaching he was a professional motivational speaker. That rah rah might get old with the pros but it works on the kids.

* So he screwed up as a HC in the NFL. So did Saban and Spurrier and Holtz.

* Every single (well okay ninety five percent) HS coach in Illinois grew up watching Samurai Mike destroy the opposition while with the Bears. They would love to have him over to talk football and they will send their best players his way.

* He has learned from his mistakes as a HC.

I am telling you that is who they should hire. But they are dumb and they won't.

Singletary is not cut out to be a head coach. Great player, good person, effective motivational speaker but not a head coach.
 

julescat

Junior
May 29, 2001
4,052
256
83
Cubit is a pretty highly respected coach who had a great run at WMU.

Not good enough for what Illinois should be as a job. Hiring Beckman was a joke. Prolonging the problem by continuing with Cubit - a waste of years. New football focused AD needs his guy in there asap.
 

Ubermorgen

Sophomore
Jun 6, 2013
706
100
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Tweet from Illinois' Chayce Crouch..... "I'm refreshing my Twitter feed for updates on my own football team for crucial information this is crazy"
 
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NUCat320

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Dec 4, 2005
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Not good enough for what Illinois should be as a job. Hiring Beckman was a joke. Prolonging the problem by continuing with Cubit - a waste of years. New football focused AD needs his guy in there asap.
What *should* Illinois be? Have they ever had sustained success? Illinois should be Kansas, which, effectively, it is.
 

julescat

Junior
May 29, 2001
4,052
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Illinois should be Kansas, which, effectively, it is.

No - way better than that. I sense a lot of insecurity on the part of NU fans regarding the Illini and the chances for big improvement. I want them to get much better. More fun in a game at the end of the season that has both teams playing for something of greater importance.
 

YesterdaysCat

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Dec 7, 2015
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.

What *should* Illinois be? Have they ever had sustained success? Illinois should be Kansas, which, effectively, it is.

Illini were pretty good from the 1920s until mid 1960s. From late 1960s through 1979, they were average to atrocious. Then Mike White came in and broke some rules to make them competitive in the early 1980s.

If you think back to the 1920s through mid 1960s era, we're talking about Red Grange, Ray Nitschke, Abe Woodson, Johnny Karras, and our own former HC Alex Agase. Then Dick Butkus and Jim Grabowski, big stars.

I would say they should be in the middle of the Big Ten pack.
 

SIUCatfan

Redshirt
Feb 5, 2007
560
36
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This new AD must have someone lined up to replace Cubit immediately. Either that or he is a complete imbecile.
That's my assumption. The new AD has already spoken with the candidate and has at least a verbal agreement in place. P.J.?
 

NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
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That's a possibility. While I give the new AD credit for being decisive with this move, the communication and timing leaves a lot to be desired if it is true that the players found out about this on Twitter. This should have been communicated to them by the AD before the press release was made public.
I tend to agree. I'm sure it's a budget or fiscal year or trustee approval thing, but it's silly that the job couldn't start January when the AD could have a reasonable chance to make a good hire.

That said, I doubt any of the candidates for this role - non Power 5 guys, or coordinators - would be in a position to say yes in January, but would say no in March. Perhaps they'd think a little harder - because of spring practice, and the incoming class - but I doubt the opportunity is one that someone otherwise interested would pass up for those reasons.

If Fleck wants Illinois, he's coming. He'll be at a disadvantage in year one.