Illinois fired Bruce Weber Friday, one day after the Illini lost to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, the coach told ESPN.com.
Weber will not coach in the NIT -- if the Illini (17-15 overall, 6-12 Big Ten) were to be selected -- or in any other postseason tournament.
Weber said recently that the buyout on his contract is $3.9 million.
Weber coached the Illini to the Sweet 16 and NCAA championship game in his first two years in Champaign, losing to North Carolina in the 2005 national final.
But Illinois hasn't advanced past the second round since, and did not reach the NCAA tournament three times in Weber's nine-year tenure.
VCU's Shaka Smart is expected to be a candidate for the job. Smart, who took the Rams to last year's Final Four, and Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas once worked together at Akron.
Pretty much the only success he ever had was due to Bill Self's recruits. Weber recruited well but couldn't coach worth a damn.
Yeah they have had the players there, but other than making it to that National Championship in 05' (which was a great team and so fun to watch), they have been colossal underachievers.
The unibrow was too much. Very competitive game though. Got into foul trouble and Kentucky just ate away. UK's D is fucking nasty. Not that we didn't know that already. But still, Nasty. We played our asses off. Proud of the fellas.
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Weber will not coach in the NIT -- if the Illini (17-15 overall, 6-12 Big Ten) were to be selected -- or in any other postseason tournament.
Weber said recently that the buyout on his contract is $3.9 million.
Weber coached the Illini to the Sweet 16 and NCAA championship game in his first two years in Champaign, losing to North Carolina in the 2005 national final.
But Illinois hasn't advanced past the second round since, and did not reach the NCAA tournament three times in Weber's nine-year tenure.
VCU's Shaka Smart is expected to be a candidate for the job. Smart, who took the Rams to last year's Final Four, and Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas once worked together at Akron.
But seriously though I'll be rooting for them.
Jay why you so violent these days
that does suck...i was pulling for northwester to