Wisch: Will Thomas Hold Beckman To Zook's Standards?
Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas has a big decision awaiting this weekend.
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Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas has a big decision awaiting this weekend.
Ravenous Illinois fans take over Internet polls -- what would they do with a real championship team?
Tim Beckman's boss made it clear upon his hiring that Big Ten success was the goal.
Illinois' football attendance has been dwindling for five straight seasons.
No Illini coach has started with three straight losing seasons since 1977-'79.
Don't blame Illinois' admission standards for a lack of football talent -- the onus is on the coaches.
Former Illinois coach Ron Zook appears destined for Green Bay.
The Tim Beckman hire was a mistake and everybody has known it since his first press conference.
Illinois has a nearly two-decade tradition of retaining coaches at least one season too long.
The only hope for Illinois to continue progress (or start it) is by firing embattled defensive coordinator Tim Banks and hoping that Thomas can hire a talented assistant to replacement him.
It's that simple. Yet, of course, for the Fighting Illini, it isn't at all.
What a difference a week makes.
Stanford does it. So does Michigan. Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Vanderbilt do it, too.
Things Illini Nation learned this past week: 1) Ron Zook now works for a bank, and 2) Mike Thomas is willing to invest time in rebutting him.
If Beckman can't get things turned around soon – both on the field and with the state's best athletes – he won't be worrying about recruiting rankings for long.
From 1994-98, I was a student at the University of Illinois, and during those four years I saw a grand total of 14 football victories.
But then there's the University of Illinois, the sadsack program of the prairie whose last three head football coaches can now be found at Florida International University (Ron Turner), the University of Buffalo (Lou Tepper) and, well, the coaching unemployment line (Ron Zook).
We don't really know what Ron Zook is up to these days.
Zook, who was fired last year after seven seasons in Champaign, left the Illinois football program in far better shape than he found it.
On Thursday, the bad case of Illini indigestion was finally relieved when Ohio University's John Groce was announced as the 17th men's head coach in Illinois history during a press conference at Assembly Hall in Champaign.
Down in Champaign at the state's flagship school, the football program is listing, which is why Toledo's Tim Beckman was brought in to right a ship that Ron Zook wrecked after a 6-0 start to the season.
Twenty years ago, after compiling a sterling 30-16-1 record on the football field at that "basketball school" down in Champaign, University of Illinois coach John Mackovic bolted the Land of Lincoln for the gridiron riches of the Lone Star State.
Toledo head football coach Tim Beckman has reportedly emerged as the favorite to replace Ron Zook at Illinois.
Illinois has extended the application period for candidates for its head football coaching position until late Thursday night.
I happen to think the Illinois football job offers as much potential as any in the country. Much like, you know, the University of Wisconsin job offered Alvarez two decades ago when he took it over and transformed the Badgers into a snarling, bare-knuckled national power.
The Borman Expressway (I-80/94) in Northwest Indiana was jammed early Wednesday morning on account of two crashes involving semi-trailer trucks, one of which left at least one person dead.
The countdown was on Wednesday morning to Chicago's first-ever nationally televised New Year's Eve celebration.
Chicago had a chance to win in regulation, but Nick Foligno shot the puck off a post on a prime scoring opportunity in the final seconds.
The aerial takedown comes on the heels of a string of three bold cargo thefts with ties to Illinois.
Armani Floyd's father says he doesn't want any other parent to go through what he experienced the night of his son's death.
Education advocates in Chicago filed two lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Education this week, arguing that students returning from Christmas vacation will be left without crucial resources such as after-school programs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also announced President Trump will receive the Israel Prize for his work on peace negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lauded "strong security guarantees" from the U.S. after Sunday's meeting with President Trump in Florida.
The Veterans Affairs Department is reimposing a near total ban on abortions for veterans and their families that was modified in 2022.
Strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria come after President Trump spent weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
As this holiday season nears its end, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias issued a warning Tuesday about text scams.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
American Airlines announced Monday that it is adding 100 more departures from Chicago early next year as it continues its expansion at O'Hare International Airport.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
It marks the second lawsuit in recent months accusing the filmmaker and studio mogul of leveraging his power in Hollywood to make sexual advances.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
The last day of the year means many of us are reflecting on what was, and preparing for what will be. Jericka Duncan got some feedback from people on the street in New York City.
Ken Johnson said he has even tried barking sounds to scare the bear, but the bear won’t budge.
The environmental journalist and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy died Tuesday after revealing she had terminal cancer. Elaine Quijano reports.
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has your 5 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
The countdown was on Wednesday morning to Chicago’s first ever nationally televised New Year’s Eve celebration. Asal Rezaei reports.
The countdown was on Wednesday morning to Chicago's first-ever nationally televised New Year's Eve celebration.
Armani Floyd's father says he doesn't want any other parent to go through what he experienced the night of his son's death.
An immigrant seeking asylum in the U.S. said he won a jackpot at the Bally's temporary casino in downtown Chicago earlier this month, but he can't get paid because of his immigration status.
The aerial takedown comes on the heels of a string of three bold cargo thefts with ties to Illinois.
The country's top sportsbooks have filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago, challenging a new local sports betting tax set to go into effect in the new year.
As thousands of people are expected downtown for New Year's Eve celebrations, Mayor Johnson, the Chicago police, and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications are trying to get out ahead of any safety concerns.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Chicago had a chance to win in regulation, but Nick Foligno shot the puck off a post on a prime scoring opportunity in the final seconds.
Former Oregon and Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly has been hired as Northwestern's offensive coordinator.
Stefon Diggs, a star wide receiver with the New England Patriots, is facing criminal charges after an incident in Massachusetts earlier this month.
Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 23 points, but the depleted Bulls couldn't keep pace and lost a second straight following a five-game winning streak that had lifted them back to .500.
Playing the Music City Bowl isn't exactly what the Tennessee Volunteers once targeted in a season that featured four losses to teams inside the top 15 of the final College Football Playoff rankings.
A man was ordered detained Tuesday on charges of claiming to have placed bombs in the cars at a Porsche auto warehouse in the west Chicago suburb of Westmont, authorities said.
A man was killed and a teen was wounded in a shooting in broad daylight Tuesday in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood.
Chicago police on Tuesday asked for help from the public in finding two men and a getaway car they have connected to the shooting of three men outside St. Sabina Roman Catholic Parish in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
Stefon Diggs, a star wide receiver with the New England Patriots, is facing criminal charges after an incident in Massachusetts earlier this month.
The University of Chicago issued a notice after a man was shot just east of campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood this week.
