Gruen: Considering Circumstances, Lovie Smith Hiring Terrific For Illini
The big challenge for Smith now -- assembling a top-notch coaching staff.
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The big challenge for Smith now -- assembling a top-notch coaching staff.
The path for Smith to Illinois took some odd turns.
Smith was warmly received in his first public appearance on campus.
"Lovie is just absolutely the right person at the right moment for our program," Josh Whitman says.
Smith is the first black head coach of football or men's basketball at the University of Illinois.
Two days after Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman fired Bill Cubit, the university officially announced Smith is in charge.
Brandon Taylor added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Nittany Lions.
The Illini are expected to name Smith their next head coach.
"I feel really comfortable with the leadership he's given our guys," Whitman says of Groce.
Smith coached the Bears from 2004-'12, posting an 81-63 record.
Cubit was 5-7 in 2015 as the interim coach and held the full-time job for about three months.
Illinois missed its first seven shots and trailed 7-0 and 15-7 early.
Illinois (13-16, 5-11 Big Ten) shot 73.9 percent from the field in the second half, using a 29-8 run to take control.
The Hoosiers held the Illini's top two scorers, Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn, to a combined 13 points.
Illinois went more than seven minutes of the half without a field goal.
Black allegedly threatened a campus bar bouncer with a knife.
"We will win, it's important," Whitman says. "That's what everybody's thirsty for."
Easy money to recommend hot candidates or a school's former player? Sign Tim Baffoe up.
Whitman's going to hear from power brokers in short order and in no uncertain terms.
Malcolm Hill scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds.
The University of Illinois has hired former Illini football player Josh Whitman as its new athletic director, sources tell CBS 2's Ryan Baker.
He was part of a storied rivalry as a player and assistant, and coach Chris Collins would love to see Northwestern develop one with Illinois.
Peter Jok scored 23 points, and Jarrod Uthoff added 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Malcolm Hill scored 10 of his 32 points from the free throw line in the third overtime.
A half-dozen players had decommitted after the school removed the interim tag from Cubit's title and gave him only a two-year contract.
As the partial government shutdown drags on, officials warn sick calls from Transportation Security Administration officers could force some airports to close.
The city put a nearly six-month moratorium on any new data centers coming to the western suburb.
Cleanup is underway after the driver of an SUV lost control of their vehicle and crashed into the store on Wednesday.
The sluggish Bulls shot 38.5% in the first half and committed 11 turnovers, leading to 20 points for the Raptors.
It's the Illini's sixth tournament appearance under head coach Brad Underwood, but for the first time in program history, the Illini are led by a freshman all-American.
Fresh off his win in the Tuesday's primary election, Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey visited the Chicago suburbs on Wednesday, and said he'll be focusing on building support in the Chicago area during his rematch with Gov. JB Pritzker.
Illinois' heavily Democratic tilt means statewide candidates and those in the Chicago area and its suburbs are favored to win in November.
Some Illinois primary election candidates raked in huge amounts of campaign cash. Not all of them won their primaries, despite massive spending.
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a $27 million settlement with the family of an innocent woman killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017.
The artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries have suffered a setback as they try to reshape the midterm elections and establish themselves as power players in American politics.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
For Cook County residents hoping to lower their property tax bills, applications are open for exemptions.
Officials in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette issued a warning Tuesday about scammers who are impersonating representatives of village departments.
The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge, with motorists in Chicago and around the country guaranteed to feel the impact at the pump Monday morning.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
The artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries have suffered a setback as they try to reshape the midterm elections and establish themselves as power players in American politics.
Wednesday marked the last day to help celebrate Lou Malnati's pizzeria's 55th birthday with a special deal.
Despite a rash of restaurant closures, veterans of the plant-based food business pushed back against prophecies of doom — and in one case argued that such closures notwithstanding, plant-based eating is only growing.
Two popular Chicago craft breweries – Half Acre Beer Co. and Maplewood Brewery & Distillery – announced on Tuesday they are merging to create a new "premier Chicago beverage company."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
The late Sister Jean has been honored with T-shirts, socks, and bobbleheads — and now her spirit lives on with a new documentary.
Legendary Chicago blues singer and guitarist Buddy Guy took the stage at the Oscars Sunday night, performing alongside the cast of "Sinners."
Amy Madigan, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Sunday night, is the daughter of a newsman who helped shape CBS Chicago in the 1960s.
"One Battle After Another" took home several big awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and the newly created Best Casting.
The acclaimed filmmaker, who died in February at age 96, revolutionized the art of documentaries with such films as "Titicut Follies." In an interview recorded last year, the pioneering Wiseman talked about his unusual production methods aimed at capturing life.
Researchers at Northwestern University found that early menopause raised long-term heart disease risk by 40%. The study suggests doctors should routinely ask women about their age at menopause to identify high-risk patients.
A driver pulling out of the McDonald's drive-thru across the street lost control, jumped the curb, sped through two bike racks, and right into the storefront on North Milwaukee and Sawyer Avenue.
It’s part of a promotion through Runway magazine, where $50 gets you one ticket to the movie and the snack bag.
Researchers from Harvard, MIT, and Mass General Brigham found that coffee and tea consumption was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia and improved cognitive performance.
The group of ten from St. Mary School in Riverdale, Illinois, came to Rome with a poster showing them all together with a young Robert Prevost.
The family of a college student from Elmhurst who was reported missing during a trip to Spain said his disappearance is "completely out of character."
As the partial government shutdown drags on, officials warn sick calls from Transportation Security Administration officers could force some airports to close.
Cleanup is underway after the driver of an SUV lost control of their vehicle and crashed into the store on Wednesday.
The city put a nearly six-month moratorium on any new data centers coming to the western suburb.
Altman died on Tuesday, one day after battling an apartment fire in Rogers Park.
United Steel Workers union representatives said that some workers had already had their access cards deactivated.
Have you ever walked into a business with no employees? You may soon; autonomous businesses are becoming more popular.
Streets were left pooled with rainwater, and homes flooded after Sunday night's storms. Residents say there is one clear solution
Attorneys for the family of a woman killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017 say officers involved failed to activate their body cameras or turned them off during the pursuit.
A new specialized unit is being created to prosecute domestic violence homicides in Cook County, as these killings surged 15% last year, even as overall violent crime declined across Chicago.
The sluggish Bulls shot 38.5% in the first half and committed 11 turnovers, leading to 20 points for the Raptors.
It's the Illini's sixth tournament appearance under head coach Brad Underwood, but for the first time in program history, the Illini are led by a freshman all-American.
The White Sox's current lease for Rate Field expires after the 2029 season.
Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at expanding sports betting in the state.
Minnesota forward Nick Foligno received a warm welcome in his first game against Chicago since he was acquired in a March 6 trade with the Blackhawks.
A man from Chicago's northwest suburbs stood charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of a crash and driving drunk, after authorities said he hit a pedestrian overnight near Barrington, Illinois.
A man stood charged Tuesday in two separate shootings that wounded a Chicago police sergeant and a 63-year-old woman in the Pullman and Roseland neighborhoods this past weekend.
Jurors delivered their verdict Monday in the trial of Kouri Richins, a Utah mother accused of murdering her husband and later publishing a children's book about grief.
A suspect Is in custody after one person was killed and another was critically injured in a stabbing on Sunday morning at a home in Merrillville, Indiana.
A man was critically injured after he was shot while driving in Chicago's West Humboldt Park neighborhood Sunday night.
