Most fans in Illini Nation saw this coming.  They knew that Bruce Weber’s job was in jeopardy as he took his team down a significant losing skid over the past six weeks.  But few were sure about the timing.  Would it happen after the National Invitational Tournament?  Would it happen right after the Big Ten Tournament?  Everything was answered yesterday as the Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas did not waste any time in firing Bruce Weber after the Illini lost to Iowa 64-61 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.  Weber coached at Illinois for nine seasons which included the best two-year stint in Illinois basketball history during his first two seasons – two Big Ten titles with a loss to UNC in the national championship game.  The Illini were 55-66 in the Big Ten over the last six years and Thomas made it clear with this move that he expects Illinois to be a contender for Big Ten titles.

Illinois Wasted No Time Canning Weber Friday

What can the Orange Krush expect now?  Before we move on to review the possible candidates to fill Weber’s role, it is essential to understand the profile of the Illinois coaching job.  Arguments in Chicago bars about this topic can range from the job being a top 10 coaching position to a program that will have a tough time finding the monetary resources to spend on a good candidate due to the $3.9M buyout of Weber. Whatever the argument may be, both sides will describe the Illini basketball fan base with one word -– passion.  They want a coach that will compete for Big Ten titles and be a player frequently on the national stage.  They had gotten used to that for a majority of the time under Lou Henson.  Even Lon Kruger’s later years combined with Bill Self’s early ones show that Illinois is not a novice in March. Sure, everybody remembers the 2005 squad with Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head, but it might slip most Big Ten fans’ minds that the Fighting Illini made the Elite Eight in 2001 with a rugged squad that consisted of Frank Williams, Corey Bradford and Marcus Griffin.  The following season, they started the season ranked #2 and finished in the Sweet Sixteen.  The program has the support and a great recruiting pipeline in the state of Illinois to bring talent to Champaign.  They can definitely be a top 3-4 program in the Big Ten perennially.  Chicago has great talent but there are other areas in the state that produce quality Big Ten players who can make a run in March under the right guidance and system. It has been done before.

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