Lovie Smith somehow earns contract extension at Illinois

Lovie Smith hasn’t delivered results over three seasons at Illinois, but he’s getting a contract extension anyway.

The Illinois Fighting Illini just wrapped up a 4-8 season, but that stands as a sign of progress after posting three and two wins in Lovie Smith’s first two seasons as head coach. A 9-27 overall record (4-23 in Big Ten play) would bring a coach’s firing most of the time, but Smith is getting a two-year contract extension through 2023.

Smith brought great name recognition with him upon arriving at Illinois, along with more direct familiarity locally from his run as Chicago Bears’ head coach from 2004-2012. But there were questions about his ability to succeed as a college coach, and half of his conference wins have come against Rutgers with back-to-back last-place finishes in the Big Ten West now.

In concert with news of the contract extension, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman offered a lengthy statement and a list of justifications for keeping Smith around a little longer.

On Whitman’s list is a doubling of 2017’s win total, which while technically true is not much of an accomplishment. An improved offense this year, most notably on the ground led by freshman running back Reggie Corbin, was also pointed to as a point in Smith’s corner. A flip of narrow losses to South Florida in September and to Northwestern on Saturday would have made the Illini bowl eligible, which Whitman also pointed out without writing it specifically.

Whitman also made sure to cite broad roster youth and 114 man games missed to injury this season.

Stability is an important factor in recruiting, and a new football facility set to open next July will help too. Playing in the weaker division of the Big Ten also creates the idea Illinois can compete at a high level in the conference.

But Whitman, then relatively new on the job as athletic director, seemed to prioritize publicity and a name-brand when hiring Smith. The school paid up for the privilege too, with a six-year, $21 million deal that had Smith as the 13th-highest paid coach in college football this year. Terms of his extension have not yet been disclosed, but he’s surely not getting a pay cut.

Smith stands as a cautionary tale for schools looking to chase a name with no head coaching experience at that level. But Illinois is now even more committed to seeing it through all the way to the end when Smith will be retirement age for a typical person.