FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2016, file photo, Illinois head coach Lovie Smith checks the scoreboard during an NCAA college football game against Iowa at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. It’s been nearly a year since Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman fired former coach Bill Cubit on his first day as athletic director and shocked Illini nation when he hired Smith on March 9. The new head coach was met with open arms from a fan base that’s known little success, especially in the past decade. What followed was a 3-9 season and a realization: This wasn’t going to be a quick culture change.(AP Photo/Bradley Leeb, File)
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