CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday with a game left in its ninth consecutive losing season. Smith became Illinois' first Black head football coach when he was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman in March 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17-39 in five seasons at the school. The Illini made one postseason appearance under Smith, losing 35-20 to California in the Redbox Bowl in 2019. The slide continued into this year, with Illinois losing its first three by a combined 117-45 score.