Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB 37s38 seconds ago
#Illinois has fired AD Mike Thomas.. Not shocking. The athletic department there was a mess under him.

Brian Bennett ‏@BennettESPN 4m4 minutes ago
Illinois has fired AD Mike Thomas. Releasing results of independent investigation into athletic department at noon ET

He was in over his head. He was in over his head here too.

Catapult!

His accomplishments?

He used a search firm to find/contact a Coach for basketball that grew up in Cincinnati and Coached at the University. For FB his 1st hire was the MAC champion (Brian Kelly) who accepted after he was snubbed by Skip Holtz... His 2nd hire was the MAC champion (Butch Jones) after he was snubbed a 2nd time by Skip Holtz and then Kevin Sumlin (who opted to stay at Houston).

For women's basketball his 1st hire was a disaster. (I think from UL Lafayette) and his 2nd hire seems awful as well

He took over a program recently selected for the Big East and tried to make it a MAC program.

For FB at IL he was snubbed by Sumlin (again) and Butch Jones before hiring the runner up of the (surprise!) MAC.

Microphone Thomas great moments I remember:

1. Turning off Andy Kennedy's microphone
2. Wearing a red jacket to a blackout game
3. Making bad hires
4. Being inaccessible to many donors

Who will hire this fool?

(11-09-2015 01:43 PM)dossbig Wrote:  Microphone Thomas great moments I remember:

1. Turning off Andy Kennedy's microphone
2. Wearing a red jacket to a blackout game
3. Making bad hires
4. Being inaccessible to many donors

Who will hire this fool?

Probably Texas

(11-09-2015 01:43 PM)dossbig Wrote:  4. Being inaccessible

FIFY.

"Mike Thomas? You can't find that guy with a search warrant" ~ Bill Cunningham

(11-09-2015 01:43 PM)dossbig Wrote:  Microphone Thomas great moments I remember:

1. Turning off Andy Kennedy's microphone
2. Wearing a red jacket to a blackout game
3. Making bad hires
4. Being inaccessible to many donors

Who will hire this fool?

Turning off Kennedy's microphone was one of the few good things he did.

Can anyone share why Skip Holtz turned us down twice?

(11-09-2015 02:35 PM)ktny4 Wrote:  Can anyone share why Skip Holtz turned us down twice?

Didn't consider the university high profile enough of a program.

I wouldn't call hiring Brian Kelly a bad hire.

(11-09-2015 02:02 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 01:43 PM)dossbig Wrote:  Microphone Thomas great moments I remember:

1. Turning off Andy Kennedy's microphone
2. Wearing a red jacket to a blackout game
3. Making bad hires
4. Being inaccessible to many donors

Who will hire this fool?

Turning off Kennedy's microphone was one of the few good things he did.

Even MT later admitted he acted "juvenile".

(11-09-2015 02:58 PM)colsbearcat Wrote:  I wouldn't call hiring Brian Kelly a bad hire.

Nor would I but all he knew was the mac, arguably he is not a mac level ad.

(11-09-2015 03:27 PM)Crewdogz Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 02:58 PM)colsbearcat Wrote:  I wouldn't call hiring Brian Kelly a bad hire.

Nor would I but all he knew was the mac, arguably he is not a mac level ad.

I'd still give him credit. BK, Butch and Mick - all good hires no matter how you cut it. There are a lot of schools out there that would love to have that kind of hiring streak.

(11-09-2015 03:17 PM)dossbig Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 02:02 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 01:43 PM)dossbig Wrote:  Microphone Thomas great moments I remember:

1. Turning off Andy Kennedy's microphone
2. Wearing a red jacket to a blackout game
3. Making bad hires
4. Being inaccessible to many donors

Who will hire this fool?

Turning off Kennedy's microphone was one of the few good things he did.

Even MT later admitted he acted "juvenile".

Glad he acted juvenile, then. Doubly so that it still chaps your buns.

(11-09-2015 10:14 AM)bearcatfan Wrote:  He was in over his head. He was in over his head here too.

he'll be ok. He'll just go on to another school and destroy it.

(11-09-2015 03:33 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 03:27 PM)Crewdogz Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 02:58 PM)colsbearcat Wrote:  I wouldn't call hiring Brian Kelly a bad hire.

Nor would I but all he knew was the mac, arguably he is not a mac level ad.

I'd still give him credit. BK, Butch and Mick - all good hires no matter how you cut it. There are a lot of schools out there that would love to have that kind of hiring streak.

Yup. There's good and bad in most of us. MT had 3 nice hires there despite his flaws.

(11-09-2015 03:17 PM)dossbig Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 02:02 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  

(11-09-2015 01:43 PM)dossbig Wrote:  Microphone Thomas great moments I remember:

1. Turning off Andy Kennedy's microphone
2. Wearing a red jacket to a blackout game
3. Making bad hires
4. Being inaccessible to many donors

Who will hire this fool?

Turning off Kennedy's microphone was one of the few good things he did.

Even MT later admitted he acted "juvenile".

He acted in the best interest of the university. It was absolutely the correct decision.