On Friday afternoon, the University of Illinois announced the hiring of Tim Beckman, who replaces Ron Zook as the head football coach of the Fighting Illini. Beckman, who comes to Illinois from the Toledo Rockets, promised to "work tirelessly" to make the Illini more competitive in the Big Ten:
"I certainly want to thank Mike Thomas, Chancellor Wise and President Hogan for this outstanding opportunity at the University of Illinois," Beckman said. "We will work tirelessly in building the football program to compete for Big Ten and national championships, and be a source of pride for Fighting Illini fans across the nation. We will recruit the very best student-athletes to represent the University and will work extremely hard to develop strong relationships within the state of Illinois."
Beckman was 21-16 in three years as Toledo's head coach, twice winning eight games in a season. The Rockets also made two bowl appearances under his watch. Prior to his stint at Toledo, which was his first head coaching job, Beckman spent time as an assistant at Oklahoma State and Ohio State.
According to the Trib's Shannon Ryan, Beckman's deal with Illinois is for five years and $9 million.
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