There was never going to be a good time to fire Bill Cubit.
The past nine months at Illinois have been an ugly mess. The football team needed a fresh start. At 62 years old, Cubit, who admirably led the Illini to a 5-7 season after coach Tim Beckman was fired a week before their opening game for allegedly putting player safety at risk, wasn't going to be the man to hit the reset button. That much seemed inevitable for new athletic director Josh Whitman.
Fire Cubit this summer and you have wasted valuable spring practice time.