Lovie Smith was named the 25th head football coach in Illinois history yesterday. While he's revered by many, his road to the collegiate game has been a long and sometimes unclear one. Below I'll examine all the stops he's made along the way and how his previous jobs could impact his time in Champaign.
Before transitioning to the coaching game, Smith was a stand-out defensive end in high school. He earned Texas all-state honors three years in a row and helped lead his team to three consecutive state championships from 1973 to 1975, including his senior season when the defense he was apart of gave up only 15 points (!