University of Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman wants Illini football fans to think he has just shoved all of his chips into the middle of the poker table.
Well, maybe he did, and maybe he didn't.
In announcing that he's extending football coach Lovie Smith's contract by two years — through the 2023 season — Whitman certainly gave that impression.
"We wanted to demonstrate firmly and strongly that this is a direction that we believe in. This is a person we believe in. This is a program that's on the rise," Whitman said in making the surprise announcement of his unbounded confidence in a football coach whose 9-27 record at Illinois is less than confidence-inspiring.