Mike Thomas hired, supported, and defended Tim Beckman since day one. Now that Beckman is gone, what does this mean for Thomas's future in Champaign?
As we continue to try and process the news from earlier this afternoon that head coach Tim Beckman has been fired amidst the ongoing investigation surrounding player mistreatment, it is also important to look at the man who hired him. Athletic director Mike Thomas has been taking a lot of heat for the moves he has made recently, and rightly so. Let's quickly review his tenure over the past 365 days:
The basketball program hasn't reached the NCAA tournament in almost three years under head coach John Groce (a Thomas hire), and forward Darius Paul was just dismissed from the team.