Basketball

Illinois Accepting Applications for Basketball Head Coaching Job

Have you ever dreamed of coaching a Big Ten basketball team? Well, thanks to the University of Illinois’ search for a new men’s basketball coach, you’d better get your resume ready.

That’s because the team is accepting applications online for the position. On the university’s website, a job posting for a Head Varsity Coach went live on Monday, and will remain open for the next week as the school looks for John Groce’s replacement as the head coach of the Fighting Illini.

Obviously, there are a lot of qualifications that have to be met in order to get the position. The school is looking for someone with a “bachelor’s degree in areas of sport management or related field,” and prefers someone with a master’s in those areas of concentration.

That obviously isn’t all the school is looking for. Among the required qualifications is at least five years of coaching experience, a “proven ability to select, recruit, and develop highly qualified student athletes,” and “high moral and ethical standards.”

The school also prefers that a coach have at least five years of coaching at the Division I level, according to the job listing.

The job search is designed to replace Groce, who was fired after five seasons with the team. During his tenure in Champaign, the coach guided the team to just one NCAA tournament appearance, and his fate was sealed when the Illini lost to the University of Michigan in the opening round of last week’s Big Ten tournament in Washington DC.

Several coaches have been named as possible replacements, including San Antonio Spurs executive Monty Williams and Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin, as Illinois athletic director Josh Wittman tries to get the basketball program back on the right track.

Illinois’ season is not quite over, as the team will participate in the NIT this week as they battle Valparaiso In the opening round on Tuesday night in Champaign.

h/t to Jeremy Werner of Illini Inquirer

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