Illinois reaches settlement with former coach Tim Beckman
Nearly eight months after Illinois fired head coach Tim Beckman following an investigation into his treatment of players, the two sides have reached a settlement.
The school announced Tuesday that Beckman, who was fired in August, will “receive a one-time payment of $250,000,” which will be “paid with funds from the university’s self-insurance plan.”
“The University of Illinois and former Coach Tim Beckman announced that they have reached a negotiated resolution of potential legal claims relating to Coach Beckman’s termination in August 2015,” the school said in a joint statement. “In resolving these matters, the university and Coach Beckman seek to avoid protracted and costly litigation that would by necessity require the involvement of a number of current and former student-athletes, as well as coaches, staff, trainers, and team physicians.
“This resolution allows the university to avoid the distraction of pending litigation and to focus instead on the well-being of student-athletes in the program. At the same time, Coach Beckman can resume his career without protracted litigation. The resolution involves a one-time payment of $250,000 to Beckman, who will release all claims he may have had against the university.”
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Beckman was fired a week before Illinois opened its 2015 season “citing preliminary results of an external review into allegations involving the program.” Several former Illinois players accused Beckman of mistreatment during his tenure as head coach. The school hired a law firm to investigate the allegations and found enough to terminate Beckman’s contract with cause before the season began.
The full report was released in November and coincided with the firing of athletic director Mike Thomas, who hired Beckman in December 2011, a few months after he was brought in. Thomas was not found to have committed misconduct, but the school decided to part ways with him nonetheless.
The report said Beckman “violated standards related to sports medicine protocols and scholarships” in his treatment of his players. The investigation also said Beckman “pushed players and athletic trainers beyond reasonable limits in systematic fashion.”
In its statement Tuesday, Illinois “stands by its decision to terminate Coach Beckman for cause, but recognizes that terminating him without cause was another possible alternative.”
“In deciding to terminate Coach Beckman, the university relied on preliminary findings that were eventually included in the Report issued by Franczek Radelet, an independent investigating law firm, concerning the management of sports injuries and scholarships in the football program,” the statement says. “Throughout the investigation, Coach Beckman cooperated with all requests for information and answered all questions.”
In the statement, Beckman “states unequivocally” that he made “a substantial contribution” to the lives of his players and program during his tenure as head coach.
From the joint statement:
As stated on page 25 of the Report, “[m]any players interviewed reported positive experiences with injury assessment, treatment, recovery periods, and return-to-play decisions. In addition, Coach Beckman attempted to help players stay healthy and avoid injuries by repeatedly discussing health topics. When players were seriously injured, Coach Beckman made efforts to assist them by visiting players in the hospital after surgery and taking time to console players about the challenge of being unable to play.” Further, the Report found no evidence that any student-athlete suffered the loss of a scholarship for poor performance during Coach Beckman’s tenure.
Coach Beckman states unequivocally that, during his tenure as head football coach, he made a substantial contribution to the lives of student-athletes he coached and to the university’s football program. The university concurs that Coach Beckman implemented many initiatives that achieved positive student-athlete experiences, including improved academic performance and leadership training. From the fall of 2012 until the spring semester of 2015, for example, the players’ average grade point average increased from 2.60 to 2.90. On the field, the team showed improvement, going from a 2-10 record in his first season to a 6-7 record and bowl appearance in his final season.
The university wishes Coach Beckman well, and Coach Beckman wishes the university, the football program, and the university’s student-athletes continued success.
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After the conclusion of the investigation, the university says it “made a number of programmatic changes focused on safeguards for student-athletes in football and other sports.”
After Beckman’s firing, offensive coordinator Bill Cubit served as interim head coach. He initially had the interim tag lifted and received a two-year contract, but was fired in March by new athletic director Josh Whitman. Whitman then hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith a few days later.
For more Illinois news, visit OrangeandBlueNews.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
