Illinois fires athletic director Mike Thomas
Illinois has fired athletic director Mike Thomas, according to Brian Bennett of ESPN.
In May, allegations surfaced from ex-Illini players that former football coach Tim Beckman inappropriately pressured players into playing through injuries and mistreated them, sometimes through physical attacks.
Beckman was fired in August.
Illinois report: “Line between aggressive coaching and inappropriate influence regarding medical decisions may be difficult to define" 1/2
— Brian Bennett (@BennettESPN) November 9, 2015
2/2 "but it was clearly and
systematically crossed under Coach Beckman’s leadership. "
— Brian Bennett (@BennettESPN) November 9, 2015
An independent investigation found no wrongdoing by Thomas; however, change was imminent after the scandal cast a dark shadow over the school's athletic department.
Results of the investigation can be seen here.