University of Illinois trustees have approved the five-year, $9 million contract for new head football coach Tim Beckman but not before two trustees voted against it.
Trustees Lawrence Oliver and James Montgomery said at a trustees meeting Thursday in Chicago that they were voting against the contract because they believe the university didn’t work hard enough to find a black head coach.
Beckman is white. Illinois has never had a black head football coach or head men’s basketball coach.
Oliver said he believes the university will need to make hiring a black head coach a priority before it will happen. Both Oliver and Montgomery are black.
Beckman came to Illinois in December from Toledo to replace the fired Ron Zook. (AP)
