One week before the school's football season starts, the University of Illinois has fired Tim Beckman, the head coach of its football team, saying a review had found "efforts to deter injury reporting and influence medical decisions that pressured players to avoid or postpone medical treatment and continue playing despite injuries."
Illini Director of Athletics Mike Thomas fired Beckman Friday; a school statement says the decision was made "in the best interests of student-athletes."
Beckman had been the head coach at Illinois for three years. The school says he "will not receive the $3.1 million remaining on the last two years of his original five-year contract or the $743,000 called for if his contract had been bought out."
Beckman's record in three years as head coach was 12-25 overall, 4-20 in Big Ten Conference games. He led Illinois to the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl in December 2014.
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