U of I Announces Interim Athletic Director, Releases Final Report into Coach

Paul Kowalczyk will move up from his role as senior associate athletic director to fill Thomas’ spot on an interim basis.

Illinois Athletic Director Mike Thomas has been let go from the UI Division of Intercollegiate Athletics “without cause”. Kowalczyk has been at the school since 2012. He previously served as director of athletics at Colorado State University and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

“Mike Thomas has done a good job of leading through recent challenges”, Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson said.

The University of Illinois has fired athletic director Mike Thomas following the conclusion of an investigation into allegations of misconduct by the football and women’s basketball programs, the school announced Monday.

The university also released the final reports by the law firm Franczek Radelet P.C., of Chicago, into allegations related to sports medicine and scholarship management in its football and women’s basketball programs.

“Decisions such as these are always hard, but we all remain focused on the best interest of our student-athletes and this decison allows everyone to move forward without the distractions of the past several months”.

Thomas began his tenure as the athletics director at Illinois in August 2011 and hired both Beckman and current men’s head basketball coach John Groce. The full report, which was released Monday, included a review of more than 200,000 documents and 100 interviews with players, former players, coaches and medical and athletic staff. Thomas said in the release that he believes he acted appropriately but accepts the decision.

According to the investigative report, Thomas did not participate in any misconduct and was not found in violation of policies or standards.

“I understand the administration’s decision to turn the page and turn the focus of this organization back on the success and welfare of our student-athletes”, Thomas said in a statement (via the Tribune). But she said a change was needed.

The school is set to hold a press conference at noon ET.

While Thomas has brought improvements to Memorial Stadium and the State Farm Center, the latter of which is in the middle of a massive renovation project, he has received plenty of criticism for his department’s two most high-profile programs failing to reach a sustained level of success. The report also concluded that coaches did not pressure student-athletes to give up their scholarships if they were not playing in games.