"Bruce whatever you want as a coach," athletic director Mike Thomas said. "We have had great success here, but for four or five years, I do not know if you want to say [that] we're running in place, or even eliminated."
Thomas, who also fired football coach Ron Zook's and women's basketball coach Jolette right in his first year on the job, said the Illini fans expect as a "factor" in the Big Ten, and "national consciousness" every season.
Weber held a separate meeting with reporters, joined by his family and most of his young team.
"This is the bottom line of action. We all know," Weber said. "This is the reality of the coaching profession. But here I leave with no regrets. I think this program is on solid ground. I am very proud of this basketball program has made during my Continuance in Office. "
Weber gasped when he thanked his wife, Megan, to be with him, "as he lived his dream of becoming a college basketball coach."
Weber spent nine years in Illinois and Illini led the 2005 title game NCAA, losing to North Carolina. He finished 210-101 in Illinois, second only to Lou Henson and Harry Combes in the winning school.
However, his team was just 55-66 in the Big Ten over the past six seasons, including 12.6 this year. Illini finished the year 2-12 and lost the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, beating Iowa 64-61 - until January, when they were on top of the Big Ten.
Thomas said that the school accepts the offer of NIT, if any, and assistant Jerrance Howard is interim coach. Athletic Director, said Howard expressed interest in preserving as an assistant.
National Search to replace Weber will begin immediately and the Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall Butler and Brad Stevens, in particular, may all be candidates for this position. Thomas said he does not rule out hiring an assistant coach, but said: "I think there is a preference for someone who has experience as a head coach."
Illinois has never been a black coach in men's football or basketball, the point of the two university administrators have created, when the football coach Tim Beckman has been hired. One of the trustees, James Montgomery, said he could not support any new coach "in cases when there is a fair and fully open, which is transparent."
Weber shot will cost $ 3.9 million in Illinois to cover the three years remaining on his contract. Zook redemption value in the school $ 2.6 million and the right to receive $ 620,000.
The collapse of the basketball team this season after starting 10-0. Henson, who lives in the frames of the year, champagne and Weber knew well, said the decision was inevitable.
"Intercollegiate athletics, you know that there is so much money at stake," he said. "This is one of the most difficult, I think I've lived and I think Illinois has passed. Some times you can do a great job, training, and things do not work there. And for some reason, this team just do not mix, and I do not know why ".
In addition to the 1915 national title, this is ancient history, Weber's regime included in the Champaign absolute top of the program seven years ago. Robust dynamic team led by Deron Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown fought back from a deficit of 15 points to tie North Carolina for the past five minutes before losing the championship game 75-70.
Weber said on Friday.
"Every time I visit St. Louis, I think the Final Four experience," he said. "I still remember standing on the rooftop and watch tens of thousands of fans covering the streets of Illinois orange. Amazing spectacle."
Weber faced criticism from some fans almost from the moment when he was hired in 2003. Some saw the coach of Southern Illinois - where he took two Salukis NCAA Sweet 16 - how to lower Himself to Bill, who went to Kansas. In his first season, Weber, dressed in black had a mock funeral of the car, he heard the comparison too often.
And after the championship game, his team has never reached such a high. Many fans never gave him credit for the championship game, he was fired as the product of the best players in the work of his predecessor.
Illinois lost a set for a battle of the great players such as Chicago's Derrick Rose, who has helped other teams to make a deep NCAA runs. And one of the few top-shelf recruits, who came to champagne, McDonald All-American Jereme Richmond, played gently for one season at Illinois before the announcement of the 2011 NBA Draft.
And instead of, not always of good quality, like a big tent Ten teams, Illini turned in performances sometimes confuse bad. Illinois has lost six of his 10 years at the University of Pennsylvania, including the performance of 38 to 33 in 2009, many fans still remember, as a weakness.
This year's team consisted of freshmen and six first will not do much. However, Illini moved into the top 25 after starting 11-2, which included a victory over then-No. 19 Gonzaga. In January, after an amazing victory over Ohio State to 43 points from Brandon Paul, the team was in first place in the Big Ten.
Illinois continues with nine losses in the next 10. The lowest point may be lost from 80 to 57 in Nebraska, which ended with the players who were crying in the locker room.
For Weber, this could be the loss of Purdue Feb. 15 in a game presented as a must win. Illini lead late, only to see Robbie Hummel - who said he wanted to play in Illinois, but not seriously - the ice in the game. Boilermakers, led by a former assistant Matt Painter Weber, beating Illinois seven times in a row.
"We need to develop a culture, and I think maybe for the last three years, I only worry about winning, not the development of culture and strength," Weber told reporters. "It's my fault."
The players took to Twitter to express their support for the Weber.
"Coach Weber is a very special person and will always have a place in my heart," writes a sophomore center Meyers Leonard. "Although we butted heads together, he was there for me no matter what."
As for the future of Weber, media sources are related to a possible return to southern Illinois, where Chris Lowery was fired last week. A spokesman declined to comment Friday SIU.
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