Illinois fires Tim Beckman one week before season amid external review

— -- Just one week before their season opener, the Illinois Fighting Illini have fired football coach Tim Beckman amid allegations of influencing medical decisions and pressuring players to play hurt, athletic director Mike Thomas announced Friday.

In a statement, Thomas said the dismissal was related to preliminary results of an external review into the allegations, which also included efforts to avoid reporting players' injuries.

Former offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic raised similar allegations on Twitter in May, leading to the university's launch of the review, which is not yet complete.

"The preliminary information external reviewers shared with me does not reflect our values or our commitment to the welfare of our student-athletes, and I've chosen to act accordingly," Thomas said. "During the review, we have asked people not to rush to judgment, but I now have enough information to make this decision in assessing the status and direction of the football program."

Thomas, who informed the team Friday of the decision to fire Beckman, also said in the statement that there were instances in which players were treated inappropriately as to whether they could remain on scholarship during their senior year if they weren't on the team.

"Both of those findings are unsettling violations of University policy and practice and do not reflect the culture that we wish to create in athletic programs for our young people," Thomas said in the statement. "I expect my coaches to protect players and foster their success on and off the field."

The school said Beckman, who went 12-25 -- and 4-20 in Big Ten play -- in three seasons at Illinois, will not receive the $3.1 million remaining on the final two years of his five-year contract.

Cvijanovic first raised his allegations on Twitter and said that Beckman forced him to play through shoulder and knee injuries in 2013 and 2014. He accused the team's medical staff of removing the meniscus in his left knee without his consent. A few former players came forward to echo Cvijanovic's claims, although others came out in support of Beckman.

Thomas expects the findings of the review, which was conducted by an independent law firm, to be publicly released at some point during the season. More than 90 people have been interviewed and nearly 200,000 documents have been inspected during the investigation, and practice and game film have also been reviewed.

Bill Cubit, who was hired as offensive coordinator in 2013, will take over as the team's interim coach for the 2015 season, pending approval by the board of trustees. Cubit was the head coach at Western Michigan from 2005 to 2012.

Illinois opens the season next Friday against Kent State.

Less than an hour before the announcement, Beckman made reference to the team's upcoming opener on his Twitter account.