CHAMPAIGN – Bill Cubit says he enjoys a reclamation project, and has made much of his career as a football coach out of them.

“I enjoy seeing kids who maybe have not been successful and giving them a plan and all the sudden they’re successful,” the new Illinois offensive coordinator said Wednesday, two days after being hired. “That’s kind of been my whole career.”

The former Western Michigan head coach takes over an offense at Illinois where not much went right last season. The Illini were 2-10 (0-8 in the Big Ten), lost their last eight games and scored 16.7 points a game, last in the conference.