Sept. 22--CHAMPAIGN -- Bill Cubit worked on the Central Florida coaching staff with Rick Stockstill for only about seven months in 1985, but they forged a decades-long friendship.
Cubit, now the interim coach at Illinois, will face Stockstill on Saturday at Memorial Stadium as the Illini face Middle Tennessee.
"We've been close friends ever since (Central Florida)," Cubit said. "He was always over at our house. He wasn't married at the time, so (my wife) Nancy was cooking him dinner. He'd be out playing with (my son) Ryan in the front yard all the time. We just stayed really close. He's a great human being and a great coach."
Cubit and Stockstill have similar relationships with their sons. Cubit's son Ryan is now an assistant coach at Illinois and was a quarterback at Rutgers, where Cubit was an assistant coach. Stockstill, 57, who has been the Blue Raiders' head coach since 2006, coaches his quarterback son Brent.
Brent Stockstill has thrown for 891 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions for an offense averaging more than 50 points per game.
"He's a crafty, smart coach's kid who runs the whole show," Cubit said of the quarterback. "He's fun to watch, even on the other side. He's got a lot of grit."
sryan@tribpub.com
