CHAMPAIGN — The season ended Saturday at 5:39 p.m.. But for Mike Thomas, the competition was just getting started.

First, he's got to find a bowl slot for his sliding Illini, who have lost six consecutive games. Try selling that to a bowl director.

Next, he's going up against at least a half dozen BCS conference schools, all looking for a new head coach.

"We have a lot to sell," Thomas said. "If I'm going to get into a competition with others who are looking for a head football coach, I would certainly put our tale of the tape up against anybody's."

""I don't think this is a reclamation project. I don't think this is a reality show for 'Extreme Makeover.' Anything but. I think we've got a great foundation base and certainly that's a credit to Coach (Ron) Zook and his staff and the kids who are on the roster right now."

The Illinois search officially began Sunday morning when Thomas told Zook, in a face to face meeting at the Bielfeldt Building, that he was fired.

The meeting was a cordial one between the two, who worked together for all of four months.

"As I told him this morning, if it was about Ron the person, he certainly would be worthy of a lifetime contract," Thomas said. "But there's other things that come into play."

Zook and the Illini pulled up to Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, just as the Class 8A game was finishing. It offered Zook one last look at his building as Illini head coach.

Zook, 34-51 in seven seasons at Illinois, isn't leaving empty handed. He will be paid $2.6 million over the next two years. The money will come from athletic department funds, Thomas said.

Thomas and the Illini checkbook will scour the landscape for the 23rd coach in school history and fifth since 1988.

"Salaries are going up all the time," Thomas said. "You need to keep up with that if you're going to be competitive. We don't want to lose what we believe are great candidates because we can't afford to pay him the going rate."

When he hired his two football coaches at Illinois, Ron Guenther didn't use a search committee. He was the judge and jury. Neither of his choices, Ron Turner or Zook, left Illinois with a winning record, going a combined 66-100.

What ultimately cost Zook was his record in the Big Ten. The team was 2-6 in 2011 and 18-38 during his seven seasons. Illinois finished above .500 in the Big Ten just once during Zook's tenure, the 2007 team going 6-2 on its way to the Rose Bowl.

"As I've said from the very beginning, I will assess the entire body of work, not just the body of worked I've observed the last three months or so," Thomas said.

Thomas said he will put together a committee from within the athletic department. As they get closer to a choice, they will involve Illinois president Michael Hogan and chancellor Phyllis Wise.

At this point, Thomas said he doesn't plan to use a search firm, but "I certainly reserve the right to go that direction at some point in time if I feel that's necessary."

During Kelly's time at Cincinnati, the Bearcats twice earned BCS berths. Thomas was forced to juggle coaching staffs, as Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Kelly's replacement, Butch Jones, didn't work the game either. And the interim coach, Jeff Quinn, had taken a job at Buffalo.

"I could have a wrote a book on the transition," Thomas said.

"I think it's probably too early to tell, but hopefully this process is buttoned up well before we kick off for our bowl game."

If Illinois earns a bowl bid — an uncertainty despite the athletic director's confidence in earning one of the 70 spots — defensive coordinator Vic Koenning will lead the team. And the remaining eight assistant coaches will continue working with the program.

"Their fate at the end of the day really isn't determined by me, it's determined by the new head coach," Thomas said. "History will tell you there are a lot of head coaches out there who will retain staff from the outgoing staff."

The current staff members will continue to recruit. Illinois has 14 player commitments for the class of 2012.

"It's my intent to honor any commitments we have out right now," Thomas said. "Hopefully, those student-athletes still have an interest in attending the University of Illinois."

Thomas met the media in the bowels of the Assembly Hall, about an hour after another coach on uneven ground, Bruce Weber, led his Illini to a 90-43 win against Chicago State.

"Thank you all for being here today, which was supposed to be a basketball Sunday," Thomas said to open his interview session.

Thomas said he doesn't have a timeline for hiring a new coach. And he won't be offering a candidate list to the media.

"The next time you'll hear from me as it relates to the search process, we'll be sitting up here announcing a new head football coach," Thomas said.

During his two football searches at Cincinnati, Thomas kept the information to himself and conducted interviews away from the campus.

Thomas said he leans, generally, toward hiring current head coaches to fill head coaching positions. Both of his football hires at Cincinnati came from the top job at Central Michigan, first Kelly and later Jones.

"This is an open process," Thomas said. "It wouldn't be exclusive to just head coaches."

Thirty minutes after the end of the Thomas press conference, Zook met with the media a couple blocks away in the Memorial Stadium squad room.

The usual meeting place for the Illini during the season, the room was packed with media, current and former players, staff members and Zook's family and friends.

The coach read a statement that ran 2 minutes, 52 seconds. He didn't take questions, but promised to speak to the media at a later time.

"To our current athletic director Mike Thomas and to President Hogan, I understand you have a job to do," Zook said. "Sometimes that involves difficult decisions and I respect that."