Photo: Lovie Smith Has Made A Big Change To His Offseason Look

The best beard in college football is no more.

Lovie Smith appears to have the Illinois football program on the rise. The Illini are coming off a 6-win season in 2019 and more is expected in 2020.

The former NFL head coach has perhaps been more known as of late for his epic beard, though. He grew it out over the summer before the 2019 season and his wife wouldn’t let him shave it.

“I never shaved much during the summer, before seasons started,” he told the Washington Post. “Two summers ago, I let it grow out for a while, and my wife said to me: ‘I love it. Don’t ever shave it.’ So I guess I won’t.”

The beard might’ve gotten too long and itchy, unfortunately.

Smith took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to reveal his updated look. The Santa Claus-esque beard is gone.

Illinois fans were taken aback by the new look.

“Who is he? & what have you done with my Coach?!” one fan tweeted in response.

“Worst loss of the Lovie era,” another fan added.

It’s a big change, to be sure, but maybe it’ll bring new luck to the Illinois football program as it heads into the fall.

Illinois is set to open the 2020 regular season on Sept. 4 against Illinois State.