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Bret Bielema finalizes his 2026 coaching staff...
*Illini head football coach Bret Bielema finalized his coaching staff for the 2026 season this week….some I like…some not so much….let’s review.
-Head coach of the offense Barry Lunney Jr. (offensive coordinator)
-Bart Miller offensive line…was hoping Miller like Henry/Jamison would find another job this off-season…no such luck…if you read my writing know am not a Miller fan…his best o-line at Illinois was with Lovie’s recruits (Lowe, Kramer, Alex P.) Chase Brown running the ball….now Miller has a total o-line rebuild on his hands…yes investment in o-line impressive….hopefully Badger transfer center Jake Renfro stays healthy cause I got a feeling if he isn’t…this unit going to struggle with Miller ‘in charge’.
-Barry Lunney Jr./Art Sitkowski quarterbacks…Had to laugh…recently Sitkowski at a coaching clinic talking about ‘how he develops’ quarterbacks at Illinois…’He’ being operative word…nope Sitkowski not ‘officially’ the QB coach Lunney Jr. has that title….seems former Illini is one ‘in charge’ day to day work with the position….Luke Altmyer had his own private position coach off-season….none of the high school recruits Bielema’s staff has signed have seen the field for any meaningful snaps…pair will have their hands full this fall keeping Katin Houser on task.
-Tyrone Wheatley running back…Former Wolverine ‘great’….one of the greatest high school highlight tapes ever….man among boys….NFL first round pick….coached high school….running backs at Syracuse/Michigan for Harbo….NFL experience….head coach at Morgan State and most recently Wayne State in Detroit…gave up that job last week….weird vibes how he left.
Wheatley played a part in one of the Illini’s greatest wins of the 90’s….1993 Lou Tepper’s team at Michigan trailing…Wheatley hurt replaced by Ricky Powers…late in game….after a big gain Powers looks over at the Illini sidelines taps his wrist as in, ‘time is running out’ on you guys…next play Simeon Rice strips the ball from Powers…ILL. recover setting up the Johnny Johnson to Jim Klein miracle completion winning the game.
-Justin Stepp wide receivers…seems to be doing a good job both developing and recruiting the position.
-Jared Elliott tight ends…Old school in approach to putting together a staff…would like the tight ends coach to have experience with o-line scheming so can work together to figure out how to block a defense….Elliott skill position coaching experience…nothing with the o-line…no clue if he is a ‘recruiter’.
-Chris Hurd special teams…coached special teams at group of five schools….’Head coach of the defense’ Bobby Hauck known for his expertise with special teams…hopefully he can help…Hurd will have a new place-kicker/punter to break in…You have good special teams when you have good depth at linebacker/defensive backs to cover/tackle…don’t have to play starters.
*Head coach of the defense Bobby Hauck (defensive coordinator)
-Jordan Thomas defensive line coach….young guy….2025 first year in power four coaching Boston College defensive line…spent few seasons with Cleveland Browns assistant d-line coach before Chestnut Hill….played at San Diego State (2010-2013)…knows the 3-3-5 scheme…worked with Bielema buddy Mike Vrabel with the Browns….Bielema, Vrabel, Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien all have same agent (Neil Cornrich) likely how this all played out….man have to be pissed if you are O’Brien hard to find d-line coaches these days and one of your agent’s other clients takes yours? C’mon.
Expect Thomas=high energy…cause d-linemen different breed…..d-line coaches like lion tamers….sometimes have to rub your guys neck show them love…other times have to bring out the whip and chair to get your guys motivate…..issue with Thomas hire….since doesn’t look like any other defensive assistants have d-line experience….a lot of pressure on a young coach in terms of game prep/game planning/scheme/adjustments…plus ‘teaching/developing’ the position.
-Archie McDaniel outside linebackers…moved from inside linebackers to outside….has done decent job evaluating/recruiting players out of Texas.
-Roger Cooper inside linebackers…comes over from Montana with Hauck…knows the scheme/how to teach play calls…younger coach so expect high energy….no idea if he is a ‘recruiter’…linebacker play always go back to simple ‘rules’ learned when Mike Mallory coached the position at Illinois….read the play if it’s a run ‘find your blocker/fill your gap’….pass? ‘find your man or drop into your zone’…ez pz👍
-Corey Parker cornerbacks coach…expected more as a coach/recruiter after the hype when he was hired off the Toledo staff….now has to teach a new scheme/technique.
-Ronnie Bradford safeties coach…’old campaigner’…both NFL/college experience….coached with Hauck at Montana few years ago….impressed as play-caller when Griz’s d-coordinator…….did a good job at USC coaching Trojans DB’s…Bradford another staff member that played in an Illini classic….1990 he was a reserve defensive back at the University of Colorado….played in Champaign for that great 23-22 Mackovic-led win over the 9th-ranked Buffs….Bill McCartney’s 90’ team went on to win a share of the national title.
-With Altmyer not around to save their ass…..big year for Bielema and his coaching staff in 2026….Interesting mix of young and old assistants….Wheatley a bit of a head scratcher why he would want to go back to being a position coach? …this A.M. news NIU head coach/former Bielema assistant Thomas Hammock leaving DeKalb for a job with the Seattle Seahawks….now makes sense why search for running backs coach took so long……hope Wheatley can teach pass-blocking better than Thad Ward ….not shot in the ass by the d-line coach but when Mike Vrabel recommends….Bielema listens…so happy the Patriots/Vrabel lost in the Super Bowl…Boston fans the worst….☺️
*How recruiting has changed…
-’Old days’ first question when a new hire was announced…’can he recruit?’….that’s all changed….”Arrangements like these only became feasible in 2024, when the NCAA dropped its restrictions on staff members’ roles. It used to be that only the head coach and 10 assistants could be on-field coaches and thus were the only ones eligible to be one of the 11 “countable” off-campus recruiters. Now, pretty much anyone on the staff can be an on-field coach….able to recruit off-campus’ (Courtesy The Athletic)….so now with huge personnel departments at power four programs….the biggest weight of recruiting now taken off the assistants…still need ‘recruiters’ but nowhere near as important as ten years ago….Bielema indicated his coordinators wouldn’t be on the road as much as in the past….likely a big reason Hauck decided to come abroad…let the support staff/young guys get after recruiting.
*This and that…
-Speaking of Illini wide receiver Jim Klein…..yes touchdown catch vs. Michigan 1993 game most memorable play in his career…teammates also remember when as they were leaving the field after 1994 devastating 35-31 loss at home to Penn State….there was Klein on one knee in the tunnel leading to the locker room…proposing to his girlfriend…she said, ‘yes’….Tepper had given him permission to ask her after the game…couple’s family members hugging/laughing while players passed looking at each other…’what the fuck is this shit?’….think they are still married.
-Altmyer, defensive end Gabe Jacas and tackle J.C. Davis invited to next week’s NFL combine….Davis now being projected as a late third round pick…lack of depth offensive line this draft reason…cause of NIL/players being able to stay in college five/six years getting paid guaranteed cash….not nearly as many declaring for the draft early if not projected 1st-2nd rounders…in my opinion.
-Illini finally offered 2027 safety Jake Thies out of Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick…already with a slew of power four offers…why Bielema’s program was late no idea….Thies best all-around football player in-state class of 2027….not most highly recruited/touted….best on the field player.
-Bielema confirmed Kaden Feagin moved to tight end….doubt if we will see him doing much in-line blocking…if used as an H-back in motion…could be a heckuva matchup issue for the defense….too big for a defensive back to cover….too fast for an inside linebacker.
-After spending a few seasons helping the offensive line at the University of Memphis….Former Illini Dave Diehl didn’t go with Ryan Silverfield’s staff when they were hired at Arkansas…looking to stay in coaching….old teammate Josh Whitman should reach out…get him back at his alma mater…..can’t hurt.