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For the first time since Dec. 2022, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema will need to fill a coordinator spot on coaching staff after losing Aaron Henry to Notre Dame. IlliniGuys.com have broken down a potential list of candidates here. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 2, 2026

NOTE: It should be known this hot board will be updated based on sourced information during the search process as Illinois head coach Bret Bielema attempts to find his third defensive coordinator hire since Bielema’s arrival in Champaign on Dec. 2020. However, as of now (late evening of Feb. 1), this is a list in no particular order fully based on nothing more than speculation and should not be used as anything more than a guideline on potential candidates. 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For the third time since accepting to be Illinois’ head coach in Dec. 2020, Bret Bielema will need to hire a defensive play-caller to his coaching staff just a few months before 2026 spring practices are slated to begin on the University of Illinois campus. 

One of the few logical ways IlliniGuys.com felt to best separate potential candidates for this hot board was in two categories. Before the 2021 season, Bielema publicly discussed his desire to hire coordinators who he’d never worked with and had no previous ties with in his coaching career. Despite obviously filling his assistant coach positions with people he’d either coached, worked with in some capacity or interviewed for previous openings he’d had at either Wisconsin or Arkansas, (defensive line coach Terrance Jamsion, offensive line coach Bart Miller, then-defensive backs coach Aaron Henry, linebackers coach Andy Buh, wide receivers coach George McDonald and chief of staff Mark Taurisani), the Illini head coach said he felt it would be a unhealthy start to hire coordinators he’d had a previous relationship with because he wanted those spots to A) represent a new philosophical beginning to Bielema’s restart in the college game and B) be strictly merit-based hires. Enter the hirings of former Appalachian State offensive coordinator Tony Petersen, former Missouri defensive coordinator Ryan Walters and former Air Force special teams coordinator Ben Miller. The results of this philosophy were mixed as by the end of the 2022 regular season, none of these three men were in these jobs as Petersen was fired after just one season, Walters left to become Purdue’s head coach after two seasons at Illinois and Miller was forced to take a medical leave of absence from the position after being diagnosed with colon cancer. In each of the subsequent searches following the departure of Petersen and Walters, Bielema reversed course on his philosophy and elected to go with people who he’d worked with in the past and had a deep connection with professionally and personally. Barry Lunney Jr. reunited with Bielema in 2022 after Lunney spent five years as the tight ends coach at Arkansas under Bielema from 2013-17. To replace Walters after the 2022 season, Bielema elected to quickly with an in-house promotion of Aaron Henry, who was offered the full-time play-caller role before the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.

Therefore, based on the five-year history of Bielema’s behavior in this decision-making spot, a logical way to categorize this hot board for Bielema’s third defensive coordinator hire should be split between three categories: 1) Those with a previous connection; 2) Those without any previous ties to the Illini head coach; 3) An in-house promotion

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The hype surrounding Quincy High School do-it-all guard Khloe Nicholson lived up to expectations Thursday night in a conference matchup against the Alleman Pioneers at Don Morris Gymnasium.

Watching the 6-foot-1 guard, the nation’s #17-ranked prep according to ESPN in the 2028 class, it was clear why opposing fans lingered after warmups just to see the future Division I prospect.

One fan summed up the game sitting next to the press area by saying, “I haven’t seen this many reporters at a girls' game this year. Are you guys here to watch the girl for Quincy?”

Shauna Green: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJFFadyamnc    

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Ball State Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bret Bielema continues his poaching of the former Ball State coaching staff over the past few seasons.

Jared Elliott will be in charge of the tight end position on Bielema’s Illinois coaching staff starting with this spring practices in preparation for the upcoming 2026 season and the 39-year-old brings 18 years of collegiate coaching experience, including four seasons as a head coach and seven years in coordinator roles. Elliott most recently served as the tight ends coach at New Mexico under first-year head coach Jason Eck during the 2025 season, where he helped the Lobos to 9-win season that included an overtime loss to Minnesota in the Rate Bowl.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football program has added a late but confident addition to its 2026 recruiting class, securing a commitment from Byron High School athlete Caden Considine, a 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back who believes his best football is still ahead of him.

Considine, a versatile two-way standout, arrives in Champaign embracing the chip on his shoulder that has followed him throughout the recruiting process. Despite gaudy production and championship experience, the Illinois native felt largely overlooked by college programs. That perception only fueled his drive.

IlliniGuys.com has learned the Buffalo Bills have targeted Illinois defensive line coach Terrance Jamison to join a newly-formed coaching staff led by newly hired head coach Joe Brady. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 6, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The coaching departures from the Illinois football staff may not be over just yet. 

Sources close to the situation have informed IlliniGuys.com Insider/Analyst & Co-Host Brad Sturdy that the Buffalo Bills have targeted Illini co-defensive coordinator Terrance Jamison to be its new defensive line coach as the franchise continues its offseason coaching staff overhaul. A source inside the football program confirmed to IlliniGuys.com that Jamison was in the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign Wednesday and nothing has been finalized with Jamison and the Bills organization. 

Jamison is in his sixth season and was an original member of Bret Bielema’s Illini coaching staff when Bielema was hired as the program’s head coach in Dec. 2020. Jamison was given the title of co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach in 2023 following two seasons leading the Illinois defensive front following a move to reunite with Bielema after spending four seasons coaching defensive line at three Football Bowl Subdivision programs (Purdue, Air Force and Texas Tech). 

The news of Jamison’s services being targeted by a National Football League franchise comes as he’s approaching the last season of a two-year extension that was approved by the university board of trustees that sees Jamison at an average annual salary of $662,500.

Upon finishing his fifth season in charge of the Illini football program, Bielema promised noticeable philosophical and schematic changes to his program’s defense in a 28-minute media conference on Wednesday evening inside State Farm Center. 

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder

February 6, 2026

With the countdown to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina now down to being hours away, I can’t help thinking about my unforgettable experience 20 years ago. Of the four Olympics that I covered as a CNN Sports correspondent, the 2006 Games in Torino was my only taste of the winter-version of the iconic global competition.

First things first, let me clear up one of the biggest misconceptions: covering an Olympics is NOT a glamour assignment. The days are long and the work is immense, but it was three weeks I wouldn’t trade for anything.

You may hear reporters lamenting that sidewalk tiles there at the Games haven’t been laid in place or a creature comfort isn’t available. This isn’t unique, rather the case at every Olympics. Cities and countries invest hundreds of millions of dollars – the price tag for Milan and Cortina is approaching $2 billion - to host an Olympic Games and that means borrowing money at some point. The later they draw from those accounts, the less interest they have to pay. So little things – like new street signs or fresh landscaping around stadiums – get pushed to the very end.

Considering what a financial fiasco the Torino Games were, it’s really amazing Italy wanted to do it all again. Starting with a budget of around $1.5 billion, the actual costs in 2006 were more than double that due to costly infrastructure upgrades. The end result was a deficit of more than $1 billion.

None of that mattered to me. The Super Bowl back then was held on the first Sunday of February and in Detroit, no less. Which meant we would spend a week in the automotive manufacturing hub of the United States covering the Seahawks and Steelers in Super Bowl XL to working the rest of the month in the automobile center of Italy. Torino is home to several top Italian brands, including Fiat. In fact, one ofthe attractions in the city was a former Fiat plant turned into a shopping center, with the old test track still intact on the building’s roof.

The media accommodations were usually a dorm-type arrangement, with plans to repurpose the building into apartments later. So they were brand new facilities, but with something missing. The room I was assigned had all tile floors – not the most comfortable in the winter - with each unit consisting of a separate bedroom and bathroom. The latter was very nice, with one exception…there was no shower curtain and no shower rod. We soon discovered that the hot water heaters weren’t robust enough to provide warm water to everyone. Which meant each day began with a cold shower of sorts and you needed to have a plan to avoid getting water everywhere.

There are two groups who cover the Olympics:

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler has become one of the most talked-about players in college basketball following a stunning 46-point performance at Purdue and a 28-point effort at Nebraska on Sunday.

Fans, media, and analysts across social media have continued to dissect the record-breaking outing against the Boilermakers, which marked the highest-scoring performance by an Illinois freshman in program history and one of the top single-game scoring totals nationally this season.

Among those paying close attention was Illinois 2026 commit Ethan Brown of Rolla, Missouri.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTWifGsccyQ    

By IlliniGuys Staff February 4, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By IlliniGuys Staff February 4, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is suggesting his new defensive play-caller starting in the 2026 season is the time to begin a pivot of a defensive philosophy. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 4, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After an offseason of departures that included eight players off last season’s defensive front seven two-deep and a third-year defensive coordinator to Notre Dame, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is convinced the 2026 campaign has to be pivot point for change. 

Upon finishing his fifth season in charge of the Illini football program, Bielema promised noticeable philosophical and schematic changes to his program’s defense. 

“It’s a definite scheme change that will probably be different than anything you’ve seen at Illinois,” Bielema said Wednesday night. “It’s a scheme and a package that I’ve been intrigued with, especially in the NFL and seeing things play out. We’ll see where it goes from there.” 

The intriguing mystery of Bielema’s timeline to hire a new defensive coordinator was the Illini head coach saying he had an idea of the hire he was going to make but “can’t announce it until after the Super Bowl but the intention of what I have in mind and where I’m going will get to play out next week”. 

Bielema all but guaranteed Wednesday that his defensive coordinator would have previous play-calling experience and with this promised scheme change is unlikely to be a person Bielema has previously worked with. 

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

February 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The orange hot Illini head into Wednesday with an 11-game winning streak and have another ‘trap game’ against in-state rival Northwestern. After playing top 5 road games on the weekend for 2 straight weekends, they will have another top 10 matchup this weekend. Thus far they have taken care of the ‘trap games’ with Rutgers and Washington, but the Wildcats pose a different challenge.

The Illini are now tied atop the Big Ten standings at 10-1 and have a chance to solidify themselves as a NCAA tournament 2 seed with 1 seed aspirations this week.

Let’s take a look at the particulars.

Setting the Stage
#5 Illinois (19-3, 10-1 B1G) vs. Northwestern (10-12, 2-9 B1G)
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 // 8 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) & Jess Settles (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
* No. 5 Illinois hosts Northwestern on Wednesday night at State Farm Center. It is Hail to the Orange Out presented by Gameday Spirit. All Illini fans are encouraged to wear Orange, and t-shirts will be given to the first 1,000 fans at the Main West Entrance.

*Illinois is riding an 11-game win streak, the program's longest since opening the 2012-13 season at 12-0. It is the longest active winning streak in the Big Ten, third among Power Five teams, and seventh nationally.

*Illinois is coming off its second top-5 road win of the season, 78-69 at No. 5 Nebraska on Sunday, just eight days after an 88-82 road win at No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 24. The Illini earned consecutive top-5 road wins for the first time in program history and secured their seventh top-10 win in a visiting arena under Brad Underwood over the last seven seasons, the most in the nation.

*Illinois is 19-3 overall, owning its best start in 20 years, since opening the 2005-06 season at 20-2. Illinois is one win away from its seventh straight 20-win regular season under Brad Underwood. The Illini are one of only four teams to do so each of the previous six years, alongside Gonzaga, Houston and San Diego State.

*Illinois is 10-1 in the Big Ten, the program's best start to conference play since the 2004-05 squad won its first 15 league games as part of 29-straight wins to open the season. The 2005 Illini swept the Big Ten regular season and Tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four, finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 37-2.

*Illinois has won nine consecutive Big Ten games, one away from matching its longest streak of the Brad Underwood era in conference play of 10 straight across two seasons from Feb. 25, 2021 through Jan. 13, 2022.

* Keaton Wagler is one of only two NCAA freshman averaging at least 18 points, five rebounds and four assists on the season, alongside Duke’s Cameron Boozer. • Among players with at least 24% possessions used, Wagler ranks first nationally in offensive rating at 140.7. He is eighth among all players. Wagler's scoring average of 18.1 points per game is on pace to break the Illini freshman season scoring record set by Kiwane Garris, who averaged 15.9 ppg in 1993-94. He ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring during conference play, averaging 22.0 points. Wagler earned his fifth B1G Freshman of the Week honor (second straight) on Monday after his performance at No. 5 Nebraska which included 28 points, five rebounds, and two steals. He also posted 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists in a home win vs. Washington.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) Illinois (16-6, 6-5 in […]