Chambana Sun

The University of Illinois football program has undergone significant changes since the hiring of head coach Bret Bielema on December 19, 2020. An Illinois native with extensive coaching experience at both collegiate and professional levels, Bielema brought a fresh approach to the team in Champaign.

Bielema quickly established strong connections with the Illini players, including Jake Hansen, who returned for his sixth season in 2021 before joining the NFL's Houston Texans. Hansen praised Bielema's recruiting skills and coaching style, stating, "I was very happy I made the decision, and Coach B is a great coach and great recruiter."

Another player, Adams, also decided to use his extra year of eligibility under Bielema's leadership. He expressed confidence in Bielema's knowledge of the game: "He came in talking ball. I knew he knew about the game and could teach me something about the game."

Bielema's tenure began with a victory over Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in front of a large home crowd. The first season featured notable wins such as a nine-overtime victory against Penn State and reclaiming the Land of Lincoln Trophy from Northwestern.

In preparation for the 2022 season, Zuppke Field received new turf showcasing Illinois' new brand identity: #famILLy. This change helped invigorate the program under Bielema’s guidance. The team achieved an unbeaten non-conference record for the first time in over ten years and secured bowl eligibility by mid-season.

Illinois entered national rankings during this period and earned a spot in both AP rankings and College Football Playoff rankings for the first time since previous seasons. Their efforts culminated in participation in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Following their successful 2022 season, Illinois had one of its most remarkable NFL Drafts recently. Devon Witherspoon was selected fifth overall as Illinois' highest-drafted defensive back ever. Other notable draft picks included Jartavius Martin (47th overall), Sydney Brown (66th overall), Chase Brown (163rd overall), Jer'Zhan Newton (36th overall), Isaiah Adams (71st overall), Tip Reiman (82nd overall), and Casey Washington (187th overall).

Illinois is among five schools that had three or more players drafted within the first three rounds across two consecutive drafts alongside Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Penn State.

Bret Bielema signed a six-year contract extension through 2028 after achieving significant milestones during his initial three seasons at Illinois. His achievements include bringing national recognition to Illini players like Jer'Zhan Newton (Nagurski finalist), Chase Brown (Doak finalist), and Devon Witherspoon (Thorpe finalist).

As they prepare for another promising season under Coach Bielema’s leadership heading into 2024; former student-athletes remain optimistic about future prospects: “Coach B has got this program going strong," said Hansen."I really think they're ready to continue moving forward positively.”