Chambana Sun

Illinois football has announced the appointment of Harper Cole as the new offensive skill and special teams assistant, according to head coach Bret Bielema. Cole joins from TCU, where he held the position of assistant running backs coach for the 2024 season.

"We are excited to bring Harper onto our staff," stated Bielema. "Harper is an Illinois native who also has strong ties to our staff with Coach Lunney and Coach Stepp. With his experiences in college football at TCU and Arkansas, he will be a valuable asset for our offensive skill players and special teams units."

Cole expressed enthusiasm about his new role: "I couldn't be more excited to join Coach Bielema and the unbelievable staff here at Illinois. Being originally from the state of Illinois, it means a lot to me to be back home and have a chance to represent the Illini football program."

Born in Aurora, Illinois, Cole was a prominent athlete at Waubonsie Valley High School. His high school career culminated in a record of 7-4 and a second-round appearance in the IHSA state playoffs.

At the collegiate level, Cole played as a walk-on wide receiver for Arkansas between 2020 and 2022. A notable highlight of his playing career was contributing to Arkansas' victory over Kansas in the Liberty Bowl, which included his first reception and a fumble recovery.

Cole began his coaching journey at Arkansas as a student assistant before progressing to TCU in 2023. There, he was eventually promoted to assistant running backs coach, guiding the team to a 9-4 record and a victory over Louisiana in the 2024 New Mexico Bowl. Under Cole's guidance, TCU's rushing offense achieved significant success.

Cole holds a degree in business management from Arkansas, awarded in 2023.

His coaching timeline includes serving as an offensive assistant at TCU in 2023, becoming the assistant running backs coach in 2024, and now his current role with Illinois in 2025.