Bret Bielema
Head coach
Big Ten · Champaign, Illinois
Illinois Football Coaching Staff 2026
Head coach and coordinators
2026 record2-3
Coaching staff
ILL coaches
Illinois Athletics' 2026 head coach, coordinators where listed, position coaches and special teams staff, reviewed October 6.
Leadership
Offense
Barry Lunney Jr.
Offensive coordinator
Jared Elliott
Tight ends
Bart Miller
Offensive line
Mike Neu
Pass game coordinator
Artur Sitkowski
Quarterbacks
Justin Stepp
Wide receivers
Tyrone Wheatley
Running backs
Special teams
Chris Hurd
Special teams coordinator
Defense
Ronnie Bradford
Secondary
Roger Cooper
Inside linebackers
Mike Linehan
Defensive ends
Archie McDaniel
Outside linebackers
Corey Parker
Defensive backs
Jordan Thomas
Defensive line / run game coordinator
Illinois Athletics' official 2026 football schedule, roster and coaching listing, and 2025 results, reviewed October 6, 2026. This is a dated snapshot; check the school for later changes.
Staff coverage
Illinois listed coaching roles
This profile lists 15 staff members for Illinois. Responsibilities are grouped as follows: Defense: 6; Leadership: 1; Offense: 7; Special teams: 1.
Titles describe the published staff listing. They do not establish who calls plays or whether every support role is included.
FAQ
Illinois football coaching staff FAQs
Who is the head coach of Illinois?
Bret Bielema is listed as head coach in the team profile reviewed on 2026-10-06.
Does this page list the entire football staff?
It contains 15 published staff entries. Recruiting, operations and other support roles may not be included; the page does not claim a complete staff directory.
Who leads Illinois's offense and defense?
Barry Lunney Jr. is offensive coordinator. The current staff directory lists defensive position coaches, including inside linebackers coach Roger Cooper, but no defensive coordinator.
Published by Football Schedules Hub. Sources and editorial standards · Report a correction