The college game is crazy, and thankfully, the Illinois football program has great leadership from the top down.
It honestly all starts with athletic director Josh Whitman. He pulls the strings, and he has put in place some great coaches for every program. I would argue that, in my lifetime, I have not seen a better Illini coach for the football program than Bret Bielema.
Bielema hasn’t had fewer than five wins in a season in his five seasons he has been in Champaign. This includes winning 10 games in 2024 and beating South Carolina in a bowl game.