Bret Bielema: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

5 Storylines to Watch in Purdue's Week 5 Matchup vs. Illinois

The non-conference slate is in the rearview mirror, and Purdue will now turn its attention to Big Ten play for the remainder of the season. This weekend, the Boilermakers travel to Champaign for a rivalry game against Illinois.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Bobby Hauck out after 4 games as Illinois defensive coordinator; unit ranks near bottom in stats

Bret Bielema had hired the former Montana head coach to replace Aaron Henry, who left to be co-defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 27

Social Media Reacts to Illinois and Bobby Hauck Parting Ways After Four Games

On Sunday, Illinois parted ways with defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck . It was reportedly a decision agreed on by both parties. Hauck, who requested an early meeting with Illini head coach Bret Bielema on Sunday, may have even kickstarted the process himself .

Bret Bielema News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 27

Did Illinois' Split From Defensive Coordinator Bobby Hauck Come Too Soon?

Sunday's news bomb detailing the exit of Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck described it as a “mutual” decision, according to Illini head coach Bret Bielema’s comments in a statement released by the program.

College Football News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'FBS animal nicknames' quiz

How many of the FBS college football teams with an animal nickname can you name?

The 'FBS college football nicknames' quiz

The 'NCAA football national champions' quiz

The 'College football color teams' quiz

College Football News / EssentiallySports / September 28

$46M Big Ten Head Coach Parts Ways With Defensive Coordinator After Just Four Games

Bret Bielema did not even wait for Illinois’ defensive disaster to cool off. Less than 24 hours after Ohio State embarrassed the Fighting Illini 42-19, Illinois parted ways with defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck just four games into his tenure.

College Football News / Yardbarker

25 most intriguing storylines to follow for the 2026 college football season

College football has historically been known as a sport that caters to the elite. It is very difficult to win a national championship if you aren't Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, or a host of other schools that have great programs that invest heavily in keeping them at the top.

College Football News / NCAA Football on ClutchPoints / September 27

Illinois fires defensive coordinator after getting torched by Jeremiah Smith

Illinois has parted ways with defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck after just four games, head coach Bret Bielema announced on Sunday. The move comes less than 24 hours after a 42-19 road defeat to Ohio State laid bare the Fighting Illini’s defensive shortcomings.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 27

Illinois DC Bobby Hauck out after Ohio State beatdown

Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck is out after a 42-19 loss at Ohio State on Saturday. Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema said Sunday that he met with Hauck before the scheduled team gathering at the request of his assistant coach.

College Football News / A to Z Sports / September 27

Illinois HC Bret Bielema said how he really feels about Jeremiah Smith after the Buckeyes throttled the Illini

Jeremiah Smith did some major damage against Illinois and it left Bret Bielema with no choice but to give the star wideout his flowers. Jeremiah Smith

College Football News / A to Z Sports / September 26

Illinois HC Bret Bielema pointed out an absolutely embarrassing moment his team had against Ohio State

Ohio State did a lot of damage to Illinois’ defense in Week 4, and Illini head coach Bret Bielema pointed out quite the mistake they made. Ohio State football’s

College Football News / NCAA Football on ClutchPoints / September 26

Illinois football HC breaks down how Fighting Illini can pull off major upset vs. Ohio State

Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema was full of confidence ahead of a major clash against Ohio State. The Big Ten champion coach knows his team cannot afford to dwell on mistakes if it wants to pull off a major upset against No.

College Football News / Yardbarker

Ranking all the new FBS head coaches for the 2026 season

Coaching changes happen every year, but they don't all happen the same way. We have had some wild offseason coaching moves in recent seasons, and 2025-2026 wasn't any different.

Ohio State Buckeyes News / Ohio State Buckeyes on SI / September 23

Ohio State's Big Ten Opener Comes With One Major Question

The No. 7-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes return to Columbus this Saturday for their Big Ten opener. And it's anything but a layup. Despite coach Ryan Day's recent success against Illinois' Bret Bielema in last year's 34-16 triumph in the Illibuck trophy game in Champaign, the mutual respect between both coaches is clearly apparent.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 23

Illinois, preparing heavily for road games, takes on No. 7 Ohio State

Illinois coach Bret Bielema has been preaching to his players that the key to reaching an elite level in the Big Ten is winning on the road. That was the theme during preseason camp, and it was reiterated this week in preparation for when the Illini (2-1) play their first road game on Saturday afternoon, against No.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Most 200-K MLB seasons' quiz

The '100-receiving-yard playoff debuts' quiz

The 'Multiple 30/30 MLB seasons' quiz

The 'Active NFL catch leaders' quiz

College Football News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 22

One Key Ohio State Weakness That Illinois Can Exploit in Week 4

The strategy for any coach who knows his team is walking into a matchup against an opponent with superior talent: take risks. That's what Bret Bielema and Illinois football will be up against when they face Ohio State on Saturday in Columbus (11 a.m.

College Football News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 22

Key Quotes From Bret Bielema Ahead of Illinois vs. Ohio State

Illinois coach Bret Bielema on Monday previewed the Illini's Week 4 matchup against No. 7 Ohio State (Saturday, 11 a.m. CT, FOX). He covered a variety of topics – including a look back at Illinois' Week 3 win over Southern Illinois – but we handpicked his most important talking points.

College Football News / EssentiallySports / September 22

Bret Bielema Makes Blunt Admission About Illinois’ Challenge Against Ryan Day’s Ohio State: 'I’m Not So Good'

Bret Bielema knows Illinois can walk into the same financial neighborhood as Ohio State. He doesn’t seem interested in pretending otherwise. As the Fighting Illini prepare for a trip to Columbus, he was asked about the growing gap in roster spending across the Big Ten.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 17

Illinois eager to atone from setback in clash vs. Southern Illinois

Most football teams make their biggest jump from the first game to the second game. That didn't quite happen for Illinois last week as it followed up a 42-23 season-opening win over UAB with a mistake-filled 31-27 defeat against Duke.

College Football News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 16

Illinois Football Lands Top-30 2028 Quarterback Owen Herrick

In the Bret Bielema era, Illinois has never started a quarterback who began his career in Champaign. The Illini have found their man under center via the transfer portal every year, for every game.

College Football News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 15

Illinois Fans Shouldn't Let One Loss Make Them Forget What Bret Bielema Has Built

There’s no way around it: Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium was bad. Illinois football left a lot on the table against Duke . And that falls on coach Bret Bielema, who, to his credit, pointed the finger back at himself in his postgame press conference.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / September 13