Bret Bielema: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

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Illinois head coach Bret Bielema gets asked about Tennessee trying to swipe his QB ahead of facing the Vols in the Music City Bowl

When quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the Tennessee Vols near the end of spring practice, it forced UT to quickly look for a new quarterback. The Vols eventually landed quarterback Joey Aguilar as a transfer addition (Aguilar left UCLA once Iamaleava announced he was joining the Bruins' roster).

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / December 3

Why Illinois Tapping Into the JUCO Pipeline Is More Than Just a Quick Fix

Illinois football has followed up a strong two-year run under Bret Bielema by attacking what had been a possibly underutilized college football talent pipeline: the junior college ranks.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / November 30

Illinois Lands Top JUCO Recruits in TJ Taylor and Jakwon Morris: What It Means

Even before Illinois beat Northwestern 20-13 on Saturday night, Illini coach Bret Bielema and his staff received excellent news: The Illini had landed not one but two top junior college recruits in offensive tackle TJ Taylor and cornerback Jakwon Morris.

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Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / November 30

Illinois Offers Another Top JUCO Recruit in Archie Chambers: What it Means

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema has landed on a somewhat novel approach, and he isn't altering from it: pursue the top junior college recruits as hard as (or harder than) any other football program in the nation.

College Football News / Wisconsin Badgers on SI / November 22

Studs and duds from Wisconsin Badgers 27-10 upset win over No. 21 Illinois

The Wisconsin Badgers got back to playing Wisconsin Badgers football in their upset win over No. 21 Illinois. An explosive running game and a physical defense led the day for Luke Fickell's squad that looked a little more like the team did when Bret Bielema was on the home sideline.

College Football News / Wisconsin Badgers on SI / November 21

4 keys for Wisconsin Badgers to beat Illinois Fighting Illini and Bret Bielema

The Wisconsin Badgers will once again be significant underdogs this weekend, as they welcome the 7-3 Illinois Fighting Illini to Camp Randall. But over the past three games, Wisconsin has shown an ability to keep games close against superior opponents and even knocked off then-No.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / November 20

Illinois Football Included in JUCO Lineman TJ Taylor's Top Five: What it Means

Illinois landed junior college offensive tackle Alfred Washington on Tuesday, and a day later coach Bret Bielema and his staff received more good news from the JUCO front: TJ Taylor, a top-10 overall junior college prospect, included Illinois among his top five college destinations.

College Football News / Field Level Media / November 20

Bret Bielema returns to Wisconsin as Illinois eyes 3rd straight win

Illinois will be looking for its third consecutive victory when it travels to face reeling Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup Saturday in Madison, Wis. No.

College Football News / College Football News / November 19

Illinois vs Wisconsin Prediction: The Bret Bielema Bowl

Illinois never should’ve left the College Football Playoff top 25, and now it’s back in at 21 after beating Rutgers and Maryland - like that was enough to catch the committee’s eye.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / November 18

Illinois Football Offers Division II Quarterback Maurice Smith: What it Means

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema and his staff have been on the hunt for junior college recruits over the past couple weeks, but that wasn't the case on Sunday.

College Football News / EasySportz / November 17

Week 13 Big Ten Power Rankings: Indiana Stays Perfect, Buckeyes Crush UCLA

The Big Ten’s regular season is down to its final week, and the playoff picture is sharper than ever after a Week 13 packed with implications. Indiana kept their dream alive with a dominant 31-7 thumping of Wisconsin, while Ohio State reminded everyone why they’re a CFP contender in a 48-10 demolition of UCLA.

College Football News / Wisconsin Badgers on SI / November 16

Bret Bielema trying not to let return to Wisconsin become narrative against Badgers

When the Wisconsin Badgers host Illinois on Saturday, all of the talk will be about Illini head coach Bret Bielema returning to face his former team. He's hoping to downplay that narrative and make the game more about the two teams on the field.

College Football News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / November 14

Preview: Illinois Football vs. Maryland in Week 12

Illinois football (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) arguably missed its window to energize the base and add converts to Illini Nation when the team took it on the chin at Indiana, fell to Ohio State at home and imploded at Washington.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / October 29

Should Illinois Coach Bret Bielema Move on From Aaron Henry?

When Aaron Henry entered the media room to speak to the gathered reporters Monday at Champaign's Memorial Stadium, the third-year Illinois defensive coordinator didn't bother waiting for the hail of questions dancing around the recent performance of his unit and his own job security.

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College Football News / Purdue Boilermakers on SI / September 30

What is Purdue's Record Against Teams Coached by Bret Bielema?

This weekend, Illinois coach Bret Bielema will make his sixth trip to Ross-Ade Stadium as a head coach and will face Purdue for the 10th time in his career.

College Football News / NCAA Football on ClutchPoints / September 28

Illinois’ Bret Bielema drops truth bomb on thrilling USC win after 53-point loss to Indiana

Illinois football had a good comeback on Saturday, rebounding from a crushing 63-10 loss to Indiana to get a stunning 34-32 victory over USC. Coach Bret Bielema talked about his team’s character after the dramatic comeback win, via Jeremy Werner of 247 Sports.

College Football News / USC Trojans on SI / September 27

Illinois Coach Bret Bielema Reveals USC Trojans 'Riled Up' Fighting Irish Before Game

The No. 21 USC Trojans suffered their first loss of the season against the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini, 34-32. It was a close matchup, but after injuries and turnovers, the Illini came out on top.

College Football News / Mike Farrell Sports / September 21

Now What for Bret Bielema and Illinois?

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema wasn’t bashful during the off-season. He spoke about how his Illini were ready to gain respect and that they carried a chip on their shoulders.

College Football News / NCAA Football on ClutchPoints / September 6

Illinois HC Bret Bielema gives assistant props for play of the day vs. Duke

Bret Bielema had some praises to give to an assistant coach following the No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini’s 45-19 win over the Duke Blue Devils. Illinois improved to a 2-0 record on the season, outscoring their first two opponents 97-22.

College Football News / Wisconsin Badgers on SI / August 2

Wisconsin Badgers' 2026 TE commit pursued with offer from Bret Bielema, Illinois

The Wisconsin Badgers have two tight end commits for the 2026 recruiting class. Bret Bielema and Illinois are trying to flip one of them. Three-star Jack Janda out of Michigan verbally committed to the Badgers after his official visit in early June, but he tweeted on Friday that he received a new offer from Illinois.

College Football News / A to Z Sports / July 22

Bret Bielema’s take on the College Football Playoff would only make life harder for the Ohio State Buckeyes

Big Ten Football Media Days are underway in Las Vegas, Nevada—a change of location from their usual home in the Midwest. With media days here, it means the college football season is just around the corner.

College Football News / Athlon Sports / June 26

Bret Bielema Reveals How Urban Meyer Changed Big Ten Forever

Legendary Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer had a history of winning everywhere he went, winning two national titles in Gainesville in 2006 and 2008. He also finished his tenure there with a record of 65-15 from 2005-2010. After a solid stint with the Gators, Meyer became the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2012.

College Football News / Athlon Sports / June 26

Bret Bielema Has Change of Heart on Georgia Allegations

During a recent episode of "The Triple Option" podcast, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema stirred controversy when discussing running back Josh McCray’s transfer to Georgia. “Somehow he found his way to the portal and 12 hours after being in the portal he was on a flight to Georgia.

College Football News / ChiCitySports / June 25

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema suggests Georgia might have tampered star RB

The Illinois football program was dealt a huge blow in April when senior running back Josh McCray announced his decision to transfer from the program he had been at for four years and play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.

College Football News / Ole Miss Rebels on SI / May 31

Illinois' Bret Bielema Fires Back at Ole Miss Football Fan, the 'SEC Gauntlet'

During this week's spring meetings in Destin (Fla.), the Southeastern Conference presented graphics breaking down the "gauntlet" of a schedule each program faces heading into each season.