The Illinois Fighting Illini fired head coach Lovie Smith last weekend after the team’s 2-5 regular season.
This morning the program found their new man at the helm, and it’s former Wisconsin Badger head coach Brett Bielema.
NEWS: Illinois has announced Bret Bielema as its new football coach.
— Nicole Auerbach 😷 (@NicoleAuerbach) December 19, 2020
The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach reports that it is a six-year deal beginning with an annual salary of $4.2 million.
Bielema, who went 68-25 in his seven years in Madison before leaving to become head coach at Arkansas, will now work to get an Illini program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 headed in the right direction.
Minnesota preview:
Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe
What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck is saying about Wisconsin before the game
HC Paul Chryst gives an update on the status of WRs Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis
Film room: The good, the bad and the questionable from Graham Mertz’s performance against Iowa