Bret Bielema spent the early days of his life taking care of hogs at his father’s farm near Prophetstown, Ill., and dreaming of playing a Butkus-caliber linebacker for the University of Illinois and then, his home state Chicago Bears.
Now, Bielema is 50 years old and has been hired by Josh Whitman to be the next Illinois Football head coach. From Prophetstown to Champaign, the Illinois native’s story has come full circle. He spent his first hours as head of his new program teaching his daughter the famous I-L-L I-N-I chant and thinking of his parents.