There had been grumblings going back to the middle of last season that Illinois and head coach Lovie Smith were looking to shake up its football staff. A 2-10 record and a winless Big Ten campaign will do that. Coach Smith wasn’t exactly on the hot seat, but it was clear changes needed to be made, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
January 19, 2018. The University of Illinois announces Cory Patterson, the head coach at Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis will be the new tight ends coach for Lovie Smith’s staff.