Illinois Football has been through three head coaches in the last nine years - all losing seasons. In an effort to correct course, the Illini went out and hired former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema.
There’s a connection there to NC State Football: Dave Doeren was on Bielema’s Wisconsin staff from 2006-2010, serving as co-Defensive Coordinator, Recruiting Coordinator, and Linebackers Coach the first two years, and Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach the last three. Doeren used that experience to jump into his first head coaching gig at Northern Illinois, which he then turned into the head role with the Wolfpack.