Illinois is 2-2 so far this season, but this week apparently has the team feeling lighter than it has all season, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. After a 42-19 thrashing at the hands of Ohio State on Saturday, Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck saw the writing on the wall and chose to step away from the program on Sunday.
Now, some may view this as a loss for Illinois, which now has to make big changes just four games into the season, but if you ask head coach Bret Bielema, it actually sounds like it was a relief. Now, I don't want to put words in Bielema's mouth, so I will say it myself: it is a HUGE relief that Hauck isn't the defensive coordinator at Illinois.
Bielema did, however, say that he felt better going to bed on Sunday night than he did waking up that morning after everything went down. He has even grown in confidence as the week has gone on, and so have the players.
#Illini head coach Bret Bielema chose not to announce who will be calling plays on defense this week, but (if I'm understanding correctly) it sounds like the chain of communication will be simplified.
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) October 1, 2026
"Got one voice making calls, which is going to be Saturday's first sight of… pic.twitter.com/QlhGcHreqv
Bobby Hauck leaving Illinois wasn't a blessing in disguise, it was flat out best for the team
After back-to-back nine-plus win seasons, Bielema came into the season ready to take Illinois football to the next level, but there was no way he was going to do that with the defense that Hauck had put on the field for the first four games in Champaign.
After four games, the Illinois defense, led by Hauck, is ranked No. 110 in the country in total defense, allowing an average of 391 yards per game and 5.73 yards per play. This is a defense that has NFL-caliber talent all over, with Matthew Bailey, Juice Clark, and Xavier Scott, who all could have chosen to head to the league after last season.
Hauck tried bringing his 3-3-5 scheme with him to Illinois from Montana, but this isn't FCS football; this is FBS Big Ten football, and with the talent at this level of football, it clearly hasn't worked. It's a little too late in the game to change up tactics now, but at least with better communication from the new play caller, the Illini might be able to get something going defensively.
Illinois isn't playing a Purdue team that will just roll over; that offense is looking strong this season, averaging 421 total yards per game, 1.2 more yards than Illinois' offense. So, hopefully Bielema is right about the players being more confident since Hauck's departure, because they will have a game on their hands with the Boilermakers.
Hauck leaving so early in the season is also for the Illini because they can come back from starting 2-2, but not so much later in the season when the record could be a lot worse. So, while we wish Hauck the best wherever he chooses to go next, it isn't so bad that he isn't with Illinois anymore.
Add us as a preferred source on Google