To many fans, we see what is on the surface for the Illinois football program.
We saw the Illini go from a dumpster fire with no future to a contending team each season under Bret Bielema. This program has done a complete 180, and it has been impressive every step of the way.
But unlike a hot dog, I am interested in seeing how the Illinois football program runs. We are in a different age of the game, and this isn’t your father’s college football. The Illini are in the game nationally, and that took a lot of effort from the top down.
In a recent interview with Mike Golic Jr. of Golic & Golic on the FanDuel Sports Network, Bielema laid out the meat of what goes on with the Illini, in what was a refreshingly honest take.
“We tell guys, you are signing a contract based on the performance in the past, and what we think it could be in the future. We have never incentivized, and we have never signed multi-year contracts. We sign one-year deals. That is how we roll here. I am very up front and honest with what we are and what we do.”
The NFL experience Bret Bielema obtained has helped him adapt in his coaching stint at Illinois
Bielema’s knowledge at the NFL level has helped him greatly with the Illini. He talks about this in the interview with Golic.
“One of the benefits I had was coming out of the NFL after three years.”
From the NFL to college football: Bret Bielema on bringing pro-level honesty to NIL deals. 🗣️@BretBielema | @mikegolicjr pic.twitter.com/Rl2GlZ9De3
— FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN) August 22, 2025
The Illinois football program had to go through a transformation when the coaches changed back in 2020. The transfer portal wasn’t what it is today, so Bielema had to go to work and completely redo what we were used to with the Orange and Blue.
“We really treat our guys like NFL players. I set up my entire personnel department like an NFL organization…the NFL has pro scouting and college scouting, we have college scouting and high school scouting.”
I am loving the honesty from Bielema. Moreover, he clearly knows what he is doing and has his stuff together. This isn’t a coach who is just winging it out there. Bielema has a game plan and is following through.
The type of interview he did with Golic is also great for recruiting. If I am someone who is interested in the Illini but could be on the fence, that interview would give me trust that my head coach will be upfront with me. That is extremely valuable. It is comforting to know that Illinois has one of the best in the business leading the charge.