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Former Illinois football star turning heads in the NFL coaching ranks

It is tough to get one of the top coaching jobs in the world, but a former Illinois football star is on the right track.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Oct 19, 2013; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase (2) stands in the pocket created by offensive linesman Alex Hill (52), offensive linesman Michael Heitz (74) and offensive linesman Simon Cvijanovic (68) to pass the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin wins 56-32 over Illinois. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2013; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase (2) stands in the pocket created by offensive linesman Alex Hill (52), offensive linesman Michael Heitz (74) and offensive linesman Simon Cvijanovic (68) to pass the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin wins 56-32 over Illinois. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Illinois football team has put talent into the NFL for as long as I can remember.

Even with the bad Illini teams, we could still manage to get players on NFL rosters. Since Bret Bielema took over, the influx of NFL talent has skyrocketed.

While former Illini players are starting to mount on NFL rosters, the coaching scene hasn’t been as fruitful. Not a ton of former Illinois players or coaches have gotten to great heights in the NFL. Well, that could be changing soon.

Former Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhasse is getting some serious looks to be an NFL head coach. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Scheelhaase is getting numerous NFL head coaching interviews, and all of his interviews will take place on Friday. He will meet with the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns.

Scheelhaase started four seasons at Illinois. He amassed 8,568 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions through the air. He also peppered in another 2,066 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.

After his time playing in Champaign, Scheelhaase started coaching. He was Illinois’ running backs coach in 2015. He then transitioned into an offensive analyst during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Scheelhaase then worked his way up the ladder. He moved on to Iowa State, where he was a running backs coach, wide receivers coach, and offensive coordinator with the Cyclones. Scheelhaase then took his talents to the NFL ranks, where he was the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive assistant in 2024, and he was their passing game coordinator this past season.

Interviews for Nathan Scheelhaase are a great way to get him more eyes in the future

It is exciting to hear that a former Illinois quarterback is working his way up in the NFL coaching ranks. That is such a tough grind, as there are the same coaches who continuously get the jobs. It is hard for a new name to break into the mix.

The odds of Scheelhaase actually getting one of those head coaching jobs are probably pretty slim. That isn’t the point of the interviews, though.

These interviews are a chance for Scheelhaase to get in front of the decision-makers with his accolades and experience. While this round of interviews might not bear head coaching fruit, it could easily land him an offensive coordinator job with one of the franchises. After that, a head coaching job awaits. This is the next step in the process of reaching the highest levels in coaching.

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