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What Can Illinois Football Expect From Bobby Hauck's Defense?

Hauck, the Illini's new defensive coordinator, has vast experience, a track record of success and, above all, an aggressive approach
Jason Langendorf|
Nov 22, 2025; Missoula, MT, USA; Montana Grizzlies head coach Bobby Hauck looks on during the first half against the Montana State Bobcats at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Thomas Shroyer-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2025; Missoula, MT, USA; Montana Grizzlies head coach Bobby Hauck looks on during the first half against the Montana State Bobcats at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Thomas Shroyer-Imagn Images | Michael Thomas Shroyer-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniMontana Grizzlies

If you've followed Illinois football for more than a hot minute, it's a strange thought to consider, let alone say out loud: Last season's 9-4 finish was a disappointment.

Wild, right? Consider: Bret Bielema's 19 wins in the past two seasons are the most for any coach in program history. Back-to-back bowl wins? Another first for an Illini coach. Illinois ranked as high as ninth in the AP poll last season – an almost unthinkably exciting prospect for a school that before Bielema hadn't experienced so much as a winning season since 2011.

But 2025 can't be sugar-coated: The Illini had a boatload of returners back back from a 10-win season, a charitable schedule and reasonable expectations of a College Football Playoff berth. Indiana tore a hole in the hull of that idea with a 63-10 destruction, and quarterback Luke Altmyer and the offense spent the rest of the season bailing out a defense that seemed to be constantly taking on water. If Altmyer's senior season wasn't wasted, it inarguably fell short of the highest hopes.

That's the hard truth that comes with this new, invigorating era of Illinois football: the old standard isn't good enough.

Which brings us to the offseason changes to Bielema's staff – and specifically the biggie: the exit of defensive coordinator Aaron Henry and the arrival of his replacement, former longtime Montana head coach Bobby Hauck.

Who is new Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck?

Here's the quick thumbnail description: Hauck has 38 years of college coaching experience, including 14 as head coach of the Grizzlies (from 2003-09 and 2018-25). He is the winningest coach in Big Sky history and was the eighth-winningest active coach in college football before making the move to Champaign. His Montana teams – which have reached 13 playoffs and four FCS championship games – have been led by a swarming defense that makes a perennial home among the national statistical leaders.

The Grizzlies have finished in the top 20 in scoring defense three times in the past five seasons, including 2025, when Hauck guided Montana into the FCS semifinal game. Since the start of his second tour in Missoula, Hauck's defenses have ranked in the top five of the Big Sky in scoring defense, total defense and sacks every season. The Grizzlies have ranked in the top 10 in the nation in turnovers forced three times over the past five years, including third last season (27) and second in 2021 (30).

What will Bobby Hauck's Illini defense look like?

Since the Feb. 8 announcement of Hauck's hiring, the main focus has been on the configuration of his 3-3-5 defense – and with good reason. It's widely credited for the success of Hauck's defenses, but it's regarded as some kind of a rare beast in the Big Ten. Here's the reality: The personnel package isn't as important as the philosophy.

Hauck noted in his introductory press conference that his Illinois defenses will hew to the team's personnel, not necessarily be a slave to a specific 3-3-5 alignment or nickel-style package. Additionally, Bielema brought up the importance of matchups and opponents over a strict adherence to a particular scheme, and also offered a reminder that the Illini already were already working with 3-3-5 groupings. (In fact, the Illini started five defensive backs in all but two games last season – against Western Michigan and Northwestern.)

Alignment wasn't the issue for Illinois last season, but rather injuries and – even more so – antipathy towards creative thinking. The Illini's bend-but-don't-break scheme embraced the bending and forgot the rest, as opponents pounded its smaller personnel groupings in the run game and picked apart its too-simple coverages. Illinois tied for 66th nationally in turnovers forced (16), enjoying some luck in recovering 10 fumbles. (Its six interceptions tied for the second-lowest figure in the FBS.) The Illini ranked No. 121 overall in third-down defense (45.0 percent conversion rate allowed) and 98th in red-zone defense (87.0 percent conversion rate allowed). Their 49th-ranked sacks per game (2.23) weren't bad, but nearly half of those vanish with the departure of linebacker Gabe Jacas to the NFL.

How can Hauck begin to lift those figures? Controlled aggressiveness. Under Hauck, the Grizzlies liked to attack with pressure, but it didn't always come in the form of extra pass rushers. Stunts, zone blitzes, delayed rushes and overloads – and combinations of all of the above – forced Big Sky quarterbacks to constantly sweat Montana's next move:

Interestingly, Hauck has never held the role of defensive coordinator before arriving in Champaign. But that's likely a non-issue. Hauck long ago learned Rocky Long's 3-5-5 at San Diego State, formulated and tweaked his own version of it at Montana and often called the defensive plays for the Grizzlies. Plus, joining him on Bielema's staff are a duo of former assistants (second coach Ronnie Bradford and Roger Cooper, both of whom served as defensive coordinator in Missoula) and defensive line coach/running game coordinator Jordan Thomas, who learned the 3-5-5 under Long at SDSU). Bonus: All three have extensive NFL experience, which plays very well with recruits.

Hauck recalled first becoming intrigued by the 3-5-5 early in his career, and seeking out a position on Long's staff with the express purpose of mastering it: "Coaching against this defense, and listening, and watching the offensive coaches struggle and complain every time we played against it, I thought it was problematic. So I wanted to learn it."

He also reiterated that his defense – like most any other – isn't a one-size-fits-all scheme or approach.

"A lot of college football, minus a few exceptions, defenses have had to become pretty multiple," Hauck said. "Because unless you're just really, really, really talented, you don't get to just line up and stop people. They've got answers on offense, and now they've got helmet communication, so they've got real answers all the way up to 15 seconds left on the play clock helping the quarterback."

A 3-5-5 base arguably helps a defense match up better with modern offenses that incorporate more three- and four-receiver packages and spread concepts, even on early downs. But again, as Hauck suggested, approach trumps alignment:

"I would say there's not a lot of hitting and reading in this defense. It's very assignment-oriented. When the ball is snapped, you're going."

That should be welcome news to Illini fans who grew exasperated watching the defense read, react and – too often – retreat downfield. There will undoubtedly be a learning curve, and Illinois may give up a handful more big hitters over the course of a season. But Hauck has been coaching an assignment-based scheme built on aggressiveness for decades now, and he has been surrounded by other coaches who literally know the drill. The payoff should be more pressure, more sacks, more turnovers and a more exciting brand of defense. We'll find out soon enough if the wins will follow.

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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