Football
5 Potential Defensive Coordinator Candidates for Illinois Football
With Bobby Hauck’s departure from the Illini, Illinois Football may look at these five names for their next defensive coordinator this offseason.
Illinois Football is quickly moving on from defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck after week four of the Illini’s 2026 season, but the search for his replacement is a conversation that will stretch well beyond the next few weeks.
Coach Bret Bielema and the Illini have a lot of football yet to play in 2026, and at 2-2, the immediate priority will be finding a way to stabilize the defense quickly with a crucial two-game stretch vs. Purdue and Michigan State ahead. Still, with Illinois moving away from the 3-3-5 defense it implemented this offseason, there will inevitably be plenty of conversation about what the program wants its defensive identity to look like moving forward.
Of course, the coaching carousel is constantly moving. As the 2026 season continues, this list could change entirely based on how various programs perform, how staffs evolve, and which coaches become available. For now, however, these are 5 names who make sense as early candidates to watch as this Illinois Football program considers what comes next at defensive coordinator.
Mark Stoops, Texas Special Assistant, Former Kentucky Head Coach
If Illinois wants to make a splash with an experienced defensive mind, Mark Stoops would be one of the most intriguing names to consider.
Stoops is best known for his 13-year run at Kentucky. Stoops helped the Wildcats reach10 wins twice (2018, 2021) in his tenure. Notably, his 2018 team won the Citrus Bowl, finished No. 12 nationally, and gave Kentucky its first 10-win season since 1977. Stoops ultimately left Lexington as the winningest coach in program history while setting school records for wins, SEC victories, bowl appearances, and wins over ranked opponents.
Prior to taking over at Kentucky, Stoops had already built an impressive résumé as a defensive coordinator and secondary coach. He made stops at programs such as South Florida (1996), Wyoming (1997-99), Houston (2000), Miami (2001-03), Arizona (2004-09) and Florida State (2010-12), where he worked primarily with defensive backs before eventually taking on defensive coordinator responsibilities at his Houston, Arizona State, and Florida stops.
Now working as a special assistant at Texas, Stoops would bring a level of experience that few candidates could match. For Bielema, that experience could make Stoops an intriguing option as the Illini look to quickly establish a new defensive identity.
Paul Haynes, Wisconsin Secondary Coach
If Illinois wants a Big Ten veteran with a strong track record of developing defensive backs, Paul Haynes would make a lot of sense.
Haynes is currently Wisconsin’s secondary coach after previously spending three seasons coaching the Badgers’ cornerbacks. With 25+ years of coaching experience, he’s certainly no stranger to coaching at the highest levels of college football.
His career really took off at Ohio State, where he spent 2005-11 coaching the secondary before becoming the Buckeyes’ co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach in 2011. That experience led to a one-year stint as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator before Haynes took over as Kent State’s head coach in 2013.
Haynes spent five seasons (2013-17) leading the Golden Flashes, and his defenses consistently showed the same strengths that have followed him throughout his career. Kent State finished in the top 45 nationally in pass defense every year under Haynes, while leading the MAC in passing defense in 2014 and pass efficiency defense in 2016. After returning to the Big Ten at Michigan State, Haynes helped a Spartans defense that led the conference in scoring defense in 2018. He later landed at Minnesota in 2022, where his defense finished 4th nationally in scoring defense and 9th in total defense.
His track record makes Haynes an intriguing fit for Illinois Football to fill the DC role.
Paul Haynes. Secondary coach. Wisconsin Football. Photo Credit: Pouring Purple. 2025. Instagram. (@Pouringpurple). Illinois Football. Armchair Illini.
Justin Wilcox, Former Cal Head Coach
Round two of Justin Wilcox being high on many lists of potential Illinois Football DC candidates could be coming soon.
Wilcox spent nine seasons as Cal’s head coach from 2017-25. He compiled a 48-55 record and led the Bears to five bowl-eligible seasons. While the overall record was inconsistent, Wilcox’s defenses were often the strongest part of his teams. Cal’s 2018 defense ranked in the top 10 nationally in interceptions, defensive touchdowns, passing yards allowed, and turnovers gained. In 2021, the Bears finished 2nd in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, fourth in total defense, and fourth in rushing defense. His final Cal defense in 2025 also finished second in the ACC in passing defense, allowing just 192.5 yards per game through the air.
Wilcox’s success at Cal was rooted in a defensive résumé that had already taken him through several major programs. He returned to Boise State as defensive coordinator in 2006 and spent four seasons with the Broncos, helping the program go 49-4 and win two Fiesta Bowls. He then held the same position at Tennessee, Washington, and USC before landing at Wisconsin in 2016. In his lone season with the Badgers, Wilcox helped lead an 11-3 team to a Cotton Bowl victory and a No. 9 finish in the final AP Poll.
That combination of coordinator and head coaching experience makes Wilcox a really solid fit for Illinois Football. After being on the radar during Illinois’ previous defensive coordinator search, Wilcox is certainly a name worth watching.
Illinois Football. Justin Wilcox. Head Coach. Celebrtes with team. Photo Credit: Cal Football. 2020. Armchair Illini.
Nick Perry, Virginia Tech Cornerbacks Coach
If Illinois Football wants a younger coach who also has a strong background in developing defensive backs, Nick Perry could be fit.
Perry began his coaching career at Alabama, first working as a graduate assistant in 2017 before becoming a defensive analyst from 2019-20. That experience eventually led him to the NFL, where he spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, including two years as an assistant defensive backs coach. Perry then moved to Seattle in 2024 as a defensive assistant, helping the Seahawks finish 9th in the NFL in yards allowed per attempt and 12th in both passing yards allowed and interceptions. His NFL experience includes working with players like A.J. Terrell during Terrell’s second-team All-Pro season in 2021, while his time at Alabama gave him an opportunity to work around future first-round defensive backs such as Patrick Surtain II and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
After getting his start in college and spending several years developing defensive backs at the NFL level, Perry returned to the college game in 2025 as Arkansas’ defensive backs coach for a single season, prior to moving on to his current position at Virginia Tech. Notably, Former Penn State head coach James Franklin hired Perry during his transitional off-season to coach the Hokies secondary.
Experience is certainly a concern. At the same time, it could give Bielema an opportunity to take a more hands-on approach with the defense, similar to the roles we’ve seen coaches like Kirby Smart and Brent Venables play while leading their own programs. Perry would bring a younger defensive voice with plenty of experience in the secondary, while Bielema could remain heavily involved in shaping the overall defensive philosophy.
Illinois Football. Nick Perry. Secondary Coach. Speaking to unit. 2026. Virginia Tech. Photo Credit: Nick Perry. Instagram. (@nickperry_27).
Pete Kwiatkowski, Arizona Cardinals Defensive Line Coach
If Illinois wants to swing for an established defensive coordinator with a lengthy track record of developing strong defensive fronts, Pete Kwiatkowski is a name to consider.
Kwiatkowski began his coaching career in 1988, working his way up the assistant chain, before eventually returning to his alma mater, Boise State, where he spent 2006-13. After coaching the defensive line, he became defensive coordinator in 2010 and immediately produced one of the nation’s best defenses. The Broncos finished second nationally in total defense and scoring defense that season, while leading the country in sacks at 3.7 per game.
Kwiatkowski later spent six seasons as Washington’s defensive coordinator (2014-2020) before taking over the same role at Texas in 2021. The Longhorns finished third nationally in scoring defense in 2024 at 15.3 points per game while ranking third nationally in total defense, forcing an SEC-leading 31 turnovers and producing 22 interceptions.
Impressively, Kwiatkowski was also a finalist for the Broyles Award that season.
Across his college career, he has coached 17 defensive linemen who were drafted into the NFL, including four first-round picks. Considering Illinois’ struggles up front, that adds some extra intrigue. His defenses have consistently been strong up front and capable of generating pressure without relying on constant blitzing, which could provide a significant change from the 3-3-5 structure the Illini have used. The biggest hurdle is that he just joined the Arizona Cardinals over the offseason as a D-line coach. So, what kind of price tag would it take to get him to Champaign? All considered, he may be worth it.
Illinois Football. Pete Kwaitkowski. Texas. Special Assistant. 2026. Photo Credit. Pete Kwaitkowski. Instagram. (@coach.pk). Armchair Illini.