Illinois football news: Rb coach Thad Ward leaving for Kansas State

News: Illinois football is set for a staff shakeup. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Illini running backs coach Thad Ward is headed to Kansas State to take the job as wide receivers coach and associate head coach. Ward was a part of Lovie Smith’s initial staff in 2016 and ultimately departed to take a job at Temple. He then spent a year at Kansas State prior to another stint with the Illini. In his second stint, Ward has emerged as one of the best recruiters on the Illinois football staff. He has deep ties in the state of Illinois, St. Louis, and Florida. Ward played a key role in recruiting some top prospects in the Illini’s class of 2026, including four-star defensive back Nick Hankins, three-star athlete Jacob Eberhart, and three-star running back Javari Barnett.

Of note, former Illini assistant Cory Patterson also joined the Kansas State staff after some time at Purdue and Oklahoma State. Ward and Patterson were on Lovie Smith’s staff and were notably very close with one another.

Bret Bielema has his work cut out for him, as losing Thad Ward is a big hit to his staff. Ward was reportedly making over $500,000, so Bielema will certainly have the resources to find a strong assistant coach.

REPORT: #Illini RBs coach Thad Ward leaving for Kansas State, ⁦@PeteThamel⁩ reports

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