List of Illinois Fighting Illini head football coaches
The
Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 27 head coaches, and two interim head coaches, since it began play during the 1890 season. Since December 2020, Bret Bielema has served as head coach at Illinois.[1]
Eleven coaches have led Illinois in postseason bowl games: Ray Eliot, Pete Elliott, Mike White, John Mackovic, Lou Tepper, Ron Turner, Ron Zook, Vic Koenning, Tim Beckman, Lovie Smith, and Bielema. Seven of coaches also won conference championships: Arthur R. Hall, Robert Zuppke, Eliot, Elliott, White, Mackovic, and Turner a member of the Big 10. Zuppke won four and Eliot one national championships as head coach of the Fighting Illini.
Zuppke is the leader in seasons coached, with 29 years as head coach, games coached with 224, and games won with 131. Robert Lackey has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game at 0.833. Scott Williams has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with 0.333. Of the 27 different head coaches who have led Illinois, Edward K. Hall, George Washington Woodruff, Zuppke, Elliott, and Bob Blackman have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Key
| General | Overall | Conference | Postseason[A 1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Order of coaches[A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties[A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage[A 4] | ||||
Coaches
| No. | Name | Term | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DC [A 6] |
CC | NC | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Williams | 1890 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 2 | Robert Lackey | 1891 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.833 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 3 | Edward K. Hall†[5] | 1892–1893 | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0.636 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 4 | Louis Vail | 1894 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 5 | George Huff | 1895–1899 | 40 | 21 | 16 | 3 | 0.563 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0.250 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 6 | Fred L. Smith | 1900 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0.667 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 7 | Edgar Holt | 1901–1902 | 23 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0.804 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0.667 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 8 | George Washington Woodruff†[6] | 1903 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0.571 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.167 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 9 | Clyde Matthews [A 7] |
1904 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0.792 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0.700 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 10 | Fred Lowenthal [A 8] |
1904–1905 | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0.690 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0.438 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 11 | Justa Lindgren [A 9] |
1904, 1906 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0.647 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 12 | Arthur R. Hall [A 10] |
1904, 1907–1912 | 52 | 36 | 12 | 4 | 0.731 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 0.652 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 13 | Robert Zuppke†[7] | 1913–1941 | 224 | 131 | 81 | 12 | 0.612 | 76 | 66 | 8 | 0.533 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 – 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927 | — |
| 14 | Ray Eliot | 1942–1959 | 167 | 83 | 73 | 11 | 0.530 | 54 | 55 | 7 | 0.496 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 – 1951 | — |
| 15 | Pete Elliott†[8] | 1960–1966 | 66 | 31 | 34 | 1 | 0.477 | 22 | 26 | 1 | 0.459 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 16 | Jim Valek | 1967–1970 | 40 | 8 | 32 | 0 | 0.200 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 0.179 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 17 | Bob Blackman†[9] | 1971–1976 | 66 | 29 | 36 | 1 | 0.447 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 0.510 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 18 | Gary Moeller | 1977–1979 | 33 | 6 | 24 | 3 | 0.227 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 0.188 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 19 | Mike White | 1980–1987 | 91 | 47 | 41 | 3 | 0.533 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 0.603 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 20 | John Mackovic | 1988–1991 | 47 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 0.649 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 0.703 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 21 | Lou Tepper | 1991–1996 | 58 | 25 | 31 | 2 | 0.448 | 17 | 21 | 2 | 0.450 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 22 | Ron Turner | 1997–2004 | 92 | 35 | 57 | — | 0.380 | 20 | 44 | — | 0.313 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 23 | Ron Zook | 2005–2011 | 85 | 34 | 51 | — | 0.400 | 18 | 38 | — | 0.321 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Int. | Vic Koenning | 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 24 | Tim Beckman | 2012–2014 | 37 | 12 | 25 | — | 0.324 | 4 | 20 | — | 0.167 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 25 | Bill Cubit | 2015 | 12 | 5 | 7 | — | 0.417 | 2 | 6 | — | 0.250 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 26 | Lovie Smith | 2016–2020 | 56 | 17 | 39 | — | 0.304 | 10 | 33 | — | 0.233 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Int. | Rod Smith | 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 27 | Bret Bielema | 2021–present | 37 | 18 | 19 | — | 0.486 | 12 | 15 | — | 0.444 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Notes
- ^ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[2]
- ^ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
- ^ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[3]
- ^ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[4]
- ^ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
- ^ Divisional champions have advanced to the Big Ten Football Championship Game since the institution of divisional play beginning in the 2011 season. Since that time, Illinois has competed as a member of the West Division.
- ^ Matthews shared the title of "Head Coach" with Hall, Lindgren, and Lowenthal for the 1904 season.
- ^ Lowenthal shared the title of "Head Coach" with Hall, Lindgren, and Matthews for the 1904 season.
- ^ Lindgren shared the title of "Head Coach" with Hall, Lowenthal, and Matthews for the 1904 season.
- ^ Hall shared the title of "Head Coach" with Lindgren, Lowenthal, and Matthews for the 1904 season.
References
- ^ Rittenberg, Adam (December 19, 2020). "Bret Bielema named head coach of Illinois Fighting Illini". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- ^ Ed Hall at the College Football Hall of Fame
- ^ George Washington Woodruff at the College Football Hall of Fame
- ^ Robert Zuppke at the College Football Hall of Fame
- ^ Pete Elliott at the College Football Hall of Fame
- ^ Bob Blackman at the College Football Hall of Fame