Illini head football coach Bret Bielema has hired within the program to fill his recently vacant Defensive Coordinator position. The news broke on Friday, Decembers 16th that Former secondary’s coach Aaron Henry would be promoted to the Illini’s next Defensive coordinator.
The word was officially given to the team on Saturday, as well as the news that Linebackers coach Kevin Kane would be leaving for Purdue to become the Boilers new Defensive Coordinator. This of course, following the hiring of former Illini DC Ryan Walters as the next Head Coach at Purdue University. After the team was officially made aware of the new situation, Bret Bielema met with the media to officially announce the news.
Henry’s Receiving of the news is a really cool story itself. Bielema says that Aaron and Bret were on a morning walk in Jackson, Mississippi near the hotel, before heading to Memphis on the next stop of the recruiting trail. When the two coaches got back to the hotel lobby, Bielema let Henry know that Ryan Walters was taking the Job at Purdue, and that a new Defensive Coordinator was in the works. Bret then looked at Aaron and said “You ready?” To which Henry then looked at Bielema and said “Coach? we have another hour and a half before we need to get on the road?” Of course, this means that funny enough, at the time Henry wasn’t grasping that Bret was offering him the position. Bielema then says he followed with “No… that’s not what i’m asking. Are you ready for this?” The young caches reaction according to Coach Bielema was “Absolutely Awesome.”
Henry Began his career as a GA at Arkansas when Bret was the Head Coach in Fayetteville. After 2 seasons, Henry then left to take defensive back position’s at Rutgers, NC State, and Vanderbilt before his transitioning to the Illini, where he has spent the last two seasons.
Aaron has seen a lot of success as a coach under at his few stops, and at Illinois, he has taken that up a notch. Aarons player development includes guys like Kerby Joseph, Tony Adams, Quan Martin, and potential first-round draft pick Devon Witherspoon, the nations best DB. In fact, over the course of the 2022 season Illinois Defensive Backs unit was the best in all of college football against the pass, and led the nation in interceptions with 22. The Unit allowed the fewest passing touchdowns of anyone in the nation, and helped lead to big wins over teams like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Kirk’s Quick Thoughts
I can see why there may be some uncertainty over Henry being a young coach with no prior Defensive Coordinator experience, but Coach Bielema has had a very solid track record at hiring DC’s. Chris Ash, Dave Doran, Charlie Partridge, Mike Hankwitz, and of course Ryan Walters are just some of the very accomplished Head coaches and/or Defensive Coordinators from the Bielema tree. Trust in the man. Aaron is a very vocal, energetic guy, who demands the room with his confidence. His players love him, and he has developed many of them into real deal NFL talent. Henry is an original member of Bielema’s staff here at Illinois, and has been a major factor into how this phenomenal defense has been developed. A big key for Illinois to continue success. With any young coach of course there will be growing pains, and games like “Virginia 2021” for Ryan Walters, happen to even the best coaches. With Linebackers Coach Andy Buh and Head Coach Bret Bielema in Aarons corner, two former legit Big Ten defensive coordinators will be giving him the road to succeed. A fortunate situation for Illinois and Henry to be in. I think Aaron is a young star in the coaching game, and a great fit for what Illinois is building.
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