There was genuine optimism in Illinois heading into Saturday's Big Ten showdown with Ohio State. That soon faded once Jeremiah Smith took the field. The Buckeyes' All-American wideout hauled in 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first player in program history to post double-digit receptions, at least 200 receiving yards, and four touchdowns in a single game.
The Fighting Illini fell to 2-2 on the season and acted fast, parting ways with defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck on Sunday. "Coach Hauck reached out to me early this morning and asked to meet ahead of our planned meeting time," head coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "We met and mutually agreed that a change in leadership was in the best interests of our defense.
Coach Hauck and I agreed this is the best path forward for our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, at this time." More news: Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Gets Heisman Support From Rival SEC Coach More news: LSU Gets Crushing Injury News on Top Defensive Starter After Texas A&M Game It's been a rough four games defensively for Illinois. The Fighting Illini rank third-worst in the Big Ten in total yards allowed and last in the conference in passing yards allowed (255 per game), while their 26.5 points allowed per game is also third-worst. Nationally, Illinois checks in at 111th in total defense, giving up 391 yards per game.
Hauck is a longtime college football coach best known for building Montana into one of the top FCS programs in the country. He first led the Grizzlies from 2003 to 2009, then took over at UNLV from 2010 to 2014, before returning to Montana in 2018. Over his second stint, he turned the Grizzlies into a perennial powerhouse, racking up 151 wins, four national championship game appearances, and eight conference titles.
By the time he stepped away, he was the eighth-winningest head coach in all of Division I football. Hauck briefly retired in February 2026, but it didn't last long. Just days later, Illinois convinced him to join its staff as defensive coordinator.
At the time, it looked like a steal of a hire given his track record and decades of experience. Now, just four games into the season, he's out of a job. The news didn't take long to make the rounds on social media.
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