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Bret Bielema talks Illinois new-look offense, depth at RB position
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Illinois’ offense went through some change in the offseason. After the unit struggled to put points on the board at times, Bret Bielema decided to part ways with Tony Petersen and bring in Barry Lunney Jr. to be the new offensive coordinator.
It’s only spring, but Bielema has been pleasantly surprised by how quickly the players and other staff members are learning the new offensive approach.
“The install & implementation,” Bielema said on B1G Today when asked what he’s been impressed by this spring. “Just the overall learning that our kids have done. Also our coaches. The way they’ve learned it has been really impressive.”
Bielema said that Lunney is bringing a unique approach to Champaign. He’s implemented the term “Tempro,” which translates to tempo offense with pro-style influence. The head coach says it’s a product of Lunney’s experience throughout his time as a coach.
“What I love about Barry is he’s kinda grown up in this profession, but also as a coach has had a variety of different influences,” Bielema said.
Heading into Thursday night’s spring game, Bielema said the one position group he’s excited to see is the running back room. With Chase Brown, Josh McCray and Chase Hayden in the backfield, the rushing attack could be a real strength for the Fighting Illini.
“I’m liking where (the running backs) are at, to be quite honest,” he said.
Illinois will hold its spring game Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on BTN.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB