After Bret Bielema announced that Aaron Henry would move to South Bend to coach Notre Dame’s defense, Illini fans began questioning what the future holds. But the Illinois head coach was fast enough to hand in the responses, and there may be a surprise in store.

Nothing is confirmed yet, but during Thursday’s press conference, Bret Bielema hinted that he could bring in a replacement from the NFL, specifically from the Patriots or the Seahawks, the two teams set to clash in the 2026 Super Bowl.

“I can’t announce until after the Super Bowl, but the intention of what I have in mind and where I’m going will play out next week,” Bielema said. “It will be different, probably from anything you’ve seen at Illinois. It’s a scheme and a package that I’ve been intrigued with, especially in the NFL.”

It’s almost as if Bret Bielema is changing the trend. For the past month, it was the NFL taking in college-level assistant coaches, and now it’s just the opposite.

And that too, he is so confident that he is going to land someone from the NFL. For now, February 9 remains the D-day when the program will make its decision. But who can it be? Bielema made one thing clear.

“[For a] defensive coordinator, I think a play-caller is good,” Bielema said. “Obviously, I wouldn’t turn this over to something I didn’t know and someone that didn’t know it well.”

Let’s talk about the Patriots first, because that one makes more sense. Bielema’s bond with the Patriots’ staff members dates back to the time when he was a consultant and a defensive line coach for the team (2018-2019). Patriots defensive assistant Kevin Richardson is the first name that comes to your mind. Richardson has strong ties to Bret Bielema.

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He played cornerback and special teams for Bielema at Arkansas from 2014 to 2018. After that, he followed him again when Bielema took over at Illinois. There, Richardson started as a graduate assistant in 2021 before earning a promotion to assistant defensive backs coach and defensive analyst. He made the jump to the last year in January, joining the Patriots’ staff, which naturally put him in contact with Bielema. Another possible name is Ben McAdoo.

While he and Bielema didn’t cross paths in Foxborough (McAdoo joined the Patriots in 2024), the two were colleagues with the New York Giants in 2020. During that time, Bielema coached outside linebackers, while McAdoo served as a senior offensive assistant. That shared bond could make McAdoo a realistic option if Bielema decides take something from the pros.

From the Patriots, these two look like realistic options that Bielema can work on to bring to Champaign. Any transition from the Seahawks looks pretty uncertain. Other than being a free agent for the Seahawks back in 1992, Bielema has no other connection with the coaching staff there. But the Patriots? Really? If Bret Bielema actually is a man of his word and brings in someone from Foxborough, it’s a massive win.

While this sounds like a major upgrade for Illinois, its former defensive coordinator, Aaron Henry, has opted for a lower role than what he had in the Big Ten.

Aaron Henry’s story of demotion

Back at Champaigne, Aaron Henry was the primary defensive play-caller. Even with mixed results, Henry never put his job at risk. Now that he moves to South Bend, don’t expect Henry to carry on the same DC tag for Notre Dame. Henry will serve as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. The program hired him to replace Mike Mickens, who followed the trend and left to join the Ravens’ coaching staff.

Henry will work under Notre Dame’s sole defensive coordinator, Chris Ash. Henry already has a readymade bond with Ash, as he played under him in 2010 at Wisconsin. Then even coached under Ash at Rutgers. So the Rapport is already built between both of them, so there is no need for a revitalised introduction. Sure, Henry doesn’t have much good of a resume at Illinois with his unit finishing 62nd in scoring defense and no. 46 in total defense.

The thing he does have is the knack to develop strong NFL-worthy players. He played a key role in developing Devon Witherspoon (No. 5 overall NFL pick) and Sydney Brown. Notre Dame HC, Marcus Freeman, prioritized Henry’s skills as an “ace-recruiter” and secondary specialist.