Within minutes of wrapping up Super Bowl 60, Illinois Fighting Illini’s head coach, Brent Bielema, wasted no time targeting a top Super Bowl–winning assistant. One of the nation’s best outside linebackers coaches with the Seattle Seahawks, he remains the replacement for defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, who departed for Notre Dame.

On February 8, college football insider Ryan Evan Schroat hopped on X and apparently revealed Illinois’ next DC.

“Illinois is targeting and set to finalize a deal with Seahawks OLB coach Chris Partridge to become its new defensive coordinator,” he posted on X.

The word is that Bielema strategically waited until after Super Bowl LX to move on a candidate from the NFL ranks. This opening at Illinois came about because their previous defensive leader, Aaron Henry, officially left the program earlier today to join Notre Dame as a co-defensive coordinator.

Aaron Henry’s five-year stint at Illinois was a bit of a roller-coaster. Under his guidance, the defense tasted the peak and depth of Big 10 football. After his best season in 2022 at Illinois, the Illini were allowing only 12.8 points per game and led the country in picks (24) as a DB coach. However, since the big promotion to DC, the defense slipped to 62nd in 2023, 41st in 2024, and all the way to 88th in total defense.

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His departure will give Bielema a chance to fix those sliding numbers with a fresh perspective. Maybe someone who’s been there and done that.

Notably, Chris Partridge is widely seen as the ‘fixer’ for this situation. Before jumping to the NFL, Partridge made a massive impact at Ole Miss (2020–2022) and Michigan (2016–2019, 2023). At Ole Miss, he served as co-defensive coordinator and was the primary play-caller in 2022 when D.J. turned his back and joined the Texas A&M gig. He turned the Rebels’ defense into one of the most improved units in the country. He allowed 13.6 fewer points per game in 2021 compared to the previous year.

He is among the best recruiters nationwide, helping Michigan land top-15 classes for four years. In 2025, the Seahawks led the NFL with 17.2 points allowed per game and set a franchise record with 14 wins. By targeting an NFL mind like Partridge, Bielema is signaling he wants to return to that elite status and move away from the scheme that allowed nearly 400 yards per game in 2025.

The Illinois staff is seeing a total overhaul this February. Along with the DC search, the Illini lost co-DC Terrance Jamison to the Buffalo Bills. A tough blow considering Jamison coached a defensive line that racked up 26 sacks last year. Bielema also hired Jared Elliott as tight ends coach on February 6. With all these unfamiliar faces and a potential NFL-style system on the way, it’s intriguing to see how the Illini are approaching next season.

However, the only problem surrounding his name was the Michigan list. Is he free from harm’s way?

Partridge’s Wolverines case: Cleared or not!

The NCAA officially dismissed Chris Partridge in August 2025. This came after a nearly two-year investigation into Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal. The NCAA Infractions Committee found “insufficient information” to conclude that he had any knowledge of the scheme. Unlike the Connor Stalions case, they did not find any evidence that he tried to influence anyone to lie about it.

While he was fired in 2023 for allegedly failing to follow school directives during the probe, the final report confirmed he did not commit any major violations.

The investigation revealed that some of the most damaging accusations against him lacked factual support. Claims that he destroyed evidence or told players to withhold information simply didn’t hold up. In fact, it was found that at least one student-athlete had given misleading information, which contributed to the initial false reports.

As a result, Partridge received no sanctions. He also avoided any “show-cause” penalties from the NCAA. That is why he is now considered a thoroughly “clean” candidate for the Illinois job.

Partridge spoke out after the ruling. He mentioned feeling a huge sense of relief, sharing how proud he was of remaining calm and composed as the truth gradually surfaced. Now that his name remains cleared, he’s free to bring that elite defensive mind back to the Big Ten. Yes, without any baggage.