Over the offseason, Nebraska and Illinois each hired a new defensive coordinator. After four games, Nebraska’s new DC, Rob Aurich, has been a massive success, while Illinois’ Bobby Hauck is already out of a job. With NU facing the unit Hauck was hired to lead later this season, that might not be welcome news in Lincoln.
In a statement on Sunday, Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Hauck reached out ahead of their normal Sunday meeting. The two agreed that a leadership change was best for the team. Illinois' defense ranks 101st nationally in points allowed under Hauck, who was in his first season as playcaller.
"Coach Hauck and I agreed this is the best path forward for our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, at this time," Bielema said in a statement. "I would like to thank Bobby for his work with our program."
Bielema hoped Hauck's 3-3-5 scheme would spark a defense that fell off a bit in 2025. But Illinois gave up 31 points in a Week 2 home loss to Duke and 42 in Saturday's loss at No. 7 Ohio State.
Illinois defensive coordinator change could complicate Nebraska football's November matchup
The development in Champaign is oddly reminiscent of what happened with Nebraska last year, when first-year defensive coordinator John Butler came under fire while trying to run his version of a 3-3-5 scheme. The big difference between the two stories is that Butler’s defense was quite good in the first few weeks of the 2025 campaign. The Huskers ended the year with three straight blowout losses, going from 7-3 to 7-6, a slide that cost Butler his job.
Rhule and the Cornhuskers also haven’t tried to pretend that Butler resigned or came up with the idea to make a change. In fact, while Butler has been mostly quiet since his dismissal, he did post something on social media that seemed like a “don’t blame me” post.
Nebraska and Illinois meet this season on November 6. Nebraska's offense has played well, and the Huskers could use that matchup against a defense that’s struggled to stop anybody. Hauck’s issues with a familiar 3-3-5 would have added to that appeal.
Of course, the Illini will have to embrace the 3-3-5 for the rest of the season, even if whoever is taking over the defense tries to change things here and there. It’s nearly impossible to install a brand-new approach at this point in the season.
From Nebraska’s point of view, it might even be better that it still has several weeks before it faces the Illini. A new defensive coordinator could spark the defense for a few weeks. However, a fresh voice and fresh eyes can only help so much.
With five games to go before the Huskers and Illini meet, Nebraska will also have plenty of time to see what the new DC goes with. If Matt Rhule and his team don’t get to face the defensive coordinator who struggled this season, this could be the next-best scenario. On the other hand, if Illinois finds a way to fix its defense over the next few weeks, the Cornhuskers will miss Bobby Hauck badly.
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