1. Illinois football has a competitive advantage we haven’t talked enough about: coordinator continuity. Some fun facts about that.
— Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. returns for his fourth season as the Illini’s offensive play-caller, which makes him the longest-tenured offensive coordinator in the Big Ten.
— Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry returns for his third season as the Illini defensive play-caller, making him tied for the third-longest-tenured defensive coordinator in the conference behind only Iowa’s Phil Parker (14th year) and Oregon’s Tosh Lupoi (fourth year).
— Illinois is one of just six Big Ten teams that returns both its offensive and defensive coordinators this season, along with Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Oregon.
— Illinois is one of only two Big Ten programs with coordinators who each have at least two years of coordinator experience at their current programs (Oregon).
