After just 41 days on the job, Illinois offensive line coach Jim Bridge is on his way out.
According to a source within the Illinois athletic department, Bridge accepted the same position at Purdue, a move that is likely to be announced Wednesday.
Bridge joins first-year Boilermakers coach Darrell Hazell’s staff, replacing Jim Bollman, who accepted the offensive coordinator vacancy at Michigan State last week.
Illini head coach Tim Beckman is once again left with another assistant position to fill after completing his 2013 staff last week. After six seasons at North Carolina State, Bridge was hired in late January to replace the departed Luke Butkus, who left after one season to reunite with his former Illini coach Ron Turner at Florida International before accepting the assistant offensive line coach job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After Beckman’s bleak 2-10 inaugural campaign, the Illini coaching staff saw a major overhaul with Bridge being the sixth assistant coach to leave Illinois, five of whom left voluntarily. Only co-offensive coordinator and primary play-caller Chris Beatty was fired after the Illini offense finished among the worst in the NCAA, mustering just 16.7 points per game in 2012. After Butkus and Beatty, co-coordinator Billy Gonzales was demoted to wide receivers coach when Western Michigan’s Bill Cubit was signed as offensive coordinator and Gonzales left for Mississippi State in February. Mike Bellamy was promoted from assistant director of player personnel and relations to wide receivers coach to replace Gonzales.
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Defensive coordinator Tim Banks kept his job despite Illinois’ defense allowing more than 30 points in eight of 10 losses, but defensive line coach Keith Gilmore and cornerbacks coach Steve Clinkscale parted ways with the Illini. Gilmore, the lone holdover from Ron Zook’s staff and coach of two first-round NFL draft picks, joined former Illinois defensive coordinator Vic Koenning’s staff at North Carolina and Clinkscale accepted the defensive backs coaching position at Cincinnati. Former Illini assistant Greg Colby was hired in place of Gilmore, while Banks absorbed Clinkscale’s responsibilities in the secondary. Al Seamonson was brought on to coach the outside linebackers.
Bridge’s replacement will be Illinois’ fourth offensive line coach in two seasons and will inherit a unit that allowed the most sacks in the Big Ten in 2012 and is losing senior starters Graham Pocic and Hugh Thornton.
The Illini began spring practice Tuesday and will take the field April 12 for the Orange and Blue Spring Game. Illinois opens the 2013 season Aug. 31 against Southern Illinois at Memorial Stadium.
Chad can be reached at [email protected] and @cthornburg10.
