Illinois hires Tyrone Wheatley as running backs coach, ex-Morgan State head coach

Illinois announced Feb. 16, 2026 that Tyrone Wheatley will join Bret Bielema’s staff as the program’s running backs coach in Champaign. Bielema welcomed the hire, saying, “Coach Wheatley is an accomplished coach with proven success in both the NFL and college football. Our program will benefit immediately from his experience as a running backs coach and head coach. He has been an outstanding player and coach in the Big Ten and has developed some of the top running backs in football. We are excited to welcome Coach Wheatley to Champaign.”

Wheatley arrives with a high-profile playing résumé as a former University of Michigan running back, a one-time NFL first-round pick and a 10-year NFL veteran who was a 3-time All-Big Ten selection. His coaching résumé spans 18 years and includes Power-4 and NFL running backs coach stops, and he has been credited with developing backs such as Leonard Fournette, Melvin Gordon, Latavius Murray, C.J. Spiller, and Fred Jackson.

His timeline features a 2010 hire to Syracuse to replace Roger Harriott on Doug Marrone’s staff, a 2013 move with Marrone to the Buffalo Bills, a return to Michigan for the 2015–16 seasons, and a January 2017 hiring as Jacksonville’s running backs coach. Jacksonville’s rushing attack led the NFL in yards en route to the 2017 AFC Championship run, Syracuse produced three straight 1,000-yard rushers under his guidance, and Michigan posted back-to-back 10-win seasons while ranking among the conference’s best rushing attacks during his 2015–16 stint.

Wheatley also has collegiate head-coaching experience. 247Sports lists him as Morgan State’s head coach from 2019 to 2021 with a 5-18 overall mark, while other coverage characterizes his Morgan State tenure as two seasons; the public record shows he was named Morgan State head coach on Feb. 6, 2019. Most recently he led Division II Wayne State for three seasons, compiling a 5-28 overall record with season-by-season results of 3-8, 2-9, and 0-11; the 0-11 finish prompted a staff overhaul at Wayne State and Wheatley stepped down as the calendar turned to mid-February.

On staff structure, Wheatley becomes the third Bielema assistant with prior college head-coaching experience, joining defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck, who has 19 seasons as a Division I head coach, and tight ends coach Jared Elliott, who has four seasons as a head coach at Western Illinois. Wheatley will inherit an experienced Illinois running back room led by Ca’Lil Valentine, Aidan Laughery and Jordan Anderson.

A native of Inkster, Michigan, Wheatley brings Midwest recruiting ties from his Michigan and Wayne State tenures that Illinois expects to leverage across the Detroit area and the Big Ten footprint. Reflecting on the opportunity, Wheatley said, “I want to sincerely thank Coach Bielema for his trust, belief, and invitation to join his staff. Coach Bielema has built a culture defined by toughness, discipline, and accountability. To coach under a leader with his experience, vision, and championship pedigree is an absolute honor. To the Illini community, alumni, players, and fans, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. I look forward to getting to work.”