Illinois is continuing to shape its defensive identity under new coordinator Bobby Hauck - and the latest addition to the staff brings both familiarity and experience. Roger Cooper has been named the Illini’s new inside linebackers coach, while current assistant Archie McDaniel will shift to coaching the outside linebackers.
Cooper isn’t just a new face - he’s a trusted one. He spent the last four seasons on Hauck’s staff at Montana, including the past two years as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
In 2023, Cooper led the Grizzlies’ linebacker room, and in 2022, he coached the safeties. That kind of versatility across the second and third levels of the defense gives Illinois a coach who knows Hauck’s scheme inside and out - and who’s already battle-tested in executing it on game day.
Before jumping into coaching, Cooper made a name for himself on the field. A native of Port Orchard, Washington, he was a standout linebacker at Montana State, where he earned All-Big Sky honors three years in a row from 2002 to 2004.
In 2004, he took home Big Sky Defensive MVP honors - a nod to the kind of impact player he was. He then spent three seasons playing professionally in the NFL and NFL Europe from 2005 to 2007, gaining firsthand knowledge of the game at its highest levels.
His coaching career began at Idaho State, where he steadily climbed the ladder from graduate assistant to associate head coach and defensive coordinator over a decade-long stint from 2011 to 2021. That kind of long-term development, both of himself and the defenses he led, speaks to his ability to teach, lead, and adapt - all qualities that will be crucial as Illinois continues to transition into Hauck’s system.
Cooper is now the second former Montana assistant to join the Illini staff, alongside safeties coach Ronnie Bradford. That’s no coincidence.
Hauck is clearly surrounding himself with coaches who not only understand his defensive philosophy but have already helped execute it at a high level. With spring ball on the horizon, that continuity could help fast-track the installation of the new scheme.
Illinois still has two assistant coaching spots to fill - one on each side of the ball. On defense, the Illini are in the market for a defensive line coach, and head coach Bret Bielema has said that while the hire will have experience in the 3-3-5 system, it won’t necessarily be someone from Montana. Offensively, the team is looking to bring in a new running backs coach, with that hire expected sometime next week.
Bielema praised Cooper’s well-rounded background in a statement, saying:
“Coach Cooper has had an accomplished career on the defensive side of the ball as a coordinator, position coach, and player.
He will bring valuable experience to our program, both for our inside linebackers and our entire defense. Coach Cooper will be working alongside Archie McDaniel, who will be our outside linebackers coach.
I am excited to get he and his family to Champaign.”
Cooper echoed that enthusiasm, noting both the program’s tradition and the opportunity ahead:
“Thank you to Coach Bielema and Coach Hauck for the opportunity.
I am super excited to get to work with Coach McDaniel and the rest of our staff in Champaign. Illinois has a championship standard and a history of elite linebackers, and I'm ready to build on that proud tradition with an outstanding group of student-athletes.”
For Illinois, this is more than just a coaching shuffle. It’s a strategic move to solidify the foundation of a new-look defense - one that will rely on coaches who know the system, can teach it effectively, and can get the most out of a talented linebacker corps. Cooper checks all those boxes.