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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois football team is finalizing its coaching lineup for the 2026 season with the latest addition of an offensive assistant coach announced on Monday.
Illinois Athletics has confirmed the hiring of Tyrone Wheatley as the new running backs coach. Wheatley brings a wealth of experience to the Illini, having held the same position at Wayne State for the past three years.
Wheatley’s coaching résumé is extensive, including stints in both college football and the NFL. He has previously worked as the running backs coach for the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills. In the collegiate arena, he coached at Michigan from 2015 to 2016 and was the head coach at Morgan State from 2019 to 2021, among other roles.
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He was previously the running backs coach for the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Collegiately, he coached running backs at Michigan from 2015-2016 and served as head coach at Morgan State from 2019-2021, among other stops.
Wheatley played college football at Michigan and was selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
He replaces Thad Ward, who left Illinois to become the associate head coach/wide receivers coach at Kansas State.