CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema announced today the addition of Terrance Jamison as the Fighting Illini defensive line coach.

"It is an absolute pleasure to name Terrance Jamison as our defensive line coach here at the University of Illinois," Bielema said. "Terrance is a former player of mine who has developed as a student coach, to a graduate assistant and to coach defensive lines across the country in Division One football. He is a native of the state of Illinois and will be a great addition to our recruiting effort as well as the development of our student-athletes on the football field to help us win championships here at the University of Illinois. He and his family will be a great addition to the Champaign-Urbana community and can't wait to get things started."

Considered one of the top young coaches in the game, Jamison joins the Illini staff after one season at Purdue. A two-time graduate of Wisconsin, Jamison played on the defensive line for the Badgers from 2005-07 under Bielema before knee injuries forced him to the sidelines, and combined to serve four seasons as a student assistant (2008-09), quality control assistant (2011) and a graduate assistant (2012). He spent the 2010 season as the defensive line coach at Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart in Madison, Wisconsin.

"Coach Bielema's leadership laid the foundation of my coaching career," Jamison said. "I would not be the coach I am today without that. This is a tremendous opportunity to grow and serve at one of the finest institutions in the country. My family and I are thankful and excited to be back home. We know that champions dwell here. I-L-L!"

Prior to making the move to Purdue in 2020, Jamison spent the 2019 season at Air Force in a similar role, where he helped the Falcons to an 11-2 record that included a 31-21 victory over Washington State in the Cheez-It Bowl. That Air Force defensive unit finished in the top 20 nationally in a number of categories, including rushing defense (7^th, 100.5), defensive touchdowns (12^th, 3), total defense (17^th, 319.6) and scoring defense (20^th, 19.8).

Jamison also spent two seasons at Texas Tech (2017-18) and three seasons at Florida Atlantic (2014-16) prior to his stop at Air Force. He spent the 2013 season in a quality control role at California before earning his first full-time position at FAU.

Jamison has coached several outstanding players in his career, including 2015 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Trey Hendrickson, multiple-Pro Bowl pick J.J. Watt at Wisconsin, fifth-round NFL Draft pick Broderick Washington at Texas Tech and George Karlaftis, who was a Second-Team All-Big Ten lineman in 2020.

A native of Riverdale, Illinois, who graduated from Thornton Township High School, Jamison has two degrees from Wisconsin, a bachelor's in agricultural business management (2009) and a master's in educational leadership and policy analysis (2011). He and his wife, Ashley, have two daughters, Ava and Mackenzie, and one son, Jayce.

The Terrance Jamison File

Hometown: Riverdale, Illinois (Thornton Township High School)
Family: Wife: Ashley; Children: Daughters, Ava and Mackenzie; son, Jayce
Twitter: @CoachJamison
Education: Wisconsin, 2009 (Master's, 2011)
Playing Experience: Wisconsin (Defensive Lineman) - 2005-07

Coaching Career