CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois football team has finalized its four graduate assistants for the 2021 season, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Two are former players of Bielema at Arkansas, Taylor Reed and Kevin Richardson, and two have been retained from last year's staff, Carson Hall and Aaron Gonzales.
Carson Hall is in his third season as a graduate assistant at Illinois in 2021. He will work with the offense this season after spending the previous two seasons on the defensive side, working with linebackers in 2020 and the defensive line in 2019.
"We're very excited to have Carson retained as a graduate assistant coach, switching to the offensive side of the ball and working with the offensive line," said Bielema. "He has provided great information and gave many of our coaches perspective on student-athletes that returned from last year's roster."
Hall helped Illinois reach the 2019 Redbox Bowl, the Illini's first bowl in five years, after a 6-6 regular season that included a win over No. 6 Wisconsin and the biggest comeback in program history in a win at Michigan State. He came to Illinois from Valdosta State, where he was the outside linebackers coach.
Hall played football at Georgia from 2015-17 after spending his freshman season at Mars Hill University. Hall helped Georgia appear in the 2016 Liberty Bowl, 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, 2018 Rose Bowl, and 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Hall was a Georgia All-Star in high school and helped East Paulding to a Region 5-AAAAA championship.
Hall graduated from the University of Georgia in 2017 with a degree in sports management. He and his wife Laurel married in January 2019.
| Years |
University/Organization |
Position |
| 2021 |
Illinois |
Offensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2019-20 |
Illinois |
Defensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2018 |
Valdosta State |
Graduate Assistant, Outside Linebackers |
Taylor Reed is in his first season as an offensive graduate assistant at Illinois in 2021. Reed spent the previous two seasons at Auburn as an offensive graduate assistant, working primarily with wide receivers and helping Auburn to Citrus Bowl and Outback Bowl berths.
"We're very excited to have Taylor join us here at the University of Illinois," said Bielema. "He is a former player of mine at the University of Arkansas and has already accomplished a great amount of success coaching at the college level. He will work specifically with our quarterbacks."
Reed rejoins Bielema's staff after working under Bielema at Arkansas from 2016-17, working primarily with the quarterbacks. At Arkansas, Reed helped coach Austin Allen, the SEC's top passer in 2016 who threw for 3,430 yards, including a league-best 2,291 in SEC play, and totaled 25 touchdown passes.
Reed joined the Razorbacks after lettering at Central Arkansas at quarterback from 2013-15, where he threw for 1,809 yards and 14 touchdowns in 23 games over three seasons. He began his college career in 2011 at Memphis, starting nine of 11 games and throwing for 1,690 yards and 10 touchdowns. Following that season, he transferred to Arkansas, sat out the 2012 season due to NCAA transfer rules, then went on to join Central Arkansas in August 2013.
Reed rejoined Central Arkansas as running backs coach in 2018 before moving to Auburn from 2019-20.
A native of El Dorado, Arkansas, Reed graduated from Central Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He and his wife Shayne married in July 2019.
| Years |
University/Organization |
Position |
| 2021 |
Illinois |
Offensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2019-20 |
Auburn |
Offensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2018 |
Central Arkansas |
Running Backs Coach |
| 2016-17 |
Arkansas |
Offensive Graduate Assistant |
Aaron Gonzales is in his second season as a defensive graduate assistant at Illinois in 2021.
"We're very excited to have Aaron retained on the defensive side of the ball here at the University of Illinois," said Bielema. "He provides great experience working with our players last year, plus valuable experiences before coming to the University."
Gonzales came to Illinois from Florida Atlantic, where he spent three seasons as a defensive student assistant. During his time with the Owls, FAU won the 2017 and 2019 Conference USA titles and appeared in the Boca Raton Bowl both years. While at FAU, the team finished first in the NCAA in defensive interceptions with 22 and first in defensive takeaways with 33. Gonzales helped coach Meiko Dotson, the NCAA's leader in interceptions in 2019 who had nine Interceptions.
Gonzales began his career while living in South Florida at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where he coached the defensive backs and wide receivers for three seasons. Following Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, Gonzales became an offensive Coordinator at Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida, where he helped lead the team to a 9-2 record.
Gonzales graduated from Florida Atlantic in 2019 with a degree in business management. Aaron and his girlfriend Alissa began dating in November 2018.
| Years |
University/Organization |
Position |
| 2020-21 |
Illinois |
Defensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2017-19 |
Florida Atlantic |
Defensive Student Assistant |
| 2016 |
Piper HS (Fla.) |
Offensive Coordinator |
| 2013-15 |
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.) |
Defensive Backs and Wide Receivers Coach |
Kevin Richardson is in his first season as a defensive graduate assistant at Illinois in 2021. Richardson comes to Illinois after coaching defensive backs at Northeastern State (Division II) in 2021 and serving as a graduate assistant at MidAmerica Nazarene (NAIA) in 2019.
"I knew immediately when Kevin was in our program as a player that he would make a great coach in the future," said Bielema. "He has been in the coaching profession for a short time but has made an immediate effect on our players and coaches. He will work specifically with our front as well as gain valuable experience with our special teams."
Richardson joins his collegiate coach Bret Bielema's staff following a standout career at Arkansas from 2013-18. He played in 48 games for Arkansas at defensive back, recording 125 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, and serving as a team captain in 2017. The former walk-on's biggest moments included a 22-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Ole Miss in 2017 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter to help Arkansas win 38-37, and interceptions against SEC standouts Jalen Hurts (Alabama) and Jarrett Stidham (Auburn). Following his Arkansas career, Richardson signed with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats before beginning his coaching career.
Richardson graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Sociology in 2017. He is the son of Kevin and Sanci Richardson and has five siblings: Airic Hughes, Chanel Richardson, Sacha Richardson, Keilen Richardson and Zylah Richardson. Richardson's girlfriend Jailyn Mason plays basketball at Arkansas.
| Years |
University/Organization |
Position |
| 2021 |
Illinois |
Defensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2020 |
Northeastern State |
Defensive Backs Coach |
| 2019 |
MidAmerica Nazarene |
Graduate Assistant |
