CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois football team and head coach Bret Bielema announced the hiring of its offensive, defensive, and special teams analysts. Adam Kleffner (offense), Grant O'Brien (defense), and Greg Froelich (special teams) make up the Illini's analyst staff, along with previously announced senior analyst John Marinelli. 

Adam Kleffner

Adam Kleffner is in his first season as an offensive analyst at Illinois in 2021. He joins the Fighting Illini from Stephen F. Austin, where he spent the 2020 season as an offensive assistant.

Kleffner was at Stephen F. Austin for one year after serving as an assistant offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2019. The Cowboys 2019 offensive line featured Pro Bowlers LT Tyron Smith, C Travis Frederick, and RG Zack Martin.

Kleffner previously worked as an offensive quality control/analyst at Missouri in 2018 and four seasons at his alma mater Portland State in various offensive coaching positions. He was a quality control coach at Portland State from 2012-13, then left coaching for the business world, before rejoining Portland State as a graduate assistant in 2016, then offensive line coach in 2017.

Kleffner lettered four years at Portland state (2008-11) and made 20 career starts on the offensive line with the Vikings, including most of his final two seasons. He earned a degree in business management at Portland State.

Grant O'Brien

Grant O'Brien is in his first season as a defensive analyst at Illinois in 2021. O'Brien joins the Illini after three seasons as a defensive quality control analyst at Missouri.

O'Brien helped Missouri earn bids to the 2020 Music City Bowl (canceled due to COVID-19) and the 2018 Liberty Bowl during his time in Columbia. He primarily worked with the defensive backs for the Tigers.

O'Brien came to Missouri after stints at Florida International (2017), Arizona Christian (2015-16), and Northern Arizona (2013-14). He was a part of two league titles at Arizona Christian in 2015 and 2016, then helped Florida International reach Gasparilla Bowl in 2017.

O'Brien played collegiately at Northern Arizona University and Glendale Community College (Ariz.). He was an All-Academic selection as a safety at Northern Arizona, which included an FCS playoff berth in 2012. O'Brien graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2013 with a degree in secondary education history, before earning a master's degree from NAU in educational leadership in 2015.

Greg Froelich

Greg Froelich is in his first season as a special teams analyst at Illinois in 2021. Froelich comes to Illinois from Michigan, where he was a special teams and running backs analyst from 2017-20.

Froelich helped Michigan produce some of the top special teams units during his four years as an analyst, including a No. 2 ranking among special teams units in the nation in 2019 according to Football Outsiders.

Froelich was a two-time letterman at Michigan as an offensive lineman and fullback from 2013-17. He was a 2017 and 2018 Academic All-Big Ten selection and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in political science in 2017. Froelich completed a master's degree in public policy in 2019.