CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- University of Illinois alumna Jade Brinkoetter was named Illinois' Director of Football Nutrition, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Brinkoetter oversees all of the nutrition needs for football, providing fueling, performance nutrition education, and counseling services to the student-athletes.

"It is a great addition to have Jade back in the University of Illinois football program," said Bielema. "She was born and raised here in Champaign, became an alum of the University, and has followed her career path to two Big Ten universities before returning back here to the University of Illinois. She will work directly with our football student-athletes on overall nutrition, education, and recovery to help them grow and develop in our football program."

"As a Champaign native and University of Illinois alum, I am both honored and thrilled to rejoin the Illini family," said Brinkoetter. "I can already see the impact Coach Bielema and the rest of the staff are having on the program and I'm looking forward to helping fuel the fight to victory."

Previously, Jade worked with the nutrition departments at Purdue University, Northwestern University, and IMG Academy. There she was responsible for assisting in the coordination of a comprehensive sports nutrition program geared towards improving health, well-being, training, performance and recovery of student-athletes.

Brinkoetter graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Kinesiology and a minor in nutrition in 2017. While at Illinois, she worked as a sports nutrition volunteer and in the football office as a student office assistant. Brinkoetter completed a dietetic internship and earned her master's of science in nutrition from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019.

Brinkoetter is a Registered Dietitian and an active member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA).