CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Barry Lunney Jr. has been named the Illinois football team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, head coach Bret Bielema announced Saturday. Lunney and Bielema will be reunited after Lunney spent five years as the tight ends coach at Arkansas under Bielema from 2013-17. The contract is pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Lunney comes to Champaign from UTSA, where he served as associate head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2020 and 2021. Lunney helped bring UTSA to new heights during his time in San Antonio, reaching No. 15 in the national rankings in 2021. UTSA opened the 2021 season with 11 straight wins, won its first Conference USA championship with a 49-41 win over Western Kentucky in the C-USA title game, and appeared in the Frisco Bowl.

"I'm thankful and excited for the opportunity to join Coach Bielema at the University of Illinois," said Lunney. "Coach B is one of the most respected coaches in college football and I look forward to building on the foundation that he set during his first year in Champaign. The opportunity to work with Coach B again after spending five years together was one that I could not pass up. I'd also like to thank Coach Jeff Traylor, the UTSA coaching staff, and student-athletes for two great years in San Antonio, including a conference championship and top-25 national ranking. I look forward to the new challenge ahead as we build a championship football program at Illinois."

"I am so excited to bring Barry Lunney to the University of Illinois family and put him in a position to lead our offense," said Bielema. "He has had success at every level he has coached and has a system that will help take our offense to a new level of success. He is a great teacher, communicator, and leader that our staff and players will gravitate to. His wife Janelle and family will be a great addition to our campus and community."

The UTSA offense ranked 11th in the nation in scoring and 34th in total offense in 2021, averaging 36.9 points per game and 439.0 yards per game. Running back Sincere McCormick, who has been a two-time All-American and two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Year under Lunney, ranked seventh in the nation in rushing yards (1,479) and 23rd in total touchdowns (15). McCormick broke his own UTSA record for rushing yards and touchdowns, while earning Doak Walker Award semifinalist honors.

UTSA's balanced attack also featured QB Frank Harris, who threw for 3,177 yards (27th in the nation) and 27 touchdowns (17th in the nation) in 2021, and a trio of receivers that combined to make UTSA one of only three schools in the nation with three receivers with 50+ receptions, 750+ yards, and 5+ touchdowns. WR Zakhari Franklin had 81 receptions for 1,027 yards (37th in the nation) and 12 touchdowns (12th in the nation), WR Joshua Cephus had 71 receptions for 803 yards and six touchdowns, and WR De'Corian Clark had 52 receptions for 755 yards.

Lunney's offense made huge strides in his first season overseeing the offense in 2020, as he guided the Roadrunners to a 7-5 record, a runner-up finish in the Conference USA West Division at 6-2, and an appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. In his first season, Lunney improved UTSA's offense 60 spots in the nation rankings for total offense, 50 spots in scoring offense, 45 spots in rushing offense, and 60 spots in third down percentage. UTSA broke single-season school records for rushing yards (2,585), rushing yards per game (215.4), yards per rush (5.21) and rushing touchdowns (24). The rushing touchdowns record lasted just one season, as Lunney's offense produced 26 rushing touchdowns in 2021. McCormick set UTSA single-season records for yards (1,467), carries (249) and touchdowns (11) in 2020, then broke all three records in 2021 with 1,479 rushing yards, 298 carries, and 15 rushing touchdowns.

Lunney came to San Antonio after spending six seasons as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at his alma mater Arkansas. He took over as the interim head coach late in the 2019 season and led the Razorbacks in games against No. 1 LSU and Missouri. 

Lunney also spent three seasons at Tulsa (2000-02), two at San Jose State (2003-04), nine as the offensive coordinator at Bentonville (Ark.) High School (2005-13), and nine combined years at Arkansas (1998-99, 2013-19). 

Lunney helped develop the Arkansas offensive attack into one that was spurred through its tight ends. During the 2018 season, the Razorbacks made a living off production out of the tight end position, completing 58.8 percent of the group's targets, which was above the team average. Arkansas finished the year ranked second in the country in tight end touchdowns and tied for fourth in the nation in tight end first downs, as TE Cheyenne O'Grady led the team in receptions (30) and touchdowns (six). In 2019, O'Grady led the Razorbacks with 33 catches and four touchdowns in 12 games. 

From 2014-16, Lunney developed one of the top tight ends in Arkansas history in Hunter Henry, who won the John Mackey Award and was a consensus first-team All-American as a junior in 2015. Henry was the first tight end taken in the 2016 NFL Draft with the 35th overall pick by the Chargers, and he has become one of the top receiving threats in the NFL. 

Henry led all FBS tight ends with 739 receiving yards on 51 receptions – each career highs – and hauled in three touchdown passes in 2015. In addition, Henry and tight end mate Jeremy Sprinkle combined for a league-best 1,128 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

During his career, Henry hauled in 116 passes for 1,661 yards and nine touchdowns. He is one of only eight tight ends in SEC history to reach the triple-digit mark in receptions while playing in the conference. Of the eight, he is one of four to tally more than 1,500 receiving yards. In addition, his 1,661 career receiving yards rank second in program history among tight ends, only trailing Williams (1,855, 2007-10). His 116 receptions and 1,661 receiving yards through those three seasons were both tops in the SEC among tight ends.

A year later, Sprinkle followed Henry's footsteps and was taken by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. During his senior season, Sprinkle set the Arkansas record for career TDs by a tight end with 11 and was also invited to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Lunney also oversaw the transition of AJ Derby from quarterback to tight end. Derby finished fifth in the SEC with 303 receiving yards during the 2014 season and was a sixth-round draft choice of the New England Patriots despite playing the position for less than a year.

In his first season coaching the Arkansas tight ends, Lunney led Henry to second-team All-SEC, Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman Team recognition. Henry's receiving yards ranked third in the nation among freshman tight ends, and he was the only freshman tight end in the SEC with a 100-yard receiving game. Henry also led SEC tight ends and ranked third in the conference by gaining a first down on 78.6 percent of his receptions.

Before returning to the Razorbacks, Lunney served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bentonville High School (Ark.) from 2005-12.

In his eight years at Bentonville, the Tigers won 78 games, including 25 straight in 2010-11, played in four state championship games, claiming state titles in 2008 and 2010, and won six straight 7A West Conference crowns from 2007-12. Bentonville played in three 7A state championship games and won at least 12 games in four of his last five seasons.

Bentonville quarterback Dallas Hardison broke the Arkansas state single-season completion percentage record in 2010 and bettered the record in 2011 under the direct guidance of Lunney. In 2011 and 2012, the Tigers won their first 12 games to advance to the state championship game with an offense that averaged 42.5 and 36.8 points per game, respectively.

The 2010 Bentonville team finished the season 13-0 and won the 7A state championship. The offense averaged 47.0 points per game and scored at least 40 points nine times, including 49 points in the semifinal round and the state championship game.

Lunney's first state title at Bentonville came in 2008 as the Tigers won 12 games for the first time since 2001. The offense averaged 30.2 points per game and scored more than 30 points in seven of 13 games.

Before moving to the high school coaching ranks, Lunney compiled seven years of collegiate coaching experience.

Lunney spent two seasons as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at San Jose State from 2003-04. During his tenure, the offense produced six all-conference performers, and tight end Courtney Anderson was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 2004 NFL Draft. In 2003, the Spartans ranked 17th in the NCAA in passing offense and quarterback Scott Rislov ranked third in the WAC in passing efficiency and total offense.

Prior to that, Lunney spent three seasons at Tulsa from 2000-02, first working with quarterbacks in 2000 and 2001 and then moving to wide receivers in 2002. In 2000, quarterback Josh Blankenship ranked fifth in the WAC in total offense and receiver Don Shoals led the conference and ranked 11th in the NCAA in receptions per game.

His coaching career began with two seasons as a graduate assistant at Arkansas from 1998-99 following a standout career for the Razorbacks. In 1998, Arkansas won its first eight games and rose to No. 9 in the national rankings on the way to sharing the SEC Western Division title and earning a berth in the Citrus Bowl. Lunney served as the Razorbacks' running backs coach for the bowl game and throughout the spring of 1999. Arkansas spent the majority of the 1999 season in the top 25 of the national rankings and finished the year with a 27-6 win over No. 14 Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

As a player for the Razorbacks, Lunney lettered from 1992-95, starting 40 games at quarterback, and was a team captain on the 1995 team that played in the SEC Championship Game for the first time in school history. In his first game as the starting quarterback, he led Arkansas to an upset win at No. 4 Tennessee. Lunney left Arkansas holding school career records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass completions, pass attempts and total offensive plays. Lunney also played baseball at Arkansas. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos out of high school in 1992 and by the Minnesota Twins in 1996 and played one season of minor league baseball in the Twins organization.

Lunney graduated from Arkansas in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. He and his wife, Janelle, have two sons, Luke and Levi. His grandfather, John, lettered at Arkansas from 1946-49. His father, Barry Sr., retired after 28 years as a high school football coach in Arkansas, winning eight state championships at Bentonville High School and Fort Smith Southside High School.

The Barry Lunney Jr. File

Hometown: Fort Smith, Arkansas
Family: Wife: Janelle; Sons: Luke, Levi
Twitter: @BarryLunneyJr
Education: Arkansas, 1996 (Kinesiology)
Playing Experience: Arkansas, 1992-95, Quarterback

Coaching Career

Years	School	Position
2022	Illinois	Offensive Coordinator/QBs
2020-21	UTSA	Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/QBs
2019	Arkansas	Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2013-18	Arkansas	Tight Ends
2005-12	Bentonville HS (Ark.)	Offensive Coordinator/QBs
2003-04	San Jose State	Offensive Coordinator/QBs
2002	Tulsa	Wide Receivers
2000-01	Tulsa	Quarterbacks
1999	Arkansas	Running Backs
1998	Arkansas	Graduate Assistant - Offense