Barry Lunney Jr. is in his fourth season as Illinois' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2025. He and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema reunited in 2022 after Lunney spent five years as the tight ends coach at Arkansas under Bielema from 2013-17. 

The Illinois offense powered the Fighting Illini to a 10-3 record in 2024, tying the program's single-season wins record, and a final ranking of #16 in the AP Top 25 in Lunney’s third year at the helm of the Orange and Blue attack. The combination of Lunney and All-Big Ten quarterback Luke Altmyer resulted in one of the nation’s most potent passing attacks, and helped the Illini post the No. 3 red zone offense and No. 6 scoring offense in the Big Ten during the regular season. Illinois averaged 28.3 points per game, the 10th-best mark in program history, and 27.7 points per Big Ten game, the 7th-best total in Illinois history and the 3rd-best over the last 35 seasons. Wide receiver Pat Bryant tied the program single-season record with 10 receiving touchdowns and was named to the AP All-Big Ten First Team. Altmyer finished the regular season as one of four Power-4 quarterbacks nationally with 20+ touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions, and ranked sixth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency. Lunney, Altmyer, and Co. led the Illini to four AP Top 25 wins, tying the program single-season record, and capped the year with a victory over #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in one of the best bowl wins in program history.

Altmyer's 144.0 passing efficiency in 2024 ranked No. 2 in Illinois history, giving Lunney three of the top four single-season quarterback efficiencies in the Fighting Illini record book. John Paddock set the Illinois record at 151.1 under Lunney's direction in 2023, while Tommy DeVito owns the No. 4 mark in school history at 141.2 in 2022 in Lunney's first season in Champaign. 

Lunney's offense made big strides in his second year as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023. The Illini ranked in the top five in the Big Ten in passing (3rd), yards (t-4th), and scoring (5th) and led the Big Ten West in all three categories behind the efforts of transfer quarterbacks Altmyer and John Paddock, plus one of the top receivers in the nation in Isaiah Williams. Williams was named to the All-Big Ten First Team after leading the Big Ten and ranking 13th in the nation in receptions (82) and ranking second in the Big Ten and 15th in the nation in receiving yards (1,055) during the regular season. Paddock, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection, set the Illinois single-season record for passing efficiency (151.1) and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards during conference games (1,278), while Altmyer ranked sixth in the Big Ten in passing yards (1,883) during the entire regular season. 

Lunney helped Illinois to one of its best seasons in over a decade in 2022, as the Illini finished the regular season 8-4 and earned a trip to the ReliaQuest Bowl, Illinois' first January bowl game in 15 years. The Illini were ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and Illinois was ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history. Lunney's offense was led by All-American running back Chase Brown, who finished fourth in the nation in rushing and was Illinois' first-ever finalist for the Doak Walker Award. 

Lunney's position group - the quarterbacks - was the most improved position for the Illini year-over-year from 2021 to 2022, as the Illini ranked third in the nation in completion percentage (69.6%), a rise of 122 spots in the national rankings. Starting quarterback Tommy DeVito ranked third in the nation individually in completion percentage, and his 141.22 pass efficiency rating ranked second in Illinois history and sixth in the Big Ten. DeVito, a former starter at Syracuse, posted career highs in completions (257), passing yards (2,650), completion percentage (69.6%), passing efficiency (141.22), and rushing touchdowns (6) under Lunney's offense. The offense was the only unit in the Big Ten that featured four players with 30+ receptions, including Isaiah Williams, who ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (2nd, 6.3), receiving yards (7th, 715), receiving touchdowns (10th, 5), and receiving yards per game (10th, 55).

Lunney came 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.

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, 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.

Coaching Career