Bret Bielema statement: "When I took the job here at the University of Illinois, building a championship staff was one of the first priorities. Since Cory Patterson was retained as running backs coach, he has done a tremendous job. Thank you to Cory and his family for everything they have done for Illinois. As of today, he has taken an opportunity outside of our program. As a program that continues to improve on the field, yesterday on National Signing Day, and with the opportunity ahead of us on January 2nd, transition is part of the process. With any turnover, the opportunity to improve is what excites me the most as we continue to move our program forward. I-L-L."
