Trent Harris enters his first season as the assistant outside linebackers coach for the Illinois football program in 2024. Head coach Bret Bielema announced his hire on July 26, 2024.
Harris, a former defensive end at the University of Miami, comes to Illinois following a seven-year professional career that included stints in the NFL, XFL, and UFL. He will work alongside Illini assistant coach Clint Sintim to prepare and develop the Illini’s outside linebacking corps.
During his playing career at Miami from 2014-17, Harris helped lead the Hurricanes to an improved win total and a bowl game each season, culminating in a 10-3 campaign and a berth in the Orange Bowl as a senior in 2017. That season, he was named to the All-ACC Third Team after recording 37 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and a team-high 8.5 sacks. Harris finished his collegiate career with 126 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three passes defended, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
Following his collegiate career, Harris signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots and played on the team’s practice squad during the organization’s Super Bowl LIII winning season in 2018 when Bielema served as a consultant to head coach Bill Belichick.
In 2019, Harris returned to South Florida where he played 11 games with three starts for the Miami Dolphins. He spent the next two seasons in New York, reuniting with Bielema for his first season with Giants in 2020 when the Illini head coach was the team’s outside linebackers coach and senior assistant. Harris played in four games each in 2020 and 2021, making two starts in that initial campaign. He then spent parts of the 2022 season with the Baltimore Ravens during training camp, and on the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad.
In 2023, Harris earned All-XFL honors for the Houston Roughnecks after leading the league with 9.5 sacks, while tallying 30 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. In 2024, Harris was drafted by the UFL’s DC Defenders where he played his final professional season before announcing his retirement in June.
Harris graduated from Miami in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in public relations.
Harris, a former defensive end at the University of Miami, comes to Illinois following a seven-year professional career that included stints in the NFL, XFL, and UFL. He will work alongside Illini assistant coach Clint Sintim to prepare and develop the Illini’s outside linebacking corps.
During his playing career at Miami from 2014-17, Harris helped lead the Hurricanes to an improved win total and a bowl game each season, culminating in a 10-3 campaign and a berth in the Orange Bowl as a senior in 2017. That season, he was named to the All-ACC Third Team after recording 37 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and a team-high 8.5 sacks. Harris finished his collegiate career with 126 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three passes defended, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
Following his collegiate career, Harris signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots and played on the team’s practice squad during the organization’s Super Bowl LIII winning season in 2018 when Bielema served as a consultant to head coach Bill Belichick.
In 2019, Harris returned to South Florida where he played 11 games with three starts for the Miami Dolphins. He spent the next two seasons in New York, reuniting with Bielema for his first season with Giants in 2020 when the Illini head coach was the team’s outside linebackers coach and senior assistant. Harris played in four games each in 2020 and 2021, making two starts in that initial campaign. He then spent parts of the 2022 season with the Baltimore Ravens during training camp, and on the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad.
In 2023, Harris earned All-XFL honors for the Houston Roughnecks after leading the league with 9.5 sacks, while tallying 30 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss. In 2024, Harris was drafted by the UFL’s DC Defenders where he played his final professional season before announcing his retirement in June.
Harris graduated from Miami in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in public relations.
