CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Joe Kim, a veteran consultant and coach with over 30 years of experience in the NFL, joined the Illinois football staff as the program's Skill Development Coordinator, head coach Bret Bielema announced. Kim is widely regarded as one of the top pass-rush experts in the nation.
"I am very excited to have Joe Kim join our staff here at Illinois," said Bielema. "With Joe, we are bringing in a source of information and a skill set that is unique to all of college football. When speaking with some of the most elite NFL players that have worked with Joe, it is immediately clear the impact and daily influence his teachings have on their foundation of skills, leading them to become the best versions of themselves. Joe transcends high-level players of all positions by relying on the basic skills and fundamentals of great football plays. He will make an immediate impact on everyone in our building on and off the field."
"I am extremely excited to be a part of the University of Illinois football program," said Kim. "Coach Bielema's vision and execution for the Fighting Illini has been highly successful. Winning a Super Bowl Championship with Coach Bielema in New England made me a believer in his leadership ability and incredible knowledge of the game of football. I am looking forward to helping this team with the big picture: to win football games. Thank you to Coach B for believing in me and bringing me aboard."
Called "the pass-rush guru" by Nick Saban, Kim's innovative philosophies use martial arts-driven techniques and apply them to the game of football. A seventh-degree black belt in taekwondo, Kim has worked with 11 NFL teams, including the Super Bowl LIII champion New England Patriots, and numerous Pro Bowl-level defenders including Matt Judon (New England Patriots), Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs), Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs), Anthony Pleasant (Cleveland Browns), and Michael Dean Perry (Cleveland Browns).
Kim most recently served as the New England Patriots' Director of Skill Development from 2019-24 after serving as the team's pass rush consultant in 2018. He has coached for the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots after breaking into the NFL with the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick as a pass rush consultant and assistant strength coach in 1992.
Kim is recognized as one of the of the most successful taekwondo instructors and coaches in the United States, having produced over 250 black belts as well as several national and international champions. He is the founder of Football Combatives, a renowned website that further spreads the teachings of his proven techniques to all levels of players and coaches.
Kim and his wife, Jeana, have two daughters, Katie and Lexi.
"I am very excited to have Joe Kim join our staff here at Illinois," said Bielema. "With Joe, we are bringing in a source of information and a skill set that is unique to all of college football. When speaking with some of the most elite NFL players that have worked with Joe, it is immediately clear the impact and daily influence his teachings have on their foundation of skills, leading them to become the best versions of themselves. Joe transcends high-level players of all positions by relying on the basic skills and fundamentals of great football plays. He will make an immediate impact on everyone in our building on and off the field."
"I am extremely excited to be a part of the University of Illinois football program," said Kim. "Coach Bielema's vision and execution for the Fighting Illini has been highly successful. Winning a Super Bowl Championship with Coach Bielema in New England made me a believer in his leadership ability and incredible knowledge of the game of football. I am looking forward to helping this team with the big picture: to win football games. Thank you to Coach B for believing in me and bringing me aboard."
Called "the pass-rush guru" by Nick Saban, Kim's innovative philosophies use martial arts-driven techniques and apply them to the game of football. A seventh-degree black belt in taekwondo, Kim has worked with 11 NFL teams, including the Super Bowl LIII champion New England Patriots, and numerous Pro Bowl-level defenders including Matt Judon (New England Patriots), Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs), Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs), Anthony Pleasant (Cleveland Browns), and Michael Dean Perry (Cleveland Browns).
Kim most recently served as the New England Patriots' Director of Skill Development from 2019-24 after serving as the team's pass rush consultant in 2018. He has coached for the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots after breaking into the NFL with the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick as a pass rush consultant and assistant strength coach in 1992.
Kim is recognized as one of the of the most successful taekwondo instructors and coaches in the United States, having produced over 250 black belts as well as several national and international champions. He is the founder of Football Combatives, a renowned website that further spreads the teachings of his proven techniques to all levels of players and coaches.
Kim and his wife, Jeana, have two daughters, Katie and Lexi.
