Former Wisconsin star running back James White on Bret Bielema's staff at Illinois lands head coaching job

Bret Bielema recruited James White 15 years ago as a high school student to Wisconsin.

White went on to become one of the best running backs in Wisconsin football history and carved out an impressive NFL career.

Bielema again gave White an opportunity as he entered the coaching profession this season, hiring his former player as an assistant running backs coach at Illinois. Bielema, who returned to Madison with White for Illinois' game against Wisconsin on Nov. 22, is in his fifth season in Champaign. Bielema employs several former Badgers or coaches with Wisconsin connections.

Like he did in his playing days, White is now stepping into his own.

The 33-year-old has been named head football coach at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois. White will finish the season at Illinois before taking over the job at the private, Benedictine high school in northeast Illinois. Benet Academy is the high school Wisconsin basketball legend Frank Kaminsky attended.

"James is an impressive individual both on and off the football field," Bielema said in a statement on Illinois' team website. "Since first recruiting him out of St. Thomas Aquinas, I have seen him grow as an outstanding player and now coach. Benet Academy is getting a proven leader that will make a positive impact in the lives of their young men. I am excited to see the success he has as a high school coach in the state of Illinois."

White said: "I want to give a huge thank you to Coach Bielema for giving me the opportunity to join his staff to learn and grow as a coach. I'm excited for the future and can't wait to build relationships within the Benet Community."

White left a lasting legacy during his four years in Madison.

He was the 2010 Big Ten freshman of the year, rushing for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns as the Badgers won the Big Ten and played in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin won two conference titles and appeared in two more Rose Bowls the next two seasons.

White's 45 rushing TDs are tied for fourth all-time in UW history and his 4,015 rushing yards are sixth most. His 643 rushing attempts are also sixth most, a significant feat knowing that he shared time with John Clay, Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon throughout his college career.

White was a fourth-round pick (130th overall) in 2014 draft by the Patriots. He was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams with the Patriots during his NFL career. His shining moment came in Super Bowl 51 after the 2016 season when he scored three touchdowns and a two-point conversion for 139 yards from scrimmage in the Patriots' 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons. White retired after the 2021 season.

He joined Bielema's staff in 2025, becoming one of multiple Wisconsin connections on the Illinois staff.

Former defensive back Aaron Henry, who was teammates with White in college and played under Bielema in the early 2010s, is the Illini's defensive coordinator/secondary coach. Terrance Jamison, who coached on the defensive side in Wisconsin from 2011-12, is the co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach. Alex Panos, who grew up in Hartland and whose father and brother played at Wisconsin, is the co-outside linebackers coach.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ex-Wisconsin running back James White lands new head coaching job