CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Aaron Henry enters his fifth year with Illinois football, and his third as the defensive coordinator, in 2025.
Henry’s team demonstrated progress from his first to his second year. In 2023, Illinois conceded an average of 29.4 points per game, placing them third-worst in the Big Ten. However, by 2024, this average improved to 21.7 points per game.
It all began with honesty from the Florida native after his first year with the new, bigger and better title didn’t go as planned.
“If anybody knows me, you guys know I’m pretty transparent,” Henry told reporters on Thursday.
His openness was evident when, after the 2023 season, which saw Illinois miss out on a bowl game, he admitted to the players that his performance as the defensive coordinator needed improvement.
“I believe it’s beneficial for players to hear that because they often think it’s solely about them—partially, it is,” Henry shared. “But as coaches, we must also take responsibility. I’m only as effective as the players I coach and vice versa… It’s about holding ourselves accountable in this profession. Being honest with the players is essential.”
He says that attitude can be contagious, leading to accountability within the roster.
Henry doesn’t believe in ‘fake it until you make it’, nor does he try to pretend everything is wonderful when it’s not.
“Nowadays, society pressures us to present everything as perfect,” he commented. “I don’t subscribe to that mentality. I’m genuine. I can admit my mistakes or if something isn’t up to par, and I always try to communicate that to our team.”
Can his defensive assistants learn from that, too?
“Our staff consists of truly honest individuals, which is something I greatly appreciate,” Henry expressed. “…We have strong bonds, allowing everyone to voice such opinions. It all begins with our staff and the relationships we nurture…”
Though other coaches alongside Henry often share the blame, he acknowledges that the initial responsibility falls on him for that side of play and embraces this duty without hesitation.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to always protect my staff, I’m going to always protect my players,” Henry said. “No matter what happens this season I can tell you guys I’m going to bear the blame and I’m going to deliver all the praise. That’s just how I operate.”
He says the ‘protector’ personality comes naturally because he grew up with nine sisters.
The transparency, accountability and vulnerability could be one reason why many of Illinois’ best defenders have stuck around.
The Illini return a bulk of its starting group on both sides of the ball from 2024. Defensively, that squad is headlined by guys like Gabe Jacas and Xavier Scott, who have both landed on national award watch lists ahead of the 2025 season.
Henry’s secondary looks especially exciting on the tails of that 10-win season, as Xavier Scott is joined by Miles Scott, Matthew Bailey, Mac Resetich and other experienced players.
“They’ve been through some some trials and tribulations, which is always good when you talk about handling adversity,” Henry said of his experienced defensive back room. “And things may not go initially right. They know how to fix things. They know how I think. Coach [Bielema] always says when when your players can start finishing your sentences for you, you got a pretty, pretty special group. And those three cats [M. Scott, Bailey, Resetich] I mean, they can literally finish the words that are coming out of my mouth. They know exactly what I want. They know the expectation of the room.”
Henry hopes to take the Illinois defense to new heights in 2025.
“Instead of allowing a team to linger around, let’s put them out,” he said. “
