Illinois HC Bret Bielema Won't Coach vs. Iowa After Testing Positive for COVID-19

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema confirmed he tested positive for COVID-19, which will force him to miss Saturday's game against No. 20 Iowa.

Bielema said in a statement he began experiencing mild symptoms Monday. He said he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a booster shot last week.

George McDonald, the Fighting Illini's assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, will temporarily serve as head coach.

Bielema said he'll be "as present as possible" through unspecified technological means, so he may continue to have contact with his staff and players in some form this week.

With a 14-6 upset over then-No. 20 Minnesota, Illinois improved to 4-6 and kept the door open for winning the six games necessary to qualify for a postseason bowl.

Taking down the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium was difficult enough with Bielema on the sidelines. Iowa won this matchup 35-21 in Champaign, Illinois, last year.

The Hawkeyes dropped back-to-back games after climbing to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. They rebounded with wins over Northwestern and Minnesota. Alex Padilla threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns while replacing an injured Spencer Petras.

For the Illini, establishing the run will be critical toward crafting a winning formula. They're averaging 262 rushing yards in their four victories, compared to 120 yards on the ground in their six losses.