Aaron Henry was a stud defensive back and safety for the Wisconsin Badgers. He played under Bret Bielema while at Wisconsin and eventually joined his staff at Illinois. The last three seasons, he's been the defensive coordinator for the Illinois Fighting Illini, but now, according to reports, he's headed to be on the coaching staff of Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame.
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports is reporting the news, and others around the sports world have seconded his report. This is a bit of a surprising move, as Henry was the defensive coordinator at Illinois but will now share the role at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame is expected to hire Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry as a co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 1, 2026
Has been a key figure in Illinois posting 19 wins the last two seasons, the winningest two-year run in school history. pic.twitter.com/r7J1W0c3A8
Former Badger Aaron Henry is expected to join Notre Dame's staff with Marcus Freeman
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There's clearly an argument to be made that Notre Dame is a better gig even if it's a role reduction for Henry. Henry's clearly proven he's worthy of a step forward in the coaching ranks as he's been instrumental to the success of the Illini the last couple of seasons.
2024-2025 was Illinois' winningest two-year span in the school's history. The defense during those two seasons was among the best in the Big Ten. According to the Illinois bio page for Henry, "The 2024 Illini defense ranked 10th in the nation with 15 forced fumbles, and the team’s 24 sacks in Big Ten play tied for fifth in the league."
Henry was the defensive backs coach at Illinois before his promotion to the defensive coordinator. Thus, part of the surprise is how long and loyal he's been to Bielema from his playing days at Wisconsin to the Illinois staff since 2021.
This also means Wisconsin will face Henry in the first game of the season next year, as Notre Dame and Wisconsin open the 2026 football season.