Illinois' Bielema busy assembling 'his' Illini Bielema busy assembling ‘his’ Illini Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com FacebookTwitterEmail University of Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema, shown after being hired in December, has assembled his first Illini coaching staff.Michael Glasgow | Illinois Athletics CHAMPAIGN — Bret Bielema espouses a coaching approach that may not stroke his ego, but he thinks could well make his Illinois football team a winner. “I like to surround myself with people who don’t necessarily think like me,” Bielema said during an online press conference Wednesday. “I have always wanted guys who want to become better.” Bielema’s media meet was his first since assembling his coaching staff. The former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach was hired in December to replace Lovie Smith as the Illini head football coach.