March 11--Illinois officially announced the return of Luke Butkus to the team, joining the Illini as offensive line coach on Lovie Smith's staff.
Butkus played center at Illinois and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection from 1997-2001. He returned to coach the Illini offensive line in 2012. He is the nephew of Illini and Bears great Dick Butkus.
"The Butkus name is associated with the University of Illinois and the game of football as a sign of excellence and toughness," Smith said in a statement released Thursday by the university. "I'm very proud to be able to announce Luke Butkus as the first member of our coaching staff as coach of the offensive line. I've known Luke since he was on our staff with the Chicago Bears, and have followed his career since. He relates extremely well to the players he coaches and will play an important role in the growth of our program."
Butkus was an assistant offensive line coach for the Bears from 2007-09 on Smith's staff.
He also worked as a quality control assistant with the Seahawks (2010-11) and Jaguars (2013-15).
sryan@tribpub.com
