Bielema: ‘So pumped’ for Illini’s Final Four run
The football coach is excited.
Illinois basketball’s first appearance in the Final Four in 21 years… has Illinois’ football coach hyped. “So pumped for Coach Underwood and his staff, and the players and the fans,” said football head coach Bret Bielema on Monday. “Hopefully take care of business on Saturday night and Monday as well.
” Bielema said he and his wife will attend the Final Four this Saturday in Indianapolis. He said it will be his first ever trip to a Final Four. He said he’s even working his team’s practice schedule around the tourney run, with the plan to take Monday off from practice if the Illini are in the title game.
“We’ll cancel Monday’s practice. Just watching the way students have reacted, super excited for them. ” Bielema said he “dabbled” in basketball in high school, but was mostly a wrestler during the winter.
He also said he was an Illinois basketball fan before he was ever an Illinois football fan. Saturday’s tipoff against UCONN is at 5:09 p. m.