Illinois State head coach Brock Spack announced on Mar. 11 the hiring of Bob Dunn as the new quarterbacks coach for the Redbird football program, completing his coaching staff for the upcoming 2026 season.
The addition of Dunn is significant as Illinois State continues to focus on strengthening its football program and maintaining competitiveness in NCAA Division I events, according to the official website. The Redbirds benefit from resources such as the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund, which supports recruitment and overall athletic performance.
“We are excited to have Bob join our offensive coaching staff as our quarterbacks coach,” Spack said. “He’s worked for several years now mentoring quarterbacks at various levels of college football. He came highly recommended from Coach Chryst and by Mickey (Turner) and CJ (Irvin), who both worked on the offensive staff with him at Wisconsin. We think he will be a great resource for our quarterbacks, and we look forward to getting working very soon.”
Dunn comes to Illinois State after three seasons at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Under his leadership, Eau Claire’s offense improved each year, averaging 26 points per game and nearly 340 yards of total offense in 2025. Quarterback Ayden Helder led with over 2,100 passing yards and a completion rate above 61 percent during that period.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the Redbird Football family,” Dunn said. “It is a strong program with a rich, successful history. I want to thank Coach Spack and the rest of the offensive staff for the opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started working with our quarterbacks.”
Before his time at Eau Claire, Dunn coached at Northern Michigan University for one year, helping improve quarterback efficiency rankings within their conference. His earlier experience includes several roles at Wisconsin under former head coach Paul Chryst from 2015-2022—ranging from recruiting assistant to quality control assistant—where he contributed to quarterback development and scouting efforts while pursuing graduate studies in Educational Leadership.
The Illinois State Redbirds utilize facilities like the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation according to the official website. The athletics department also offers news updates, schedules, rosters, and fan resources through its online platforms.
Looking ahead, observers can expect Dunn’s experience across multiple collegiate programs to support continued growth in Illinois State’s quarterback development efforts.
