James White, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots following his decorated career with the Wisconsin Badgers , will occupy territory on the enemy sideline this season now that he's been hired as assistant running backs coach at the University of Illinois.

White joins the staff led by head coach Bret Bielema, who recruited White to UW out of high school in Florida. White's former teammate with the Badgers, Aaron Henry, is the Illini defensive coordinator.

White participated in three Rose Bowls during his tenure from 2010 through 2013, a career that included a Big Ten Freshman of the Year award in 2010, 48 touchdowns and 4,015 rushing yards, ranked sixth in program history. He compiled those numbers despite sharing carries with a litany of Badgers greats : John Clay, Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon.

When White was a senior in 2013, he and Gordon set the FBS single-season record for rushing yards by teammates at 3,053 yards.

White also set the Wisconsin record for receiving yards by a running back with 670, a harbinger for how he'd thrive in the NFL. Taken by the Patriots in the fourth round in 2014, White spent eight NFL seasons, all with New England, rushing for 1,278 yards and 11 scores but, more importantly, catching 381 passes for 3,278 yards and 25 touchdowns.

In the Patriots' legendary comeback Super Bowl win over the Atlanta Falcons after the 2016 season, 34-28, White had a Super Bowl-record 14 receptions, with 110 receiving yards, 29 rushing yards three touchdowns and a two-point conversion, including a touchdown with less than a minute left in regulation and a two-yard scoring run in overtime that clinched the victory. He was notably not named Super Bowl MVP in lieu of Tom Brady, though Brady gave White a pickup truck that came with the MVP prize.

After his NFL career ended following the 2021 season, White worked as an analyst on national radio and television shows, including with the Big Ten Network and Sirius XM NFL.

Illinois, which finished No. 16 in the final Associated Press poll of 2024, will play at Wisconsin during the 2025 season on Nov. 22.

Jim Leonhard gets a promotion with the Denver Broncos

Former Badgers player, coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard, who also spent a season with Illinois after the school hired Luke Fickell, is getting a promotion with the Denver Broncos.

Leonhard worked as defensive backs coach with the Broncos last season, and now he's been promoted to assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator under head coach Sean Payton.