Illinois Football offensive line coach Tom Brattan released

In a move that really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, Illinois has officially announced that offensive line coach Tom Brattan will not be retained. The news was first reported by Football Scoop on Tuesday afternoon.

Brattan, who was hired by Tim Beckman during the Summer of 2014, spent two years with the program. Prior to joining the Illini, he spent stints at Maryland (2001-2013), Stanford (1999-2000), and Northwestern (1992-1998). Since 2001, Brattan helped produce seven NFL lineman, but none of them came during his time in Champaign.

Bill Cubit will presumably begin a search for a replacement immediately. One name to keep an eye on his former Missouri assistant A.J. Ricker, who previously coached the Illini offensive line during the 2013 season. Ricker was recently fired from Mizzou after new head coach Barry Odom took over.

Along with Mike Ward and Alex Golesh, the departure of Brattan means that Illinois now has three openings to fill on the staff. That figure increases to four openings, if you include Cubit's former role as offensive coordinator (although that will presumably be filled by his son, Ryan Cubit).