9 7 5 ▁at ▁California . ▁ ▁He ▁co ached ▁a ▁team ▁led ▁by ▁Joe ▁Roth , ▁Ch uck ▁M unc ie ▁and ▁Wes ley ▁Walker ▁to ▁the ▁Pac - 8 ▁co - ch ampion ship — the ▁school ' s ▁first ▁conference ▁title ▁in ▁ 1 8 ▁years . ▁ ▁White ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁He ▁succeeded ▁Gary ▁Mo eller , ▁who ▁in ▁three ▁seasons ▁at ▁Illinois ▁finished ▁no ▁higher ▁than ▁e ighth ▁in ▁the ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Conference . ▁ ▁White ▁quickly ▁turned ▁around ▁the ▁Illinois ▁football ▁program , ▁posting ▁a ▁winning ▁season ▁in ▁only ▁his ▁second ▁year . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁he ▁led ▁the ▁Ill ini ▁to ▁the ▁Liber ty ▁Bowl , ▁the ▁school ' s ▁first ▁bow l ▁appearance ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁Rose ▁Bowl . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁Liber ty ▁Bowl ▁was ▁also ▁notable ▁as ▁the ▁final ▁game ▁co ached ▁by ▁University ▁of ▁Alabama ▁head ▁coach ▁Bear ▁Bry ant . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁Illinois ▁won ▁its ▁first ▁Big ▁Ten ▁title ▁in ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁with ▁an ▁overall ▁record ▁of ▁ 1 0 – 1 , ▁including ▁a ▁ 9 – 0 ▁conference ▁record , ▁and ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁Rose ▁Bowl . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁that ▁neither ▁Michigan ▁nor ▁Ohio ▁State ▁won ▁at ▁least ▁a ▁share ▁of