Staff Directory
- Title:
- Senior Offensive Assistant
- Phone:
- 217-333-1400
Mark Farley is in his second season as a senior offensive assistant with the Illinois football program in 2026. Farley joined the Illini in 2025 after 24 seasons as head coach at Northern Iowa.
Farley was one of the most successful head coaches in FCS/I-AA history, finishing with a 183-112 record, 13 NCAA playoff appearances, 92 top-25 wins, and 16 top-25 finishes at Northern Iowa. He led UNI to seven Missouri Valley Football Conference titles and is the all-time wins leader in conference history (117).
Farley guided Northern Iowa to eight FCS/I-AA quarterfinals (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019), three semifinals (2001, 2005, 2008), and the 2005 Division I-AA Football Championship Game. His teams totaled 17 playoff victories during their 13 appearances (17-13 record), as one of the most successful programs in the nation during Farley’s 2+ decades as head coach. He was named the 2007 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and the 2007 Schutt Sports Coach of the Year as the top coach in Division I-AA.
With a win over in-state rival Iowa State on September 3, 2016, Farley passed Northern Iowa legend Stan Sherriff as the all-time wins leader in program history. It was his fourth win over an FBS opponent and third career head coaching win over Iowa State.
Farley was a three-year starter and All-American linebacker at Northern Iowa before his coaching career. He was a two-time honorable mention All-American, the MVFC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, a team co-captain, and two-time Academic All-American, while starring on the defense and leading the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons. During Farley’s three years as a starter, UNI compiled a 27-7-1 record and advanced to the 1985 I-AA semifinals.
Farley went straight from a player to a graduate assistant coach for two years (1987-88) at Northern Iowa under Coach Mudra and then was elevated to a full-time assistant in 1989. Between 1987-96, he was the linebackers coach for such former UNI stars as Bryce Paup, James Jones, William Freeney, and Andre Allen. Paup and Jones went on to play in the NFL, while Allen and Freeney played in the Arena League and CFL.
As a Northern Iowa assistant, Farley’s players earned four conference Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-America honors, and 22 all-conference honors. He also served as the team’s strength and speed coordinator and was a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Certified Level 1 Coach of the U.S. Weightlifting Federation. Farley designed and coordinated the reconstruction of UNI’s strength facility and implemented individualized computer weight training programs.
Following his stint as a Northern Iowa assistant, Farley spent four seasons as the inside and outside linebackers coach at Kansas from 1997-2000 before being hired as UNI’s head coach in 2001. In Lawrence, he coached two all-Big 12 players, one all-American, and five Players of the Week. He produced the KU all-time sack leader for season and career and recruited the 1999 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
Farley earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1987. He completed a master's degree in health education from UNI in 1994.
Farley and his wife, Lori, have three children: Jared, Jake, and Jamie; and eight grandchildren: Casen, Brooks, Jack, Parker, Baker, Maya, Banks, and Johnny.
Coaching Career
| Years | University | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2025- | Illinois | Senior Offensive Assistant |
| 2001-24 | Northern Iowa | Head Coach |
| 1997-2000 | Kansas | Inside and Outside Linebackers |
| 1989-96 | Northern Iowa | Linebackers |
| 1987-88 | Northern Iowa | Graduate Assistant |
