George Huff was the fifth head coach in Illini football history, succeeding Louis Vail. Huff led the Illini into the Big Ten Conference, which formed in 1896. After back-to-back 4–2–1 seasons in 1895 and 1896, the Illini posted a 6–2 record in 1897. That proved to be the high point of Huff's tenure, as Illinois slipped to 4–5 in 1898 and 3–5–1 in 1899, ending Huff's tenure at Illinois. Arthur Hall served as Illinois' head football coach from 1907–1912, compiling a 36–12–4 record. Hall led the Illini to an undefeated 7–0 mark in 1910.