Brett Bielema to Arkansas?
 

This is the heavy, heavy rumor right now. I know next to nothing about this guy, but my initial reaction is pretty meh.

8-5 in the B1G?

Folks that follow the B1G, tell me something about him... hopefully something encouraging.

Didn't he used to do Erin Andrews? That's a step up from Bobby's bike rides.

Wasn't the earlier heavy, heavy rumor Mike Gundy to Arky?

:shake:

ULTRA conservative, especially on offense.

Played at Iowa, former assistant at K State.

Its 2:21 Pm on Tuesday the 4th. & Brett just scored another touchdown against Nebraska

Yeah. Then the Gundy thing got squashed. People were holding out hope for Petersen, then this dude comes out of the blue. It's picked up way more steam and is being reported on yahoo sports and shit.

Goddamnit. I was really scared that was the case. That sucks.

:mad::cuss::#:cuss::banghead::cuss:

What is it with that University and conservative football

Well, for the better part of the last 30 years, it's been run by Barry Alvarez and then Bielema.

They're both former Hawkeye players/assistants.

By the way, it's "Bret". With one T.

I liked Bielema for years when expectations for Wisconsin football were low, and the only thing that mattered was producing a great offensive line and maybe upsetting Penn State or a school like that. Also beating the living snot out of Minnesota.

Since their recent successes, Bielema has shown he's not what the team needs to compete. They need a coach who isn't so conservative and one who can actually recruit talented defensive players. No, JJ Watt doesn't count. He came into Wisconsin's program as a goddamn reserve TE/OG. They lucked into him.

If he goes there, Bielema will make Arkansas very competitive. He's a hell of an offensive line coach, and I've never seen a Wisconsin team that can't run the ball well. However, Arkansas's recent history of star QB recruits could dry up. I have no clue what it is, but the guy has been here for years and can't get anybody decent to play for him when he's not falling ass over tea kettle into Russell Wilson. Scott Tolzien is his biggest success at QB since coming here, which is a bit of a problem to me. Even Minnesota has had better QBs than that. Hell, Iowa too.

I'm just kind of meh on him. I know we'll never do any better than the occasional Rose Bowl with him as coach, but I'm kind of fine with that. I don't think Wisconsin is a school capable of finding the next great college head coach who will lead the program to greatness.

Arkansas treats football as a far more serious thing than Wisconsin does, though. So who knows. He might be just what you guys need. It could be a good fit. At the very worst, you'll field a bunch of teams whose only skill is running the ball. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, especially in the SEC.

I wouldn't say he's ultra conservative. He runs an on old-fashioned style offense but isn't necessarily always conservative.

I remember him beating us (Iowa) in the 4th quarter in 2010 by calling a fake punt well within their own side of the field. Pretty sure he ran the same play in the Rose Bowl that year.

war pig sooie

Fake punts are more about risk aversion that aggressive or conservative tendencies.

Wisconson has a run/pass ratio of somewhere around 60/40 under Bielema. That is the very definition of ultra conservative.

All the reports I see are saying this is a sure thing now. He's going. End of story.

Dunno if any of them are reputable, but there you have it.

It's just a really unsexy hire after the names that were getting thrown around. And yeah, we've become accustomed to high powered offenses around here, so I'm not sure how returning to a drab run-based offense is going to sit with the fan base.

@AP_Top25: BREAKING: Wisconsin's Bret Bielema agrees to become Arkansas coach. Story soon. #hogs #wps #badgers #sec



@JayGTate: It's Gus Malzahn at Auburn. http://bit.ly/SKrkOo

I have a different definition of conservative then.

Wisconsin rarely has to play an elite defensive team like Alabama, LSU, or any others. When they do, the game slows WAAAY down.

Again, though, that may be a good thing for Arkansas. Not what they're used to, but a welcome change nonetheless.

Arkansas couldn't do any better than that? Boring football coming soon to Fayetteville.

Damnit no!!!!! Badgers need him

I wish you guys would hire Pelini

It looks like they've decided if they can't beat Alabama, they're going to join them...

Tim Brando said Dundee was taking HC for AR

Yeah. This is going to really hurt Jeff Long. He already had a large group of haters due to the Petrino situation (they still say we should have found a way to keep Bobby), then made even more enemies with the way this season played out. I'm afraid this hire is going to really hurt him. People were thinking Gundy, Peterson, and Patterson were likely. I don't think this hire has the same appeal.

FWIW, Gary Patterson cut his teeth in the same "school" as Bielema did. He's obviously changed his offensive philosophy since coming to TCU but who knows how long that lasts now that he's coaching in a BCS conference.

Yeah hiring a guy who's won the B1G the last 3 seasons is an awful hire. The Arkansas fan base is a bunch of cry baby bitches.

3 straight Rose Bowls. Say what you want about the B1G, but this is an accomplishment.

Curious how many people want Pelini fired?

They're still not hiring Bo Pelini...

Every one of them, minus the ones that call in to sports radio wanting to draft a lineman and keep Brady as the franchise guy next year.

Brett Bielema is Houston Nutt v2...never win the big one

I don't think he should be fired the guy has won 9 or more every year. If he had more experienced coordinators instead of hiring his friends from Ohio he would have experienced more success.

Bitching about a coach who's won his conference the last 3 years because he doesn't run the spread is absurd.

Gotta put an asterisk next to this year's. They got in solely because tOSU wasn't eligible.

The Petersen rumor was made up by an Arkansas fansite who had posted similar fake articles about Gundy and Les Miles.

He lost to TCU in the Rose Bowl that's all I know.

I hope this is confirmed soon. I'm so tired of the Patterson to Arky chatter.

Thought maybe the Hogs and the inbreds down at Auburn would have gone a little more high profile than they have. Maybe UT will do that?

Seems like a step down for Bielema but I would imagine he'll make a lot more money and Arkansas has way, way better facilities and resources than Wisconsin. Also gives him the chance to step out of Alvarez's shadow. And yes, he's conservative, but the SEC seems to be moving that route now anyway - LSU and Alabama certainly don't spread it and fling the ball around, and Florida's moving that way as well. The question is whether he can bring in enough talent to be competitive with those teams. I suspect the answer will be 'no'. I do think it's probably a better hire than any of the other names I've heard though, with the possible exception of Gus Malzahn, and he's obviously back at Auburn.

Moving into the SEC isn't a step down. Especially if he can field a team and compete for championships. Metriculate that ball down the field, boys!

You're going to deal with "Patterson to [insert big money program here] rumors every single year.

Until he finally takes an offer that's too good to ass up.

Sorry, them's the breaks.

The theory down here, which I tend to favor, is that Arkansas needs a "niche" that doesn't overlap with the other SEC West teams. If we're trying to compete in recruiting and such in those areas in which they (Alabama and LSU) already excel, we're going to lose out. However, if we become known for our great receivers and QBs, then we're distinct from our competitors and may draw some of those 4-5 stars at those positions. We need our own distinct identity separate from the rest of the West, otherwise we're doomed to always be below the other programs.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a Big 10 versus SEC thought. I was saying moving to Arkansas is a step down. Yes, it's the SEC, and, yes, that's a big deal, but the school itself is not exactly a football power. Going to be up to him to try to turn them into one. But basically he's going from a place where he was always in the hunt for a conference championship (and a BCS bid...) to a school where he's just...not.

But there are reasons to do that, as i said. Better pay. Better facilities. No Barry Alvarez as AD.

And it could work...

His wife is hot at least.

http://www.rightentertainment.com/wp..._Bielema_1.jpg

Makes perfect sense to me.

I don't think it will work, just that it could. I'd echo thoughts earlier in the thread that he's just too conservative. But maybe he'll have an easier time recruiting at Arkansas than he did at Wisconsin. Who knows. Or maybe he'll even take a different approach, and not be as conservative.

weird

other than $, not sure this is a good move for either school

That's my hope with Mizzou. We're not going to 'outBama' Alabama, we're going to have to beat them some other way.

For Mizzou, it should be focusing in high-end QB talent and skill players and utilizing rapidly developing offensive plays to help neutralize the massive advantages that Alabama, LSU, etc... are likely to have in the trenches.

That's why I hope Mizzou sticks with the spread - we need to zig while the traditional powers zag. We'll never be an annual championship contender like that, but that wasn't going to happen anyway. What it could allow us to do is what we did in Daniel's Junior year or even what Arky did from 2010-2011. Catch the right QB and the right mix of skill position players and maybe you'll get a nice 2-4 year run where you're running with the big dogs and are a break here and there from being in the championship equation.

Try to go the 'conventional' route in the SEC and you're likely to just be another Ol' Miss.

That's the way I see it.

This appears to be an attempt to "match" Alabama and LSU. What it will likely end up being is that Arkansas is a somewhat lesser copy of the two.

...and basketball, and hockey.

If you asked someone in Madison what year it is, I wonder what the answer would be..

He's a good coach that know how to win. You want something flashy get a loser like spurrier.

BB was hand picked to be the replacement for Alverez. As mentioned-worked and played under great people. Fry, Snyder, Alverez.

He is much hated by non-Wisconsin fans. He has no problem dumping 70 on Indiana but then turns around and gets killed in the Rose Bowl by TCU.

He can recruit to Wisky, many want to go there, and has a great fan base.

Maybe is the type that figures been there, done that and wants a new challenge. Typical in coaches.

I don't see Ark as a better move. Warmer- and the exposure of the SEC. Maybe angling for a move to the NFL in 3 years.

People don't buy this if they're not down south, but the Arkansas job is one of the tops in the whole country. They have a rabid fan base, crazy resources, and play in the best conference in the nation.

I'm a UGA fan, and I'd honestly put Arkansas a bit below UF/Bama/LSU, probably even with UGA and Tennessee. I'll give you OSU/Michigan/USC as maybe the only couple that jump in front of that group. Maybe, and I mean maybe, you can throw Texas in there too.

I think if he wasn't such a piece of shit Petrino would have won a national championship or two for the Hogs.

I agree that we were headed in te right direction which is one reason that whole deal hurts so bad. The chance of us catching lightning in a bottle again like we did with Petrino is slim.

Sometimes when you dance with the devil you get burned I guess.

BB will be a winner down there though. Saban will be gone soon, and then the SECW is wide open again...

When Bret shows up with a fat lip & a black eye. you can be sure that it was Barry Alvarez that kicked his ass.

I really hope so as far as BB.

:clap:

Sorry I had to...

If you never need to explain to someone the point where rabid turns to creepily batshit nuts, that's the video. Online Arkansas fans hate Liz now.

Will he coach the Rose Bowl?

And Boring headlines as in a safe hire for the university. This guy isn't going to have an affair with a 25 year old and peel of with her on his bike.

You've got to understand they have more responsibilities to think of than W-L's with this hire. They should get both with this guy. It's a "safe" hire in more ways than one is what I'm trying to say.

He has a tiger hawk tattooed on his ankle. :)

Arkansas is really that much more attractive than Wisconsin??

I doubt it. I have heard rumors that this happened very fast & behind Alvarez's back. If rumors are true? (& I think they are) Barry has to be pissed like never before.
In Nebraska Barry Alvarez is a legend when it comes to tough guys & flat out badass mother ****er. Who took shit from no one on or off the field.

Man I would loved to have been the fly on the wall when this went down.

You post THAT, without a pic? :grr:

There is a contract that states a B10 is in correct? How many of those have they won?

Granted they won their conference, but stating they made the rosebowl because they are one of the best teams is false.. They were the best team in the B10, sans this year..

Bielema definitely gets the rep for being conservative because his teams play power football... but he certainly is not afraid to run up the score. If you lay down he's not afraid to drop 70 or 80 on you. There are a lot of "aggressive" coaches that have never scored as many points as those Wisconsin teams.

I wonder if this will hurt Arkansas' recruiting, especially in the South. TX is a pretty big resource for Arkansas and I doubt Bielema has any pipelines down there.

I'm bummed about this hire. Yes, Bielema did a nice job with WI but Big 10 is a weak conference as it is and Bielema will have to raise his level of recruiting and execution if he wants to compete in the SEC. He won't get by with 3 yards and a cloud of dust running game, especially with talented schools like 'Bama, LSU, Auburn and now TX A&M just in the SECW.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Bret Bielema is taking his brand of power football to Arkansas, leaving Wisconsin after seven seasons.

Arkansas released a statement Tuesday night saying Bielema has agreed to a deal to take over the program reeling following the firing of former coach Bobby Petrino.

A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information hasn’t been released publicly, says the deal is for six years and $3.2 million annually.

Bielema, Barry Alvarez’s hand-picked successor at Wisconsin, was 68-24 with the Badgers, with four double-digit win seasons. He coached Wisconsin to a 17-14 victory over Arkansas in his first season at the Capital One Bowl.

Arkansas struggled to find its identity in the SEC after leaving the former Southwest Conference in 1992, but it appeared to have finally found just that under Petrino, who was hired after leaving the Atlanta Falcons during the season in 2007.

The Razorbacks turned into an offensive powerhouse under Petrino, leading the league in scoring and total offense last season. After winning 10 games and reaching the school’s first BCS bowl game in 2010, losing to Ohio State, Arkansas won 11 games in 2011, capped by a Cotton Bowl win over Kansas State.

Still, Arkansas has yet to win the SEC, losing in the conference championship game three times.

While the country watched closely to see how Arkansas would react following Petrino’s dismissal, Smith made headlines of his own throughout the season. The former Michigan State and Louisville coach filed for bankruptcy during the season, revealing $40.7 million in debt he blamed on bad land deals.

He was under far more fire from Arkansas fans for the mounting losses and it will be up to Bielema to turn things around in the loaded SEC West, with Alabama, LSU and now Texas A&M.

Long said during the season that the new coach would be tasked with building on the recent success at the school, which is looking into expanding the 72,000-seat Razorback Stadium and is currently building an 80,000-square-foot football operations center.

‘‘The infrastructure in place at Arkansas shows the commitment from the administration to accomplish our goals together and I am excited to begin to lead this group of student-athletes,’’ Bielema said. ‘‘This program will represent the state of Arkansas in a way Razorback fans everywhere will be proud of.’

‘‘His tough, aggressive style of play has been successful and will be appealing to student-athletes and Razorback fans,’’ Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said in a statement. ‘‘He not only shares the vision and values for the future of Arkansas football, he embraces them.’’

Bielema is leaving the Big Ten for the SEC and a Razorbacks program that opened the year with hopes of challenging for a national championship only to get mired in the Petrino scandal before stumbling to a 4-8 finish.

The move was the second stunning hire this year at Arkansas, which brought in John L. Smith as the interim coach after firing Petrino for hiring his mistress to work in the athletic department. Long announced after the season that Smith wouldn’t return.

Bielema seems likely to bring a far different approach than what the Razorbacks have become accustomed to. Arkansas continually ranked among the Southeastern Conference’s best passing teams under Petrino while Bielema is known for his dominant offensive lines and slew of running backs.

‘‘During my conversation with Jeff (Long), he described the characteristics for the perfect fit to lead this program,’’ Bielema said in a statement. ‘‘It was evident we share the same mission, principles and goals.’’

Wisconsin running back Montee Ball tied Barry Sanders’ long-standing single-season record of 39 touchdowns last year, and this year became the FBS career leader in touchdowns. He currently has 82 touchdowns after running for three Saturday night in the Big Ten title game against Nebraska — a 70-31 romp that secured the Badgers third straight trip to the Rose Bowl, where they will play Stanford on Jan. 1.

The 42-year-old Bielema was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin for two years before being promoted to head coach in 2006. He played for Iowa and started his coaching career there as an assistant under Hayden Fry and later Kirk Ferentz.

‘‘I was very surprised when Bret told me he was taking the offer from Arkansas,’’ said Alvarez, Wisconsin’s athletic director and former coach. ‘‘He did a great job for us during his seven years as head coach, both on the field and off. I want to thank him for his work and wish him the best at Arkansas.’’

The Illinois native takes over a program still reeling following the April scandal, one eager for stability and leadership.

‘‘I'm excited about this decision,’’ Arkansas cornerback Tevin Mitchel tweeted.

The Razorbacks improved their win total in four straight seasons under Petrino, including a 21-5 mark in 2010-11, and finished last season ranked No. 5. They had talked openly in the spring about competing for the school’s first SEC championship and perhaps a national title.

Then came the April 1 motorcycle accident that led to Petrino’s downfall. The married father of four initially lied about being alone during the wreck, later admitting to riding with his mistress — a former Arkansas volleyball player he had hired to work in the athletic department.

Smith, who had been an assistant the last three seasons at Arkansas under Petrino, was chosen by Long to guide a team that returned first-team All-SEC quarterback Tyler Wilson and a host of other key playmakers. The decision was lauded by the Razorbacks, who welcomed the personable Smith back with open arms.

The season hit the skids with a stunning overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 8, starting a four-game losing streak that dropped Arkansas out of the rankings. The Razorbacks finished with the school’s lowest win total since 2005, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2008.

‘‘It’s very difficult for me to believe that is not a bowl-eligible team,’’ LSU coach Les Miles said following the Tigers’ win over the Razorbacks in the season finale. ‘‘Watching the talent there, (it's) very capable.’’

Bielema has recruiting pipelines in TX, as do a lot of the Big 10 teams west of Ohio.

Wisconsin's best DB is from TX. That being said, there aren't a lot of TX kids on the Badgers right now because they've done such a great job of locking down Wisconsin.

Wow.

He left his team while preparing for a Rose Bowl?

^
This:spock:

No you need him as your namesake for the next decade or two. :D

Wow just over 500k a year. That is shit money.

It's $3.2M ANNUALLY. The total contract is worth north of $18M.

Duh read the rest dumbass. Sorry. Hey Milkman. Where is my dumbass. LOL

:D

He saw the writing on the wall. OSU is going to rape the Big 10 for as long as Urban is coaching.

Giving up having to play Urban to gain the chance to go head to head with Saban. Not sure if smart career move.