 Bielema in 2025 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Illinois |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Record | 35–26 |
| Annual salary | $7.7 million |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1970-01-13)January 13, 1970 (age 55) Silvis, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1989–1992 | Iowa |
| 1994 | Milwaukee Mustangs |
| Position | Nose guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1994–1995 | Iowa (GA) |
| 1996–2001 | Iowa (LB) |
| 2002–2003 | Kansas State (co-DC) |
| 2004–2005 | Wisconsin (DC) |
| 2006–2012 | Wisconsin |
| 2013–2017 | Arkansas |
| 2018 | New England Patriots (consultant to HC) |
| 2019 | New England Patriots (DL) |
| 2020 | New York Giants (OLB) |
| 2021–present | Illinois |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 132–84 |
| Bowls | 5–6 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 3Big Ten (2010–2012) 1Big Ten Leaders Division (2011) Super Bowl champion (LIII) | |
| Awards | |
| Big Ten Coach of the Year (2006) | |
Bret Arnold Bielema (/ˈbiːləmɑː/; born January 13, 1970) is an Americanfootball coach. He is the head coach of theIllinois Fighting Illini, a position he has held since the 2021 season. Bielema served as the head coach atWisconsin from 2006 to 2012, achieving a 68–24 record and taking them to three straightRose Bowl Games, although they lost each time. He was also the head coach atArkansas from 2013 to 2017, tallying a mark of 29–34. Bielema was an assistant coach in theNational Football League (NFL) for three seasons, in 2018 and 2019 with theNew England Patriots and in 2020 with theNew York Giants.
Bielema attendedProphetstown High School inProphetstown, Illinois.[1] He played tight end and linebacker in high school. Bielema walked on as a defensive lineman at theUniversity of Iowa under coachHayden Fry, playing from 1989 to 1992.[2] Bielema lettered four years, earned a scholarship and served as team captainhis senior season.[3] Bielema was part of the1990 Iowa team that won a share of the Big Ten title.[4]
In his senior season, after Iowa beatIowa State 21–7, Bielema approached Iowa State head coachJim Walden for a post-game handshake and said "You’re a big prick. It’s been a pleasure kicking your ass the last five years" (Iowa State had never beaten Iowa during Bielema's tenure with the team). The moment caused considerable stir, with University of Iowa officials reprimanding Bielema and sending an official letter of apology to Walden.[5] Bielema graduated from Iowa with a bachelor's degree in marketing.
After going undrafted in the1993 NFL draft, Bielema signed as a free agent with theSeattle Seahawks, but was cut during the summer.[6] In 1994 he played for theMilwaukee Mustangs, a team in theArena Football League.[7]
Bielema returned to Iowa in 1994 to begin his coaching career under Fry as a graduate assistant.[8] In 1996, he was promoted tolinebackers coach, a role he would hold until 2001.[9] In 1998, Fry retired and was replaced by former Iowa offensive line coachKirk Ferentz, who had briefly coached Bielema in offensive line sets during preparation for the1988 Peach Bowl.[10] Bielema, one of the leading recruiters on Fry's staff, continued on the road recruiting during the coaching search. Ferentz retained only Bielema and quarterbacks coachChuck Long from Fry's staff.[11] During his three years with Ferentz at Iowa, Bielema recruited several players, most from Florida, that would form part of the core of the2002 Iowa team, including Heisman runner-up quarterbackBrad Banks, wide receiversC. J. Jones and Maurice Brown, nose tackleColin Cole, cornerback Antwan Allen, and linebackers Fred Barr andAbdul Hodge.[12][13]
After the 2001 season, Bielema became co-defensive coordinator for theKansas State Wildcats, coached byBill Snyder, who had coached at Iowa with Fry for a decade. Bielema and Bob Elliott replacedPhil Bennett, who had left to become the head coach of theSMU Mustangs. Bielema coached the K-State defense for two seasons, helping theWildcats win the2003 Big XII Championship.[14][15]
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Bielema left Kansas State after the 2003 season to become theWisconsin defensive coordinator under head coachBarry Alvarez, who had also coached at Iowa under Fry.[16] Bielema served as defensive coordinator for two seasons. In July 2005, Alvarez announced he would retire after the2005 season and become the Badger athletic director. Alvarez also announced he had chosen Bielema as his successor, and would take over in 2006.[17]
In his first season as head coach of the Badgers in 2006, Bielema's team ended the regular season 11–1 (7–1 in Big Ten Conference play).[18] With a 14–0 victory overSan Diego State on September 16, 2006, Bielema became the third Wisconsin head coach to win the first three games of his career.[19] Later, with a 24–3 win overPurdue on October 21, Bielema tied the record for most wins by a first-year coach at Wisconsin with seven. The other two coaches to complete this feat werePhilip King in 1896 andWilliam Juneau in 1912.[20] A 30–24 victory over theFighting Illini on October 28, Bielema became the first coach in Wisconsin history to win eight games in his first season.[20] He extended the record with his ninth victory on November 4, defeating thePenn State Nittany Lions, 13–3.[20] With a 24–21 victory over theIowa Hawkeyes on November 11, Bielema became the first head coach in Big Ten history to win ten games in his first season.[21] With the 35–3 defeat of theUniversity at Buffalo on November 18, 2006, Bielema became the first coach in school history to win 11 games in the regular season.[22] After a 17–14 victory over theArkansas Razorbacks in theCapital One Bowl on January 1, 2007, he became the third coach inNCAA history to win 12 games in his rookie season, finishing 12–1.[23] He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.[24]
Bielema coached Wisconsin to victories in 17 of his first 18 games. That represents the third-best start to a head coaching career in Big Ten history since Michigan'sFielding H. Yost, who went 55–0–1 from 1901 to 1905.[25] He led Wisconsin to a 5–0 start in the 2007 season. He finished with a 9–4 record and #24 ranking in the final AP Poll.[26] In the 2008 season, the Badgers regressed to a 7–6 record, despite a 3–0 start.[27] Coming off of a disappointing 2008 campaign, Bielema helped lead the team to a 5–0 start to the 2009 season. The team finished #16 in the AP Poll with a 10–3 record, which was bookended by a 20–14 over theMiami Hurricanes in theChamps Sports Bowl.[28][29]
On October 16, 2010, Bielema'sBadgers defeated #1-rankedOhio State, 31–18, inMadison.[30] It was Wisconsin's first victory over a #1-ranked team since1981 when theBadgers upsetMichigan.[31] The victory against the Buckeyes would be his only one as he was 1–5 against Ohio State.[32] The 2010 season ended with a loss to theTCU Horned Frogs in theRose Bowl, 21–19.[33] The team finished with an 11–2 mark and a #7 ranking in the final AP Poll.[34]
Bielema was named a finalist for the 2010Bear Bryant Award which is given to college football's Coach of the Year. The other finalists wereChris Ault of Nevada,Gene Chizik of Auburn,Mark Dantonio of Michigan State,Jim Harbaugh of Stanford,Chip Kelly of Oregon,Gary Patterson of TCU,Bobby Petrino of Arkansas, andMike Sherman of Texas A&M.[35]
In the 2011 season, Bielema led the team to an 11–3 record and a #10 ranking in the final AP Poll.[36]
Bielema is the only coach in Wisconsin history to lose consecutive Rose Bowls.[37]
In the 2012 season, Bielema and the Badgers finished with 8–5 regular season record that culminated in a 70–31 victory overNebraska in theBig Ten Championship Game.[38][39][40]
On December 4, 2012, it was announced that Bielema was leaving Wisconsin to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.[41][42] He left partly to coach in theSoutheastern Conference (SEC) and partly because he felt that his assistant coaches were not being paid enough.[43] Bielema replacedJohn L. Smith, who had coached Arkansas to a 4–8 record during the 2012 season afterBobby Petrino had been fired eight months earlier.[44]
Bielema's first season at Arkansas resulted in an overall record of 3–9, including 0–8 in the SEC.[45] Bielema inherited a roster depleted of talent and lacking in development under Coach Smith. Bielema's starting quarterback also suffered a throwing shoulder injury, which limited his ability the entire season. It was the Razorbacks' worst SEC record since entering the conference in 1992 and their first winless in-conference season since1942, when they were a member of theSouthwest Conference.[46][47]
Bielema's second season saw significant improvement, as Arkansas finished 7–6. Bielema won his first two SEC games in dominating fashion in November, beating #17LSU by a score of 17–0 and #8Ole Miss by a score of 30–0 to achieve bowl eligibility.[48][49] Though Arkansas lost its remaining conference game againstMissouri, the Razorbacks were still the first unranked team in college football history to shut out two consecutive ranked opponents.[50][51] Bielema led Arkansas to aTexas Bowl victory in the postseason, defeatingTexas handily, 31–7.[52]
In Bielema's third season, the team suffered the loss of returning 1,190-yard starting running back Jonathan Williams before the season. Breaking in a new offensive coordinator and adjusting to losing three NFL drafted defensive players up front, the Razorbacks got off to a slow start, losing toToledo andTexas Tech in the non-conference and started 2–4.[53][54] Bielema then caught fire in the second half of the season, going 5–1 over the final six games, losing the one game toMississippi State on a missed field goal.[55] Bielema ended the year by defeating one of his former mentors,Bill Snyder, in theAutoZone Liberty Bowl, as Arkansas dispatchedKansas State, 45–23, to finish the season with a record of 8–5.[56][57]
Bielema's fourth season was a topsy-turvy campaign that ended with two embarrassing defeats at the hands ofMissouri in the regular season finale andVirginia Tech in the2016 Belk Bowl.[58] The former saw his team blow a 17-point halftime lead and the latter was a 24-point blown halftime lead, which was the largest for Arkansas since at least 1952.[59] With those losses Bielema's Razorbacks would finish the year at 7-6, a step back record wise from the year before. The losses led to the replacement of Defensive CoordinatorRobb Smith with former Iowa State head coachPaul Rhoads, and other staff changes pointing to a change to a 3–4 defensive scheme.[60]
Bielema was the highest paid state employee in Arkansas with a salary reported at $4,200,000.[61]
Bielema's fifth season saw the program continue to regress, finishing 4–8 overall and going 1–7 in the SEC.[62] On November 24, 2017, Bielema was fired after five seasons as Arkansas's head coach following a 48–45 loss at home to theMissouri Tigers.[63] The Razorbacks twice led by 14, but lost both leads. After the game, Bielema told reporters that he had been told he was being fired while he was coming off the field.[64] According toFox Sports' Bruce Feldman, school officials decided to announce the firing after the game so he could have a chance to address the team one last time before they headed home for Thanksgiving. The alternative would have been learning of the firing via social media or a group text message.[65]
Prior to the2018 NFL season, Bielema was hired by theNew England Patriots as a defensive consultant to head coachBill Belichick.[66] Bielema was promoted ahead of the2019 season to defensive line coach.[67] He won his first Super Bowl title when the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.[68]
On January 21,2020, the Giants hired Bielema as their outside linebackers coach and senior assistant underJoe Judge.[69]
On December 19, 2020, Bielema was announced as the next head coach at theUniversity of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, succeedingLovie Smith.[70] The school said Bielema would receive a six-year contract that paid $4.2 million the first year, with annual raises, based on performance and fulfilling media and other promotional obligations for the program throughout the contract.[71] The salary made him the ninth-highest paid head coach among the then fourteen members of the Big Ten Conference.
Bielema won his first game with the Illini against theNebraska Cornhuskers then went on a four-game losing streak toUTSA,Virginia,Maryland andPurdue. The streak ended with a win againstCharlotte, but he lost the next week toWisconsin, his former team. Following an off week, Bielema and the Fighting Illiniupset 24.5-point favoritePenn State in Happy Valley, then ranked #7 in the AP Poll. The most notable part of this outcome was its nine overtime periods, which broke the FBS record for the most overtime periods in a game.[72] The Illini lost their next game toRutgers before upsettingMinnesota, then ranked #20 in the College Football Playoff poll. Bielema did not travel with the team toIowa having contracting COVID-19, and the Illini lost to the Hawkeyes with wide receivers coachGeorge McDonald serving as acting head coach. After Bielema returned, he won his final game of the season at homeagainstNorthwestern. This marked the Illini's first win against the rival Wildcats since 2014. Bielema finished his first season at Illinois with an overall record of 5–7, and a Big Ten record of 4–5, which placed the Illini fifth in the Big Ten West Division.[73][74]
Bielema's second season at Illinois began with a victory overWyoming, a disappointing loss atIndiana, followed by six consecutive victories overVirginia,Chattanooga, atWisconsin,Iowa,Minnesota, and atNebraska, making the Illini record 7–1. Bielema and Illinois could not maintain their win streak, dropping their next three games toMichigan State,Purdue, and atMichigan. The Illini won their eighth game of the 2022 season by beating in-state rivalNorthwestern in Evanston to close out the regular season with a record of 8–4.[75] Illinois accepted an invitation to the2023 ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on January 2, against theMississippi State Bulldogs. Mississippi State, inspired by the untimely death of their head coachMike Leach, beat Illinois 19–10 in the bowl.[76] This was Illinois' first bowl game since 2019 and their first winning season since 2011.[77]
In the 2023 season, Bielema and the Fighting Illini finished with a 5–7 record.[78]
In the2024 season, the Bielema-led Illini opened the season 4–0, with wins againEastern Illinois,Central Michigan, and upset victories over the No. 19Kansas Jayhawks and No. 22Nebraska Cornhuskers, being ranked No. 19 in the country. The Illini then traveled toState College for a emergencywhite out matchup against the No. 9Penn State Nittany Lions and lost 21–7. Following the loss, the Illini won two straight games, including a victory over the No. 24Michigan Wolverines in theMemorial Stadium Rededication Game, celebrating 100 years sinceRed Grange's legendary performance against the Michigan Wolverines. The Illini then dropped a game to No. 1Oregon in a blowout victory for the Ducks, and lost at home to theMinnesota Golden Gophers in a close game where quarterbackLuke Altmyer fumbled the ball on a potential game-tying drive. The Illini then won three straight games, including a win atRutgers, where wide receiverPat Bryant scored a 40 yard touchdown on a pass fromLuke Altmyer with 14 seconds left to seal the victory. The three game win streak to end the regular season was capped off by reclaiming theLand of Lincoln Trophy against theNorthwestern Wildcats.[79] Illinois accepted an invitation to the2024 Citrus Bowl against the No. 15South Carolina Gamecocks, where they emerged victorious riding a 2 touchdown performance from running backJosh McCray. The Illini finished the season with a 10–3 record, their first 10 win season since2001 and first bowl game win since2011.[77][80][81]
In May 2025, Bielema and Illinois agreed to a new contract that would keep Bielema signed through the 2030 season with an annual salary starting at $7.7 million for the 2025 season.[82]
Bielema grew up on an 80-acre hog farm nearProphetstown, Illinois with brothers Bart and Barry.[83] Each of the brothers competed in football, track, and wrestling.[84]
Bielema married Jen Hielsberg on March 10, 2012, in Madison.[85][86] Their first daughter, Briella, was born in 2017. Their second daughter, Brexli, was born in 2019.[87]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Badgers(Big Ten Conference)(2006–2012) | |||||||||
| 2006 | Wisconsin | 12–1 | 7–1 | T–2nd | WCapital One | 5 | 7 | ||
| 2007 | Wisconsin | 9–4 | 5–3 | 4th | LOutback | 21 | 24 | ||
| 2008 | Wisconsin | 7–6 | 3–5 | T–6th | LChamps Sports | ||||
| 2009 | Wisconsin | 10–3 | 5–3 | T–4th | WChamps Sports | 16 | 16 | ||
| 2010 | Wisconsin | 11–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | LRose† | 8 | 7 | ||
| 2011 | Wisconsin | 11–3 | 6–2 | 1st(Leaders) | LRose† | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2012 | Wisconsin | 8–5 | 4–4 | 3rd(Leaders) | Rose ‡† | ||||
| Wisconsin: | 68–24 | 37–19 | ‡Did not coach bowl game. | ||||||
| Arkansas Razorbacks(Southeastern Conference)(2013–2017) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Arkansas | 3–9 | 0–8 | 7th(Western) | |||||
| 2014 | Arkansas | 7–6 | 2–6 | 7th(Western) | WTexas | ||||
| 2015 | Arkansas | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd(Western) | WLiberty | ||||
| 2016 | Arkansas | 7–6 | 3–5 | T–5th(Western) | LBelk | ||||
| 2017 | Arkansas | 4–8 | 1–7 | 7th(Western) | |||||
| Arkansas: | 29–34 | 11–29 | |||||||
| Illinois Fighting Illini(Big Ten Conference)(2021–present) | |||||||||
| 2021 | Illinois | 5–7 | 4–5 | 5th (West) | |||||
| 2022 | Illinois | 8–5 | 5–4 | T–2nd (West) | LReliaQuest | ||||
| 2023 | Illinois | 5–7 | 3–6 | T–4th(West) | |||||
| 2024 | Illinois | 10–3 | 6–3 | T–5th | WCitrus | 16 | 16 | ||
| 2025 | Illinois | 7–4 | 4–4 | ||||||
| Illinois: | 35–26 | 22–22 | |||||||
| Total: | 132–84 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
*Ohio State was theBig Ten Leaders Division champion, but third place Wisconsin represented the division in theBig Ten Championship Game due to the fact that Ohio State and second placePenn State were both ineligible from post-season play by theNCAA.
‡Bielema left for Arkansas before the bowl game and the ranking reflects the team's ranking at the time of Bielema's departure.