28 Facts About Bret Bielema

Bret Arnold Bielema is an American football coach.

Bret Bielema is the head football coach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a position he has held since the 2021 season.

Bret Bielema was an assistant coach in the National Football League for three seasons, in 2018 and 2019 with the New England Patriots and 2020 with the New York Giants.

Bret Bielema played tight end and linebacker in high school.

Bret Bielema walked on as a defensive lineman at the University of Iowa under coach Hayden Fry, playing from 1989 to 1992.

Bret Bielema lettered four years, earned a scholarship and served as team captain his senior season.

Bret Bielema was part of the 1990 Iowa team that won a share of the Big Ten title.

The moment caused considerable stir, with University of Iowa officials reprimanding Bret Bielema and sending an official letter of apology to Walden.

Bret Bielema graduated from Iowa with a bachelor's degree in marketing.

Bret Bielema returned to Iowa in 1994 to begin his coaching career under Fry as a graduate assistant.

Bret Bielema coached the K-State defense for two seasons, helping the Wildcats win the 2003 Big XII Championship.

Bret Bielema left Kansas State after the 2003 season to become the Wisconsin defensive coordinator under head coach Barry Alvarez, who had coached at Iowa under Fry.

Bret Bielema coached Wisconsin to victories in 17 of his first 18 games.

Bret Bielema was named a finalist for the 2010 Bear Bryant Award which is given to college football's Coach of the Year.

Bret Bielema is the only coach in Wisconsin history to lose consecutive Rose Bowls.

On December 4,2012, it was announced that Bret Bielema was leaving Wisconsin to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Bret Bielema left partly to coach in the Southeastern Conference and partly because he felt that his assistant coaches were not being paid enough.

Bret Bielema inherited a roster depleted of talent and lacking in development under Coach Smith.

Bret Bielema's starting quarterback suffered a throwing shoulder injury, which limited his ability the entire season.

Bret Bielema's fourth season was a topsy-turvy campaign that ended with two embarrassing defeats at the hands of Missouri in the regular season finale and Virginia Tech in the 2016 Belk Bowl.

Bret Bielema was the highest paid state employee in Arkansas with a salary reported at $4,200,000.

Bret Bielema was promoted ahead of the 2019 season to defensive line coach.

Bret Bielema won his first Super Bowl title when the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

The school said Bret 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.

Bret Bielema won his first game with the Illini against the Nebraska Cornhuskers then went on a four-game losing streak to UTSA, Virginia, Maryland and Purdue.

Bret Bielema did not travel with the team to Iowa having contracting COVID-19, and the Illini lost to the Hawkeyes with wide receivers coach George McDonald serving as acting head coach.

Bret Bielema grew up on an 80-acre hog farm near Prophetstown, Illinois with brothers Bart and Barry.

Bret Bielema married Jen Hielsberg on March 10,2012, in Madison.