Bret Bielema responds to rumors about college coaching jobs

 

BySTEVEN TARANTO 

Dec 2, 10:42 AM

 

It's been three whole seasons since Bret Bielema last roamed the sidelines as a head coach at the collegiate level. Since his final season with the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2017, Bielema has worked as an assistant coach at the NFL level, first for two seasons with the New England Patriots and now as the outside linebackers coach on the New York Giants.

 

But with the 2020 season drawing to a close and a new hiring cycle on the horizon, could Bielema's next head coaching opportunity be back at the collegiate level? According to a report by Steven Godfrey of Banner Society, Bielema had been a top candidate for the head coaching vacancy at the Southern Miss Golden Eagles before reports broke that Tulane OC Will Hall is expected to be hired, and he has also interviewed for several other open positions at the college level. 

 

Speaking to the New York media on Tuesday, Bielema was asked about said reports, and addressed where he and Giants head coach Joe Judge stand when it comes to his ability to pursue potential jobs.

 

"I’ve had a history in college football, so I think that’s always gonna be out there. I’m sure you can hear a lot of things on the net that are true or untrue, you just kind of do your business," said Bielema. "I keep Joe abreast of anything that kind of comes my way. He’s been great. He knew going into this job, going back to last year, certain things that may come up on my radar. And he’s been awesome. Ownership’s been great."

As he's done in the past, Bielema then cited a favorite piece of advice he received early in his coaching career from Iowa legend Hayden Fry.

"There’s two types of coaches: There’s ones that worry about the job they already have and make people take notice, or there’s people that worry about the job they want to have," said Bielema. "And all I try to do is worry about the job at where I’m at, what I’m doing, hopefully making a great representation of that and see where it goes.”

While Bielema has been able to operate largely away from the spotlight in the NFL, he remains a household name in the college football ranks. Bielema was the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers from 2006 to 2012, and then coached at Arkansas from 2013 to 2017. Bielema has a 97-58 record in NCAA competition, winning Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2006 before winning three-straight conference championships from 2010 to 2012.

On the Giants, Bielema has overseen the improvement of several young late-round draft picks fresh out of the collegiate level. Having lost Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines for the year due to injuries, Bielema has turned rookies Cameron Brown and Carter Coughlin into solid contributors to a better than expected Giants pass rush.

 

The 10 Most Underappreciated Arkansas Football Players of the Past Decade: A.J. Derby

By Ryan Bolding  

Apr 28, 2020, 5:30pm CDT

In this world, there are many things about us that are underappreciated. Maybe it’s your beard that you’ve spent so long grooming and perfecting (the girl at the bar definitely notices). Maybe it’s the indie-rock band that you started with some co-workers (I’m sure you’ll be charting soon). Maybe it’s your twitter game (that next tweet for sure will get you verified). No matter how underappreciated these are, they pale in comparison to some of the athletes who have played the game they love in front of 70,000+ screaming fans, yet have not been given the recognition they deserved. Here are 10 of those underappreciated football players or the past decade.

Here are the qualifications for this list:

• Player must not hold any all-time records at Arkansas
• Player must not have been drafted any earlier than the 6th round of the NFL Draft
• Obviously, the player must have been on the team in the last 10 years

This goes without saying, but these are purely my opinions and by no means a definite list.

Let’s get it rolling.

AJ Derby

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

AJ Derby’s transition from a quarterback to a NFL tight end is nothing short of impressive. Derby came to Arkansas in 2013 as a quarterback after a stint at Iowa and Coffeyville CC. He appeared in 7 games as the backup quarterback to Brandon Allen and even started at Rutgers due to an Allen shoulder injury. Fans quickly saw that Derby could not get it done at the quarterback position and with Brandon Allen struggling throughout most of the 2013 season, the future looked bleak.

The 2014 season was much more promising and moving AJ Derby to the tight end position for his senior year made head coach Bret Bielema look like a genius. All season he showed tremendous athleticism and speed for his 6’5” 255-pound frame.

Despite backing up star tight end Hunter Henry, Derby finished the 2014 season with 303 receiving yards on 22 catches with 3 touchdowns.

Derby was drafted in the 6th round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. His best season was with the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins in 2017. He put up 244 yards on 21 receptions with 2 touchdowns. After getting placed on injured reserve in late 2018, he has not been seen in the NFL since.

Frank Ragnow shares motivating words from Bret Bielema, thanks his former coach

By Adam Spencer
April 29, 2018

Arkansas OL Frank Ragnow had a great offseason and did everything he needed to do to work his way into the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, where he was chosen with the No. 20 overall pick by the Detroit Lions.

He didn’t allow a sack his entire college career, living up to expectations set for him by his former coach, Bret Bielema.

On Sunday, Ragnow shared a tweet that quoted Bielema as saying he thought Ragnow could be a first-round pick even when he was only entering his sophomore year:





Ragnow’s father sent him that text message with the tweet back in 2015, but sadly passed away from a heart attack in 2016, so this message means all that much more to the former Razorback.

Though Ragnow going in the first round may have caught some by surprise, Jon Ragnow and Bret Bielema knew this day was coming all the way back in 2015.

Patriots notebook: Deatrich Wise feels right at home with lots of familiar Razorback faces in Foxboro

By Stephen Hewitt

May 19, 2017

FOXBORO — In his first couple of weeks in New England, Deatrich Wise has likely looked around and experienced some deja vu.

In some ways, it’s almost like he never even left Arkansas.

Wise, the former Razorbacks defensive end drafted in the fourth round by the Patriots last month, is feeling right at home as a new pro. He’s reunited with three former college teammates in Trey Flowers, Brooks Ellis and Cody Hollister.

Wise, who officially signed with the Pats yesterday, probably is closest with Ellis, a middle linebacker who was signed as an undrafted free agent. The two were teammates for four years at Arkansas, and they’ve already picked up in Foxboro where they left off.

“Every day, I try to keep up with him, he tries to keep up with me,” Wise said yesterday at Gillette Stadium. “We learn from each other. We’ll be running plays, and he’s still my middle linebacker, so we still communicate. It’s awesome seeing how he works.

“We were locker buddies, we were teammates for four years. He was behind me telling me what to do, and I was in front of him telling him the same thing, so it’s been the same.”

Wise also has reunited with Flowers, who was his teammate from 2012-14. Flowers is only going into his third season, but he’s already taken on a mentor role with Wise, who figures to play with him on the edge.

Wise has watched closely what Flowers — who had 2.5 sacks in the Patriots’ Super Bowl LI win — has done from afar and is eager to follow in his footsteps.

“I kind of say if he can do it, I can do it too type thing, you know?” Wise said.

“It’s been awesome. He’s a big mentor, and the advice he gives me is just take it one day at a time, don’t try to think ahead, stay in the now, and he’s been helping me out here and there with the plays and what I have to do, and it’s been great.

“I try to follow him a little bit, try not to be too close to him, but try and follow and see how he does and see how he works and do the same.”

As far as the pantheon of colleges Bill Belichick has grown fond of, Arkansas is no Rutgers just yet, but it’s getting close. Wise believes coach Bret Bielema’s pro-style system is one of the reasons he’s not only prepared for the NFL, but why the Patriots are developing a pipeline with the Razorbacks.

“They both teach mental toughness, they both teach things that pretty much transfer over to the league,” Wise said. “How to take care of your body, mental and physical toughness. They teach the terminology, it’s kind of the same, and it’s just how they run their whole program from the top to the bottom.

“Showing everyone respect. I don’t care if it’s a CEO, a GM, a head coach or a janitor or cafeteria lady, you treat everyone with respect. And that’s kind of what Arkansas taught me and what I’m learning here as well.

Wise said it’s a point of pride that such a high-pedigree NFL program like the Pats has continued to poach away from Arkansas.

“It shows what Arkansas does for their players,” he said. “It shows Arkansas holds itself to a high standard, and it’s exactly what the Patriots look for in their players, so they kind of bounce off each other.”

Hogs football reaping success of academic center

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema (right) watches Saturday, April 1, 2017, as head strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert leads warmup drills during practice at the university practice field in Fayetteville.

By Richard Davenport
May 14, 2017

FAYETTEVILLE -- Since being named the head football coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks in December 2012, Bret Bielema has placed a greater emphases on academics, thus resulting in a higher team grade-point average and a better Academic Progress Report.

The team posted a 2.94 grade point average in the spring of 2015, as the Hogs led the SEC with 40 student-athletes on the fall academic honor roll. They led the conference again in 2016 with 39 on the prestigious list.

The football facilities routinely receive glowing reviews from prospects and their parents, but the Hogs' success in the classroom, along with the Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student-Athlete Success Center, also garners praise.

The center is a strong selling point in recruiting, and numerous prospects and parents have mentioned that the Hogs have one of the best academic setups in the nation. The facility was dedicated on Sept. 19, 2015, and is the largest of it's kind in the SEC. There are 37 tutoring rooms, 3 computer labs and 3 learning labs in the 55,000-square-feet building.

Chris Johnson was the director of student-athlete services at Jacksonville University before becoming the assistant director of academics for football at Arkansas in January 2014. He was promoted to director of academics for football in the spring of 2016.

Johnson said the facilities, the administration's support and all the necessary resources go a long ways in the academic success, but Bielema's leadership is key.

"Coach Bielema really makes it all work with just with how he supports us," Johnson said. "I got here after coach did. I wasn't here before, but what you hear it wasn't the way it is now."

Johnson, along with assistant director of academics Liz Reyes and academic counselor J.L Jennings, give updates on the status of the 105-player roster to Bielema and his staff during Thursday meetings. The academic report can take up approximately 30 minutes of the hour-long staff meeting.

"It's doesn't matter if we have Alabama in two days or in the middle of spring ball or the start of the spring semester," Johnson said.

He, Reyes and Jennings prepare a weekly packet that's given to the coaches which includes current grades, upcoming assignments, and a list professors attending spring or fall practice.

"The packet also has information on the players the academic staff have concerns about that semester and a daily report of who was in class and who wasn't. Who had a great tutor session and who really needs to be given some kudos," Johnson said.

The players are very aware of the Thursday academic meeting.

"They try and have their grades ready by that day," Johnson said. "They're like, 'have you guys met with the coaches yet?' because they don't want to be called out in their position groups."

Johnson said he's aware some schools have an assistant coach and a few graduate assistants overseeing a team's academics.

"If there's a problem that's who you go through, but knowing I can just pick up the phone and talk to coach himself, that goes a long way," Johnson said.

The Fred W. Smith Football Center has numerous football-related posters and pictures hanging on its walls, but the Jones center is void of such.

"There's nothing athletic related on the walls and that's very strategic," Johnson said. "We know they're going to get enough of that in the Fred Smith center. So what we really want the focus to be everything in the classroom, in the community, career development and all those sort of things."

There are approximately 100 tutors available to the student-athletes.

"Some are undergraduate students themselves, some are graduate students depending on their qualifications and depending what their majors are," Johnson said. "They're given the ability to tutor our students, and they have to go through a certification process to do that."

The academic center is geared to serve the athletes much like how the student union serves the general student population.

"Really, the vision for this building was to be a student union for our athletes," Johnson said. "We have pretty much everything they need here. They can get computers and laptops checked out for a week at a time and complete their work. We allow them to check out calculators. We have a sports nutritionist, a sports physiologist, we have our student-athlete development unit which I feel like is one of the best in the country.

"The expectations for us [are] to be No. 1 in the league in honor rolls, so that's something we take a lot of pride in."

Bielema Named to Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List

Bielema Named to Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watch List

Published 10/19 2016 06:35PM

Updated 10/19 2016 06:35PM

HOUSTON – Arkansas head football coach Bret Bielema was one of 23 coaches named to the watch list for the American Heart Association (AHA) Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, the AHA and Marathon Oil announced Wednesday.

Bielema has led the Razorbacks to a 5-2 (1-2 SEC) start through seven games this season. Arkansas is No. 17 in both the Amway Coaches poll and Associated Press Top 25 poll, following its second win over a ranked team this season and third straight against Ole Miss. The Razorbacks have been in the national rankings for six straight weeks, which is the program’s longest run since 2011.

Arkansas’ 34-30 win over No. 12 Ole Miss last Saturday night marked Arkansas’ fourth victory over a ranked team in its last six attempts. The Razorbacks have won 11 of their last 14 games dating back to their four-overtime win over Auburn in 2015.

Bielema and the Razorbacks are set for their third straight game and fifth this season against a ranked opponent as it travels to face No. 21 Auburn on Saturday for its first true SEC road game of the year. It will be the 23^rd time in his 46 games as head coach at Arkansas that Bielema has taken on a ranked opponent.

The Coach of the Year Award is the only college coaching honor presented after all bowl games are concluded. It is voted on by the National Sports Media Association and has honored many of the game’s greatest leaders. Five to 10 finalists will be announced this December. The winner will be announced live on Jan. 11, 2017 during the awards banquet in Houston at the Toyota Center.

http://www.nwahomepage.com/razorback-nation/bielema-named-to-paul-bear-bryant-coach-of-the-year-award-watch-list

Arkansas Football Leads SEC in Academics

BY CORY THONE

FEBRUARY 12, 2016

Earlier this week, Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long announced that the Arkansas football team had 40 players that achieved a 3.0 or higher on the team. Not only is that a record for the University, but it’s good enough to lead the SEC. Take that, Vanderbilt!

When Jeff Long hired Bret Bielema to take over the Arkansas football program, one of the big things that was emphasized was a changing of culture. The Razorbacks may have been coming off successful seasons on the field, but off the field an in the classroom, the players were struggling.

As Pete Thamel talked about before this season started, the culture in the locker room at Arkansas was less than ideal. It was a culture of scraping by on grades and praying that all your players were eligible each week. That has officially changed under the regime of Bret Bielema.

This week, it was announced that the Arkansas Razorbacks had the highest number of players (40) at or above a 3.0 on their team. The Razorbacks not only lead the SEC in the number of football players on the Academic Honor Roll, but the University of Arkansas leads the conference in total number of on honor roll athletes with 90.

A quick flashback to the Petrino years reveals that the most players that BP had on the academic honor roll were…17. It was also as low as seven in 2008. That is not a very good number, no matter how you spin it.

There’s no denying that Bret Bielema has brought a new culture into the University of Arkansas. He’s recruiting nationally, his players (mostly) stay out of trouble, and the team is improving year over year. So it’s no surprise to find out that this team is doing all the right things in the classroom as well.

On Sidelines, Researchers See C.E.O.s

By STEVE EDER

September 1, 2014


Arkansas’ Bret Bielema earned $3.2 million last year, but won only three games.
CreditGareth Patterson/Associated

In late 2012, Arkansas hired Bret Bielema as its football coach, paying him a salary of $3.2 million a year, plus bonuses, making him one of the best-compensated coaches in his industry and his state’s highest-paid employee.

During Bielema’s first season, the Razorbacks won their first three games before losing their last nine, prompting some fans to wonder whether Arkansas had overpaid him. One fan took to Facebook to sarcastically thank the coach for the three wins: “Good job, Bielema, here’s $3 million dollars for that.” Another posted on Twitter that the coach should share his paycheck with his players who “get paid nothing but bring $ to the university.”

But, according to a new study by researchers at Vanderbilt, coaches like Bielema who command what are widely seen as robust salaries are worth the money because of the value they bring to their universities. The Vanderbilt study, which included 947 contracts from 2005 to 2013, benchmarked coaching salaries against those of chief executive officers at public companies — another group that is often accused of being paid too much.


Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops commands a salary that is market-driven, according to his agent.
CreditSue Ogrocki/Associated Press

“Coaches are running large programs that have tremendous value,” said Randall S. Thomas, a law and business professor and one of the authors of the study. “They are creating great value, and they are being paid for creating that value.”

He added that coaches compare “quite directly to public company C.E.O.s.”

In universities’ zest to compete, many routinely court coaches as if they were recruiting a new chief executive: offering millions of dollars, the power to hire and fire others, and even the use of a private jet. A result is that big paydays are hardly unusual in college football, in which head coaches, win or lose, have been among the biggest financial beneficiaries of the ballooning amount of cash flowing into the industry.

The increasing demands to win, coupled with billion-dollar television deals, have combined to cause the average pay for coaches at the top level of Division I football to double since 2005 to $1.5 million, the Vanderbilt study found.

Like chief executives, numerous coaches make more than $3 million a year and enjoy special perks, the researchers found.

Nick Saban, the coach at Alabama, receives personal use of a private jet each year, in addition to his pay. Les Miles at Louisiana State has a provision in his deal that will automatically make him the highest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference, by $1,000, should he coach his squad to another national championship.

“If one believes that C.E.O. compensation is set by the market at an appropriate level, and that employment contracts reflect this equilibrium, then one should reach the same conclusion about football coaches,” wrote Thomas and co-author, R. Lawrence Van Horn, an associate professor of economics and management. The professors shared with The New York Times a draft of their report, which has not been published or peer-reviewed.

To be sure, there are significant differences between a football coach and a chief executive, some of them acknowledged by the authors. One divergence is that coaches often have higher fixed salaries, while compensation for chief executives tends to be heavily influenced by performance. In addition, executive pay is also supposed to be closely monitored by experts on company boards. In some cases, the boards even have the power to take back pay that was promised to executives in previous awards. And the chief executives are often paid a substantial part of their compensation in company stock — which can fall in value if the firm underperforms — something that does not exist in college football, at least as it stands.

The debate over the pay of football coaches at big public institutions is especially in focus at a time when the N.C.A.A. is facing increasing criticism.

Some contend that the sizable coaching salaries are enabled by what critics call the exploitative nonpayment of college football players. Others believe the coaches’ compensation packages are evidence that the universities are overly invested in athletics and spending to keep up in sports. At the same time, there are concerns that academics and budget cuts at large public universities are being minimized.

“It has gotten out of whack,” said David Ridpath, a former athletics administrator at Marshall who has been critical of the N.C.A.A. Runaway salaries, Ridpath said, have “caused and fueled greater problems in college athletics.”

As it stands, college football coaches at public universities often make more than not only the athletic director but also the university president — and probably the governor, too — which critics like Ridpath say poses a danger to their institutions. “I don’t believe that a football coach, under any circumstance, should be paid more than their boss because it skews the power structure and causes many of the problems in academia that we have now,” Ridpath said.

But others say that a reality of big-time college athletics is that top-level coaches are special talents with huge jobs, and the market demands that they be well compensated. The jobs are often short-lived, and the stress level is high.

“They are worth every penny,” said Martin J. Greenberg, a Milwaukee-based sports lawyer who has represented coaches in contract negotiations for 25 years.

Greenberg said that coaches nowadays suffered from what he called “role strain,” meaning they have a huge range of responsibilities, including fund-raising, recruiting, academics, being public figures and meeting with alumni. “They are asked to do just about everything under the guise of being the football coach,” Greenberg added.

Neil Cornrich, an agent who represents Bielema, as well as some of the other highly paid coaches, including Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, said the coaches were creating immense value, which is not difficult to quantify, and that the salaries were market-driven.

“There are very few people that are able to properly handle these jobs, particularly for a period of time, where it adds great value to the university,” Cornrich said.

When Bielema was courted by Arkansas, the job opening was seen as one of the most challenging and intriguing. The incoming coach would be the third in three years and would inherit a team coming off a four-win season, but he would also be at the helm of a program competing with the best teams in the SEC. That was all factored into the compensation package that Arkansas offered Bielema, who was leaving a high-profile job at Wisconsin, where he coached the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowl appearances.

As Bielema begins his second season on the job, Arkansas fans will be keeping a close eye on him, looking to how the university’s investment is paying off.

To Bielema’s supporters, progress is already being made.

“It’s already been a good investment because he has stabilized the ship,” Cornrich said.

Report: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will make more than $6 million in 2019, 2020

By JJ Stankevitz

June 25, 2014

Oklahoma’s regents did more than approve $370 million in upgrades to Gaylor Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.

According to the Oklahoma’s Jason Kersey, coach Bob Stoops will make $39.9 million over the seven seasons remaining on his newly-reworked contract, including crossing the $6 million threshold in 2019 and 2020.

In the immediate future, Stoops will earn $5.25 million in 2014. According to USA Today’s coaching salary database, only three coaches made more than $5 million in 2013: Nick Saban, Mack Brown and Bret Bielema. Brown’s replacement, Charlie Strong, is slated to make $5 million in 2014 while Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin will earn $5 million this year as well.

The bump over $5 million puts Stoops in rarefied air, though he’s earned it over his 15-year tenure in Norman. Oklahoma has only won fewer than 10 games three times under Stoops, has nine top-10 finishes and won a BCS title in 2000. While the Sooners have a storied football history, they weren’t a player on the national scene for about a decade before Stoops arrived in 1999.

With quarterback Trevor Knight — you know, the guy who dismantled Alabama in the Sugar Bowl — Oklahoma’s a trendy early pick to contend for a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff this fall.

Football APR should be in good hands with Bielema

June 11, 2013

By Robbie Neiswanger

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football was the program that came closest to the Academic Progress Rate benchmark of 930 after netting a four-year score of 938 in data released by the NCAA on Tuesday.

It also logged a single-year score of 924 for the 2011-12 academic year.

But Arkansas senior associate athletic director Jon Fagg said the Razorbacks don’t expect significant issues with the program moving forward.

The reason? He pointed to coach Bret Bielema’s academic success at Wisconsin as an indication the Razorbacks should perform in the classroom under his guidance.

Wisconsin’s football team received a public recognition award from the NCAA after posting a four-year APR score of 985 (2008-09 to 2011-12 academic years). The Badgers posted scores of 975, 967, 968 and 953 in four previous years.

Fagg said Bielema’s success with Wisconsin’s APR was a factor in his hiring.

“I knew from my perspective, and I don’t want to speak for (athletic director) Jeff (Long), but from my perspective, it was a real component,” Fagg said.

“When you look at Bret’s athletic success, that was really clear. There were three things that got me when I was looking at it. His athletic success. His lack of off-the-field problems. I mean if you go back and look at the time that Bret was coach at Wisconsin, he had virtually no arrests. Literally, virtually none. And then his APR success. To me, that says that’s an unbelievable coach as a teacher and a mentor and that’s certainly what he seems to be proving so far with us.”

Arkansas football’s multi-year score of 938 ranks 13th among Southeastern Conference programs. Only Tennessee (924) was lower. Programs that finish below 930 are subject to penalties like scholarship losses or postseason bans.

The Razorbacks’ score next spring will include a fall semester with coach John L. Smith in charge of the program and a spring semester under Bielema. The coaching change also coincided with the departure of a large group of outgoing players like Tyler Wilson, Knile Davis, Alvin Bailey, Chris Gragg and Cobi Hamilton.

Those two factors became a recipe for disaster for the basketball program in 2007-08, when it posted a 755 single-year score. But Fagg credited the outgoing staff for continuing to emphasize academics in a difficult year. He also said the football program’s large squad size helps offset departures in football better than basketball.

Now under Bielema’s watch, Fagg said the football program’s grade point average in the spring was one of its best as well.

“Bret has really come in and made a renewed, a different, commitment to academic performance,” Fagg said. “They genuinely talk about it all the time. …

“I watch him talk to them about the need to take care of business off the field to ensure they can take care of business on the field. Lots of coaches around the country talk about translating their discipline from the field to the classroom. Bret talks about it in some manner opposite. Translate your discipline from the classroom and off the field to the field. And they really go hand in hand for him.”

UW's Bielema a real keeper

By GERY WOELFEL

June 18, 2012

If I was the king of the Wisconsin sports world, I would:

Sign University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema to a lifetime contract.

There was plenty of trepidation in Badger Nation when Bielema replaced Barry Alvarez back in 2006. But Bielema not only has been as good as King Barry but perhaps even better.

In Bielema’s six seasons as the Badgers’ boss, Wisconsin has gone to six bowls, has been ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll five times and has compiled a 60-19 record.

Bielema’s winning percentage of .759 is the fourth-best among active FBS coaches who have been on the job for at least five years.

Celebrating the legacy of Barry Alvarez

By ANDY BAGGOT

December 7, 2010

His induction tonight into the College Football Hall of Fame couldn't come at a better time.

Barry Alvarez has always had a remarkable sense of timing and today is a perfect example of that.

His two careers — his two legacies — have conveniently merged under the same bright spotlight for all to appreciate.

Alvarez is in New York City to be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame. It's the ultimate reward for the extraordinary work he did as University of Wisconsin coach for 16 years.

You should know the script by heart: Alvarez took over a decrepit UW program and built it into one that claimed three Big Ten Conferences titles and prevailed in three Rose Bowls. Along the way he won a school-record 118 games, including eight bowls, and became the first coach in league history to win back-to-back Rose Bowls (1998, '99).

That resume explains why so many family members, friends, colleagues and former Badgers players will be decked out in tuxedos and gowns at the famed Waldorf-Astoria in New York City tonight sharing the moment with Alvarez.

In terms of worthiness, Alvarez is certainly the equal of the eight other UW inductees: Pat Richter (1996), Pat Harder ('93), Marty Below ('88), Alan Ameche ('75), Elroy Hirsch ('74), Robert Butler ('72), Pat O'Dea ('62) and Dave Schreiner ('55).

What has to be fun for Alvarez is that while his past life is the focus of this event, his present-day role as UW athletic director is sure to be a prime topic of conversation as well.

Before Alvarez stepped down as Badgers coach, he hired his replacement and showed him the ropes. That wedding of instincts and methodology is being celebrated five years later now that UW has won a share of the Big Ten title and is headed for the Rose Bowl under Bret Bielema.

At the very same moment, Alvarez's abilities as a coach and as a CEO are being validated in positive, prominent ways. That's pretty remarkable when you consider how different those journeys were.

When Alvarez began his coaching tenure at UW in 1990, he had a specific, well-crafted plan: Build a championship program from scratch and sustain it. He did so, setting the stage for a massive athletic renaissance that continues today at 1440 Monroe St.

When Alvarez began his tenure as AD in 2004, his agenda wasn't so well defined. Outside of fulfilling his career-day goal of following in the footsteps of his college mentor, Bob Devaney — who famously transitioned from being Nebraska football coach to its athletic director — Alvarez struggled in those early days to articulate his vision.

One thing he knew for certain was that the football program, the one he nursed out of the ICU to robust health, had to stay strong. Alvarez worked two jobs for two years during which time he found Bielema and began grooming him as his replacement.

Many questioned Bielema's abilities early on, especially after the Badgers regressed from 12-1 overall to 7-6 during his first three years, but this season is a convincing argument that Alvarez made an astute hire.

With his coaching legend intact and his biggest personnel decision as CEO a certified hit, Alvarez has a greater sense of his future as AD. He wants to someday leave UW Athletics in better shape than he found it — no mean feat — which means continued fiscal awareness and getting the Athletic Performance Center and hockey practice facilities built.

Alvarez will resume working on the future, but first up, another look tonight at his honorable past.

UW football: 22 players named to Academic All-Big Ten team

By Tom Mulhern

December 2, 2010


The University of Wisconsin football team had 22 players named to the Academic All-Big team, it was announced on Thursday.

The group includes left tackle Gabe Carimi, who earlier in the week was named the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year, while also earning All-Big Ten first-team honors for the second straight year.

UW coach Bret Bielema said earlier in the week he expected a record number of Academic All-Big Ten selections, but there was no indication on the release whether or not this represented a record number.

Here's the list of the 22 football players, with their positions, majors and hometowns:

LB Ethan Armstrong, So., Undeclared, Ottawa, Ill.

OT Gabe Carimi, Gr., Civil Engineering, Cottage Grove, Wis.

FB Bradie Ewing, Jr., Sociology, Richland Center, Wis.

CB Antonio Fenelus, Jr., Family, Consumer & Community Education, Boca Raton, Fla.

DT Ethan Hemer, So., Undeclared , Medford, Wis.

FS Aaron Henry, Sr., Consumer Affairs, Immokalee, Fla.

S Shelton Johnson, Jr., Zoology, Carrollton, Texas

DT Jordan Kohout, So., Sociology, Waupun, Wis.

C Peter Konz, Jr., Communication Arts, Neenah, Wis.

TE Rob Korslin, Sr., Civil Engineering, Brookfield, Wis.

CB Andrew Lukasko, Sr., Kinesiology, Edgar, Wis.

Zach Matthias, So., Undeclared, Hemlock, Mich.

DE Pat Muldoon, So., Undeclared, Mason, Ohio

P Brad Nortman, Jr., Accounting, Brookfield, Wis.

LB Conor O'Neill, So., Undeclared, Delray Beach, Fla.

CB Devin Smith, Jr., Consumer Affairs, Coppell, Texas

LB Blake Sorensen, Sr., Consumer Affairs, Eden Prairie, Minn.

LB Culmer St. Jean, Gr., Consumer Affairs, Naples, Fla.

QB Scott Tolzien, Gr., Consumer Affairs, Rolling Meadows, Ill.

DE J.J. Watt, Sr., Life Sciences Communications, Pewaukee, Wis.

P Ryan Wickesberg, Sr., Finance, Investment and Banking, Saukville, Wis.

OG Kevin Zeitler, Jr., Kinesiology, Waukesha, Wis.

Badgers' Bielema finalist for Eddie Robinson award

November 23, 2010

MADISON — Holding a 10-1 record and sitting one win away from at least a share of the Big Ten title, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema has been named one of eight finalists for the 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, the Football Writers Association of America announced on Tuesday.

Bielema, who was named the 2006 Big Ten Coach of the Year, has led Wisconsin to 10 regular-season wins for just the third time in school history. The team has won 10 games in a season just seven times in school history and Bielema has been on staff for four of those seasons (three as head coach, one as defensive coordinator).

With one regular season game still left to play in 2010, the Wisconsin offense has already broken school records for rushing touchdowns in a season (41) and points in a season (450). In addition, the team is on pace to break the mark for average yards per carry, points per game and completion percentage.

In his career, Bielema holds a 48-15 (.762) in five seasons at Wisconsin. That’s the fifth-best winning percentage among active FBS head coaches with at least four seasons of experience. In addition, those 48 wins already put Bielema fourth all-time at Wisconsin in career victories.

Badgers coach Bret Bielema changing perceptions

October 28, 2010

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez slipped across a crowded interview room to embrace coach Bret Bielema not long after the Badgers toppled then-No. 1 Ohio State two weeks ago.

Bielema's face was flush with a combination of relief, excitement and energy after a resounding 31-18 victory over the Buckeyes on national television. Little did the pair realize that the bigger win was seven days away with a 31-30 win at Iowa, Bielema's alma mater.

In eight days, the fifth-year coach shed the perception that he couldn't win the biggest games. Now, Bielema's profile is rising and his ninth-ranked Badgers (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) are battle tested.

For all the success Wisconsin has had since Alvarez led a rebuilt program to consecutive Rose Bowl appearances in 1999 and 2000, the Badgers have never quite broken down the perception that they're big, slow and boring - at least on offense.

Bielema even jokes that his team would never be considered flashy or sexy. Of course, this is the same guy who used a fake punt and converted two fourth downs on the final drive against the Hawkeyes.

"To have such a high, play so well against the No. 1 team in the country, is one thing, but, to manage your team after being emotionally spent and playing in a physical game and being drained, turn it around, having them ready to play a very good Iowa team on the road, overcome all those injuries and find a way to win that game, that speaks to itself,'' Alvarez said. "That's very difficult to do."

So difficult, in fact, Alvarez, who also took the Badgers to the Rose Bowl in 1994, never knocked off a No. 1 team or beat a ranked Iowa team in Iowa City in his 16 seasons. Wisconsin last beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks in 1954.

"The thing that's probably jumped out the last two weeks is the exposure that we've gotten and the amount of people who want to jump in our boat,'' Bielema said.

And while Wisconsin is suddenly a hot name in recruiting, the coach gives the current credit to his players' preparation. He hasn't cited his catchphrase much this year: a "1-0 mentality,'' but the proof came against the Hawkeyes when his team rallied late with a 15-play, 80-yard game-winning drive.

Bielema's players say that toughness describes their coach's intensity.

"If he could go out there and play every snap, I'm sure he would,'' safety Aaron Henry said. "The monkey finally jumped off his back. I think for him, man-to-man, he's a very young coach, he has a tremendous future ahead of him. People are going to find something to say when you're not winning, I can remember in the bowl game people were saying we weren't going to beat Miami, but we pulled that off.

"With Coach B, when people say he can't do something, he tries to defy the odds. He's always trying to get after it."

Alvarez picked his successor after Bielema had spent just two years as defensive coordinator. Bielema is moving out from his boss's shadow.

Not that he doesn't rely on Alvarez, who had 118 career victories.

"Bret's not afraid,'' Alvarez said. "In that position, you have to have a sounding board. He hasn't been bashful. He's asked questions, he asks for opinions. Sometimes he uses them, sometimes he doesn't. But he has another view of how to do things.''

Wisconsin's power running foundation is straightforward, but the Badgers, who are off this week before playing at Purdue on Nov. 6, certainly are an entertaining crew.

There's the neat freak signal caller Scott Tolzien, a comedian on the offensive line in John Moffitt, the funky hair designs of running back John Clay and a former pizza delivery driver, J.J. Watt, who now chases down quarterbacks with frightening intensity.

Tolzien has been described as the perfect quarterback for the Badgers' system by teammates and opponents, even though he wasn't recruited by big schools until Wisconsin came in late. He spent his first three years watching, but he's gone 17-4 as a starter under Bielema and offensive coordinator Paul Chryst.

Bielema also acknowledges quickly when he's made a mistake.

J.J. Watt was a lightly recruited tight end and said Bielema told him point blank the 6-foot-6 Watt wasn't big enough to play the position for the Badgers. Watt later walked on, earned a scholarship as a defensive end and is now one of the biggest playmakers in the Big Ten.

"I can't be more thankful for Coach B for just trusting in me and believing in me that much,'' Watt said. "I've seen people criticize him in the media and people criticize him all over the place, but you can't argue with his results. It's unbelievable."

The 40-year-old Bielema, a walk-on himself at Iowa who later became a starter and captain, is 45-15 overall, and now 7-10 against Top 25 opponents. He grew up on a pig farm near Prophetstown, Ill., and has a Hawkeyes tattoo on his leg. It's the work ethic and honesty his players admire.

"He has that 'put-your-hand-in-the-ground-and-just-go-to-work' mentality. That definitely rubs off on our football team,'' Watt said. "He runs a tough football program, but we like it. We like working hard and it definitely helps us in the end.''

Bielema insists he's only focused on a week at a time and will reflect on the season when it's over. When he finally does, a different image of the up-and-coming coach may finally emerge.

"You have to win big games to get national respect,'' Alvarez said. "That's exactly what he did. People saw it first hand and have acknowledged, 'Hey, he's doing some things right up there.'"

Q-and-A: Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema

Coach Bret Bielema will have the crowd on his side when Wisconsin hosts top-ranked Ohio State on Saturday in Madison.

By Tom Dienhart

October 12, 2010

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema knows his Badgers have no margin for error. An Oct. 2 loss at Michigan State made sure of that.

No, if the Badgers still hope to win their first Big Ten title since 1999, Bielema must notch the biggest win of his career on Saturday, when Ohio State visits. It will be the first time the Badgers have played host to a top-ranked team since 1997.

Bielema, a defensive tackle at Iowa from 1989-92, thrives on the pressure. That's why he wanted this job and became Barry Alvarez's handpicked successor before the 2006 season despite being on the staff for only two seasons.

Bielema, who was defensive coordinator at Kansas State from 2002-03 before joining Wisconsin in the same capacity in 2004, hasn't disappointed. He debuted by winning 17 of his first 18 games, the second-best start for a Big Ten coach (Michigan's Fielding Yost went 55-0-1 from 1901-05). And Bielema became the third first-year coach in NCAA history to win 12 games in his debut, posting a 12-1 mark in 2006.

Bielema, 40, entered 2010 with a 38-14 record in four seasons in Madison, compiling two double-digit win seasons and four bowl games. But Bielema still is looking for that elusive Big Ten crown.

Bielema's tenure hasn't been without some rough spots. A 7-6 record in 2008 that was capped by a lopsided loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl caused some to wonder if Bielema could sustain success. But he responded with a 10-3 record in 2009, capped by a big victory over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Rivals.com caught up with Bielema before he prepared for Saturday's showdown. He didn't want to discuss the brouhaha that erupted after he went for two points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's rout of rival Minnesota, but he did talk about a variety of other subjects.

Is this your best team yet?

"I think elements of it are, but more of the season will tell us that. From when we came back in January to where we are today, I have more seniors than ever who have been starters at anytime in my career, 13 guys. The leadership they have provided just by how they do things -- they aren't necessarily all rah-rah guys, but they understand that for us to have success at Wisconsin, you have to take every day at its true value. Nothing is more important than today. If we ever start thinking that tomorrow is more important than today, we will never get to where we want to be at the end, and I think they really buy into that."

Do you think Wisconsin ever will have as much talent as Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, teams of that nature?

"I don't go into a case-by-case scenario because of what we are here at Wisconsin. We need to recruit to what we know. We have to bring them in and develop them. We are a workman's program. We don't lose a lot of kids because we really, truly understand that we are going to have the best players two, three, four years down the road that we possibly can have because of the way we develop kids."

Is Scott Tolzien a typical Wisconsin quarterback?

"He is a kid who came in and for three years [and] never really saw the playing field. He understood his day would come. And when his opportunity came, he jumped at it full go.

"I think we have two categories [of players] -- the Scotty Tolziens, who come in and put in two, three, four years and have great junior and senior seasons. And you have a guy who is under the radar like [sophomore linebacker] Chris Borland, who only had one Division I scholarship. He happened to come to our camp and I loved what I saw, so we offered him. No one else did. He went out and was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. So I think we kind of have those two extremes that exist for us. That is how we have been able to build it."

Did you think that you were ready for this job when you got it?

"I did. But a lot of times when you're young, you are very confident. But I know the one part that truly gave me an advantage was to be here for two years and see the daily workings of what this place has, like the details of media, the details of the alumni, the details of working within an environment that the state capitol is tied into the university and a lot of the government dynamics. And just also to understand how Wisconsin works. I believe if I was a new coach coming in, I would have had the desire or first instinct to try to change all of these things that had been so successful here. What we did was we kind of modified them over a four- or five-year window."

Were there any hard feelings among some of Barry Alvarez's longtime assistants when he picked you to follow him?

"On Coach Alvarez's last staff, I would definitely say it was an uncomfortable working environment, especially as the end got closer because I had basically made my opening comment the day when the announcement was made that I wasn't going to make any decisions until after our regular season was done, and that was the Hawaii game. In that bowl-game preparation, I basically let guys know if [I] intended to retain them or move them on. And it created some pretty tense situations. It was a true testament to Coach Alvarez the way those guys rallied and won that bowl game because it truly was about the love of the program and university and left all of the politics out of it."

What has been your high point?

"Every one of those wins, doesn't matter if it was Austin Peay, big wins over Michigan, rivalry games against Iowa or Minnesota -- the wins. ... If you are in this profession, that's what it's truly about. That's what jumps out at you. But some of the most rewarding things are when I watch our kids grow more than just on the football field. It is neat to see something that has nothing to do with the football side of it. It has to be about being human and giving something back. Those are the things that really mean a lot to me. Like the thing Isaac Anderson did on the Big Ten Network about [fighting] childhood obesity."

What has been your low point?

"I never, ever had any thought in my mind that I couldn't do this. There have been low points. One of the hardest aspects of my job is when I have to make the decision to remove someone from this program. You recruit them here and you want them all to have success. If that situation ever comes up, and it's going to in the world of college football, either by their choice or ours, that's the hardest part I ever have to deal with, when you realize you can change the path of someone's life because they no longer can be a part of what you're trying to build here."

What has been your toughest loss?

"I think a couple years back, the game at Michigan [27-25 loss]. When we were up by 18 points, the missed opportunities we had in the first half and to come back and bite you in the second half. That was a pretty hard one to deal with."

Do you still talk to former bosses Bill Snyder and Hayden Fry?

"Coach Snyder and I make a point to get together every year at an outing in Phoenix, and we probably talk a couple dozen times during the course of the year. If I have a problem or situation, I call him. I dropped him a note after [Kansas State] beat UCLA. That stuff still goes on.

"Coach Fry and I are extremely close. He always says he's happy for me because I am the one coach who never has called him and asked him for a job or had help to get a job. I never have used him as a reference. I've just used him as a mentor. And he always makes a reference to that."

Did you like how the Big Ten split teams into divisions?

"I don't think it could have worked out any better for us for two reasons. First off, we were guaranteed to play Ohio State and Penn State every year. For us, a lot of our recruiting has been east and not west.

"It's a big benefit to get to play Ohio State and Penn State, and now we can tell kids we recruit on the East Coast from New Jersey down to Miami; that is a huge recruiting tool for us. And to be able to keep the rivalry game with Minnesota alive, it is a win-win for Wisconsin."

Wisconsin and Iowa aren't in the same division, nor are they permanent cross-division opponents. Does that upset you?

"That's one of the negative parts. Any time you have league change, there will be parts that are really good and parts that you wish you could retain. But the bottom line is you can't make everyone happy in all phases. I think every school had to sacrifice something to get the bigger picture to be the best it can be."

Did you want a season-ending game with Nebraska?

"I wanted a season-ending game with somebody. Right now, the way it lays out, we have a pretty significant game at the end [Northwestern]. If there is any way we can keep that moving forward, I think it would be kind of neat."

How do you feel about the addition of Nebraska?

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for that program. I learned a lot about it growing up but more specifically when I was in the Big 12 to compete against them. To get to know Coach [Tom] Osborne, and I know Bo Pelini personally, so it's kind of a neat thing to bring him into the league because he shares a lot of the same values that I think a lot of coaches in this league have built their programs around."

Would you like to see the Big Ten grow to 16 teams?

"I do know this: I have been impressed with commissioner Jim Delany and his vision. If they think the league is going to gain more value by adding teams, I can't beg to differ with any of that. But the part that I really have learned during this whole thing -- and I mean this whole-heartedly -- there is nothing that Jim or the league does that doesn't bring value to our league. I don't think they will add teams to just add teams. In the bigger picture, whoever they add will bring value to our league, whether it's academics, athletics or ultimately the dollars that we get more of. That's just being smart. I wouldn't mind 16 teams if those next four teams bring value to all of us."

Would you like to see the Big Ten spread league games out to where there was at least one each week of the season?

"That's a neat perspective and I haven't thought that much of it. The more the fans are interested, the better it is for our sport overall. With our league being as big as it is, and especially if they go to a nine-game league schedule down the road, it would promote the value of our conference, which is what we all want."

Many people contend schools such as Wisconsin lack speed compared to those in the southeast. You played Florida State and Miami in your past two bowls. Do you think that's true?

"In that particular case, Miami's roster probably was faster than ours top to bottom. But it is about the 11 guys on the field and how they can execute. We have speed. Four starters on our defense are from south Florida. [True freshman running back James White is, too.]"

What do you think is the toughest Big Ten venue?

"I really do believe Penn State is a very tough environment. We haven't had success at Penn State, so that's one of my top priorities. There are a lot of great venues in the Big Ten. But the ones that pop out to you right away are Penn State, Iowa and probably Ohio State and Michigan.

NC Sports clients: Four of top 10 Big Ten coaches of the decade

Big Ten coaches of the decade

________________________________________
By Adam Rittenberg

January 22, 2010

It's time to look back at the best Big Ten coaches of the decade. The top choice was a no brainer. After that, it gets interesting.

Here's a looksie:

1. Jim Tressel, Ohio State: Other than USC's Pete Carroll, no coach dominated a major conference this decade like Tressel dominated the Big Ten. Since 2001, Tressel has won a national title, six Big Ten titles (outright or shared), five bowls and four BCS bowls. He owns a 94-21 record at Ohio State, and, perhaps more impressive, a 59-13 mark in Big Ten play. This was unquestionably the decade of The Vest.

2. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: Ferentz revived a struggling Iowa program this decade and restored the Hawkeyes among the Big Ten's elite. Since 2002, he has guided Iowa to two Big Ten championships, four seasons of 10 or more victories and eight bowl games, winning five of them. Iowa owns four top-10 finishes this decade under Ferentz, who gets a slight edge over Lloyd Carr.

3. Lloyd Carr, Michigan: It seems like a while since Michigan last won a Big Ten title, but Carr's teams claimed three of them (two shared, one outright) in the first half of the decade. Michigan finished first or second in the league in seven of the eight years Carr coached this decade. He struggled against Tressel and in the Rose Bowl, but Carr's accomplishments shouldn't be overlooked.

4. Joe Paterno, Penn State: Paterno is right up there with Tressel in the second half of the decade, winning two Big Ten championships and averaging 10.2 wins per season between 2005-09. Four losing seasons in the first half of the decade sting a bit, but JoePa is getting better with age!

5. Joe Tiller, Purdue: Tiller won his only Big Ten title in 2000, and Purdue reached bowl games in the first seven years of the decade. Purdue's all-time coaching victories leader made the Boilers into a consistent upper-half Big Ten team in the aughts.

6. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin: Bielema probably hates being listed ahead of his boss and predecessor, but his record in the past four years speaks for itself. He owns a 38-14 record at Wisconsin (20-12 Big Ten) and has taken the Badgers to bowl games each year. Bielema coached Wisconsin's best team of the decade in 2006, a squad that went 12-1 and finished seventh in the final AP Poll.

7. Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin: Alvarez was arguably the Big Ten's Coach of the 1990s, and he kept the program among the league's elite until he stepped down following the 2005 season. He had three seasons of eight or more victories and won three bowls during the decade. Alvarez's best season this decade came in his last, as Wisconsin went 10-3 and beat Auburn in the Capital One Bowl.

8. Glen Mason, Minnesota: Mason coached Minnesota to six bowls in seven years until his dismissal after the 2006 Insight Bowl. He oversaw one of the nation's top rushing attacks this decade as backs Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III piled up yardage. Mason had a 10-win season in 2003, but his inability to get Minnesota to the next level led to his firing. He went just 24-32 in Big Ten play this decade.

9. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State: Dantonio has stabilized a Michigan State program that really underachieved for most of the decade. The Spartans have reached bowls in each of Dantonio's three seasons as head coach. Dantonio owns a 13-11 mark in Big Ten play, which is much better than his predecessors.

10. Pat Fitzgerald and Randy Walker, Northwestern: The two Wildcats coaches share this spot after bringing consistency to a program that reached historic lows before 1995. Walker won a Big Ten championship in 2000 and took NU to three bowls in six years this decade. Fitzgerald, who took over after Walker's sudden death in 2006, owns 17-9 record (10-6 Big Ten) in the last two seasons. Expect him to be much higher on this list in the next decade recap.