Bret Bielema To Arkansas!
In a stunning coup, Arkansas will hire Wisconsin's Bret Bielema as its next football coach, Yahoo! Sports has learned.
Bielema, who has taken the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls, was nowhere on the radar amid months of speculation over who Arkansas would hire.
An announcement will come Tuesday, sources told Y! Sports, but Bielema is not expected to be introduced until Wednesday.
But like adding Rutgers and Maryland will prevent this sort of thing from happening. People in charge of things are just in charge of them, for no reason.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:22 PM ^
But they won't. B1G schools never, ever take risks for great coaches.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:32 PM ^
I don't understand the enthusiasm for Petrino. He's proven himself to be a decent coach, no more, and an odious person at every stop in his coaching career.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
No doubt he's an odious person, but that (at least the part where he ditches jobs for better jobs) can be controlled contractually. But he's dramatically overachieved at both schools at which he coached. He took an average Louisville team and made them into a consistent top-10 team, and took a sinking Arkansas team and made them into a top-10 team as well in a ridiculously hard division.
He might be a scumbag, but his on-field coaching is great.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:37 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 3:33 PM ^
Rich Rodriguez?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
I think the previous comment warranted this rebuttal...
"But they won't. B1G schools never, ever take risks for great coaches."
December 5th, 2012 at 3:14 AM ^
December 5th, 2012 at 2:44 PM ^
Sounds like someone is a little too salty to realize that at the time of his hire Rich Rod was one of the most coveted coaches in college football and Michigan, a very traditional football program, hiring the coach who invented the spread offense and fully intended to implement it was taking a HUGE risk.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:39 PM ^
Petrino is a dynamic offensive mind, but I wouldn't call him a great coach. He's rarely stuck around long enough at a place, and culturally I don't he'd mesh well with the Big 10. He was as guilty as anyone for over-recruiting (a couple of 30+ classes), and the reasons he left Arkansas basically make him toxic for all but the most desperate programs.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
That must be a scarlet carpet from Columbus to Indy. Unless Chryst leaves Pitt to come back, I don't see how they post whatever threat to OSU that they are now.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
exactly...so how many straight big10 championships will ohio be playing in?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
WIth the "Pelini to Arkansas" rumors that had been around, apparently Arkansas watched the B1G title game and said, "uh, let's hire that other coach instead"
December 4th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^
Given Auburn's history, they always hire second best.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^
Not a fan of either one, but I would have prefered if Pelini left. Every time the show him, he is whining at the refs or yelling at his players.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
Dear Bret:
Please leave the COMMUNITY and THE WEIGHTROOM behind.
Thanks.
B1G
December 4th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
Arkansas or Auburn.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
Looks like the SEC is moving more towards "Pro-Style" "manball" type of offenses to match up with Alabama.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
I assume this means that Bielema will not coach Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. (Maybe that is not for certain.) Anyway, if true, how many B1G teams are we up to that will be without their coach in a bowl game this year?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:33 PM ^
He apparently wants to, but I can't see Alvarez letting him do that.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^
A Wisconsin man will coach Wisconsin.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
How must Alvarez feel about his hand picked successor leaving on him?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:57 PM ^
It really is bizarre. Did Bielema issue a contract ultimatum to his mentor, and get rebuffed?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
You know, during the B1G championship game they were talking about a conversation they had with Barry Alvarez, and they asked him if he would ever coach again. They said that he responded by simply smiling and walking away (or something like that, I had a couple of beers.)
I know it's crazy talk, but maybe.....just maybe
December 4th, 2012 at 3:35 PM ^
I would endorse that decision.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
I bet Dave Doeren wishes he would have waited a few more days before taking the NC State job.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
the same thing.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
Whats up with your username?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:33 PM ^
of all the clever usernames to choose, this is not one
December 4th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
I'm sure it would hit him economically sort of. At the same time, it makes more sense to grab Chryst from Pitt
December 4th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
If Chryst goes back to Wisconsin, then leaving Pitt after one year will have become the Gangnam Style of collegiate coaching.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
It's OK everybody, Delany is just sending in Bielema as a double agent to take down the SEC from the inside!
Or, something like that
December 4th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
Remember that Jerry Jones is an Arkansas alum. This is Bielema right now:
December 4th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
In other news, the B1G has annouced that Inidana is now too good for that division and will be replaced by Eastern Michigan.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^
Why exactly did you mention MD and Rutgers? What does conference expansion have to do with the fact that it is easier to recruit better players to arkansas because the talent around the state is better? Or the fact that Wisconsin like most of the big ten schools isn't willing to shell out big money for coaches? Wisconsin makes a lot of money from football, how they choose to spend it has nothing to do with expansion.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:36 PM ^
Yeah, I don't really see the connection there. Jim Delany can't control whether or not his member schools decide to shell out for their coaches. I don't think Wisconsin is in any kind of financial trouble that would have prevented it from keeping Bielema. I guess Alvarez just didn't want to give Bielema a raise.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^
I take it back.
The contention is this:
We're making all this money with Rutgers and Maryland now! So why is Arkansas out-spending us on coaches?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 4:17 PM ^
Yeah but adding Maryland and Rutgers doesn't hurt that either. Its not about quality of play in this situation. Beilima thinks he can accomplish more and get more money at arkansas. Having lots of money is good for athletic departments, more than just football, just because Wisconsin isn't willing to shell out enough to keep their coach doesn't mean having more money for schools is a bad or unhelpful thing. Also, arkansas cand and does get better recruits than wisconsin so I don't really disagree with Beilima's decision.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^
I be like DANG! Did not see this coming. Maybe Bret was feeling underappreciated and bolted for the mega pay raise. He was Alvarez's hand-picked successor, so this won't play well with General Alvarez.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^
This leads me to believe that perhaps there is some bad feelings between Bielema and Alvarez, and it wouldn't surprise me if it all focuses around the loss of 6 of Bielema's coaches last year. Maybe Alvarez wouldn't pay up to keep top talent coaches surrounding him and he got fed up? It will be very interesting to see who he hires now at Arkansas.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:07 PM ^
This is the best explanation yet. Obvs, they couldn't keep Chryst, but they likely could have kept the other coaches with bigger offers.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^
Whatchall wanna do? Wanna be ballers? Shot callers?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^
but i do think the major thing that has hurt the B1G the past few years, more than the demographic shift that has been occuring for 50 years that eveyrone harps on, is program instability. this does not help.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:35 PM ^
Hiring Brady Hoke looks smarter every day. Loyatly to the program matters.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^
I'm sure Wisconsin was saying the same thing about Beliema. That's why this is so shocking.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
With his Iowa tattoo on his calf?
December 4th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
He's been at Wisconsin for nine years, which is an eternity in college coaching.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:10 PM ^
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