[OT] Bret Bielema fired as Arkansas HC

Submitted by Scarlatina on

Source.

"University of Arkansas, Fayetteville interim Athletic Director Julie Cromer Peoples announced the firing of Bielema on Friday, minutes after a 48-45 loss to Missouri at Reynolds Razorback Stadium."

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Mr Miggle

November 24th, 2017 at 10:11 PM ^

because Alvarez wouldn't pay them. He might have known the other stuff ahead of time, but that was what seemed to precipitate his move.

In fairness to him, why not take the Wisconsin job even if there were some problems? It was his best opportunity. Once in place he could try to change it or move on. Things got worse even while he was winning so he went with plan B.

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Scarlatina

November 24th, 2017 at 8:55 PM ^

In the end it was all speculation with no real way to confirm.

I did believe the whole Barry Alvarez micro-managing a little bit with Gary Andersen because Andersen was a spread offense guy at Utah State, and immediately went back to it when he left for Oregon State.

I also understand it a little bit from Alvarez's standpoint if true though. Alvarez probably knows that Wisconsin will never be able to consistently recruit the level of athletes needed to run a spread at a high level, but they can continue to develop absolute maulers on the OL every year to ram it down opponents' throats.

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Avon Barksdale

November 24th, 2017 at 8:41 PM ^

That would probably be bc we have a center playing left tackle, a sophomore LG, and a freshman RG starting. Throw in the fact that we have another freshman coming in on heavy packages and you have a recipe for disaster. If Newsome doesn’t break his leg and Tuley-Tillman doesn’t record a sex act unbeknownst to the female, then the offensive line would look functional against good defenses.

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JonnyHintz

November 25th, 2017 at 7:28 AM ^

Well except for the fact that he was the head coach and head coaches don’t often spend their time coaching the offensive line... especially head coaches with defensive backgrounds like Bielema. But go ahead and try again.

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Coldwater

November 24th, 2017 at 7:14 PM ^

Telling a coach as he's coming off the field he's fired is inhumane. I know it's a tough business, but that is one of the classless things I've ever heard of

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stephenrjking

November 24th, 2017 at 8:12 PM ^

I think he's a great plan B for them. The fans may not like it, because Bielema will never win them a national title, but I think that's their ceiling now. If he can develop an OL pipeline and coach up a system, get Nebraska to Wisconsin's level (a level whose ceiling he set himself), they can compete for conference championships and maybe catch fire one year and be in contention for a playoff bid. Maybe. 

But if not Frost, he's about the best they can do regardless. Unless they want to go full retro and hire a flexbone guy, which would be insane.

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stephenrjking

November 24th, 2017 at 11:46 PM ^

I think it would be unwise for a program at Nebraska's level because I think we've seen what the ceiling for that system is at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech is a program with a naturally low ceiling, so Johnson has the flexibility to have some down years and to occasionally produce really good seasons that are roughly what Bo Pellini was fired for producing every year.

I don't think a guy like Johnson (or any of the other guys that know how to run this system) could do significantly better anywhere else, including a place like Nebraska without much of a recruiting base. Georgia Tech at least can pick over the south for guys to plug in.

I think that kind of system is the sort of thing that is best suited for a mid-rung school that is overshadowed by higher-ceiling schools nearby. In the B1G a school like Purdue, Indiana, or maybe Illinois if they decide they'll never win a conference title would be a place that such a move could work. 

Nebraska has limitations, but not limitations that are that low yet. They either need to hit the jackpot with a great coach (which, Nike money aside, is how Oregon got great, and how Stanford got great, and how LSU got great, etc) or to find a guy who will install a systematic program culture that can succeed within their limitations, similar to what has been done at Wisconsin and Iowa and Michigan State. 

Frost has a chance to be the former. Bielema has already done pretty well at a program that was the latter.

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FLwolvfan22

November 24th, 2017 at 7:31 PM ^

and just put on a hundred lbs. i get it, you got millions, a hot wife, you just kind of put it on cruise control, unfortunately for him, Arkansas expected wins.

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BoFlex

November 24th, 2017 at 7:52 PM ^

Strong would be an interesting candidate... Born and raised in Arkansas and played at Central Arkansas.

Does Strong want to stay at USF and maintain his stature as a "big fish in a little pond" at a place that loves him, or test his luck in a P5 conference again a year removed from getting canned at Texas?

The chance to be a hometown hero would be tempting, but I'm guessing he stays at USF.

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stephenrjking

November 24th, 2017 at 8:14 PM ^

Interesting thought. I would guess that Strong would be more interested than most people in what the roster situation is at a prospective school, since the roster he started with at Texas basically kneecapped him going in. But he might be a candidate for one of those midlevel jobs and if the right situation came up he might jump at it.

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Perkis-Size Me

November 24th, 2017 at 11:00 PM ^

His teams were shit when all he had to deal with every year was Bob Stoops. Now he’d have to deal with Saban, Malzahn, whoever LSU hires after they wise up and fire Cajun Brady Hoke, etc.

If Strong couldn’t handle the Big XII he couldn’t handle the SEC.

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