Tag: Bret Bielema

How Sporting News ranked every Big Ten coach in 2022

How Big Ten football coaches rank in 2022 according to Sporting News.

The Big Ten has some of the highest-paid coaches, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t facing some pressure heading into the 2022 college football season. Nebraska head coach Scott Frost continues to be in a spotlight in Lincoln and [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] could use a nice rebound season at Penn State. Meanwhile, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is coming off his first appearance in the College Football Playoff and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is looking to get the Buckeyes back to the top of the conference after being knocked off the top of the ladder in 2021.

After another year of results have been observed and broken down, Sporting News took the time to update its annual ranking of every FBS head coach going into the new college football season in 2022. Not surprisingly, some coaches around the Big Ten took some notable slides up or down the national ranking after last season’s results. Mel Tucker of Michigan State rocketed up the ranking after a solid season in East Lansing and Indiana’s Tom Allen took a good stumble after the Hoosiers couldn’t keep the momentum of 2020 rolling into 2021.

Here’s how Big Ten coaches stack up according to Sporting News for the upcoming 2022 season.

A look at Wisconsin Football’s all-time winningest head coaches

A look at Wisconsin Football’s all-time winningest head coaches. #Badgers

When you think of the Wisconsin Badgers football program, one man in particular comes to mind, and that’s Barry Alvarez.

The Don served as the University of Wisconsin’s head football coach for 16 seasons, spanning from 1990-2005.

Under his reign, Alvarez compiled a school record 119 wins, three Big Ten Championships, and was twice named Big Ten Coach of the Year before being named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was also able to compile a rather impressive coaching tree that includes the likes of Bret Bielma, Paul Chryst, Lance Leipold, Dan McCarney, Jay Norvell, Bill Callahan, and Paul Winters.

Without Alvarez turning the program around and creating a strong culture that has since proceeded him, there is no conceivable way the Badgers would have made a bowl game appearance in 25 of the past 26 seasons.

However, Wisconsin’s football history does in fact extend beyond that of Barry Alvarez, so, BadgersWire breaks down the top 10 all-time winningest head coaches in Wisconsin Football history:

Year-by-year salaries of Badgers head football coaches since 2012

Badgers Wire revisits the annual salaries of Wisconsin’s head football coaches over the past decade.

The salaries of college football head coaches have skyrocketed in recent years, owing to the increasingly aggressive arms race among the nation’s top programs.

Although the Wisconsin Badgers have paid relatively reasonable salaries to coaches Bret Bielema, Gary Andersen and Paul Chryst over the past 10 years, the figures are trending sharply upward nevertheless.

To get an idea of how rapidly coaching salaries are rising, Badgers Wire lists the annual compensation paid out to University of Wisconsin head football coaches over the past decade below.

[Source: USA TODAY college football coaching salary database; figures do not include income from non-university sources, incentive bonuses or the value of perks and benefits.]

Arkansas football head coach salaries for past decade

Razorbacks Wire revisits the earnings of Arkansas football head coaches dating back to 2011.

Arkansas Razorbacks football is back on the right path under head coach Sam Pittman.

The Hogs went 8-4 in the 2021 regular season with wins over rivals Texas, Texas A&M, LSU and Missouri. Pittman is a relative bargain for the Razorbacks with a payout of less than $3 million this year. He will get a raise next season based on an incentive clause in his contract that was triggered when the Hogs beat Mizzou for their eighth win of the season.

All this got us thinking about how Pittman’s salary compares to his predecessors at the helm of the Razorbacks football program.

Below, we list the annual salary for Arkansas football head coaches for each season dating to 2011.

[Source: USA TODAY coaching salary database]

Also see:
• Top 10 passing leaders in Arkansas history
• Top 10 rushing leaders in Arkansas history
• Top 10 receiving leaders in Arkansas history

Bret Bielema praises Rutgers for win: ‘They made plays’

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema praises Rutgers football for their strong effort in getting a Big Ten road win.

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In the days leading up to his team’s game against Rutgers, there was lots of positive talk from Illinois head coach Bret Bielema about his opposition. It was more than the generic coach-speak from a press conference but some actual, thorough respect from Bielema towards Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano.

And after his team’s 20-14 loss on Saturday to Rutgers, Bielema again complimented the play of Rutgers. Like Schiano is with Rutgers, Bielema is in a rebuild with Illinois. He pointed towards optimism within his program while providing an accurate picture of Rutgers strong second-half showing in the win.

But unlike other coaches in college football, Bielema gave credit to the opposition for what they did well against his team.

“Keep plugging away, it is a challenge I really enjoy, I think our staff embraces it. It’s not one that we love the results of it,” Bielema told reporters after the game when asked about the loss.

“We get everything in this program by what you put into it and what you earn and nobody is going to give you anything in this league. I echoed it all week, this was a [Rutgers] team that won three games, lost four but had been in every ball game and competed in every game. I could see it on film, the way they had fought. The more we stayed in the game here, I knew it was going to turn into this type of ball game down the stretch.”

Bielema also brought up his play call to flip to Chase Brown on fourth down late in the game, a play that Rutgers safety Kessawn Abraham snuffed out for a loss to clinch the Rutgers win.

“I did like the way they responded. Obviously the fourth and a yard there, we went with a little belly-flip play to Chase and they took two off the edge and made it happen, right?” Bielema said.

“They capitalized on a critical moment. They made plays. I think they were three-for-three on fourth downs. We weren’t able to get off the field there on fourth down and that was a big play in the game as well.”

 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema on team’s response in PSU win: ‘They keep chopping wood’

Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema said his team chopped wood in last week’s upset win over Penn State.

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Illinois football is coming off an emotional win at Penn State last weekend, a nine-overtime thriller that saw the Illini knock off a top-10 team.

And when asked about the game during his midweek press availability, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema relied on a cliché that is fast becoming common around the Big Ten.

“They keep chopping wood and doing what we’re asking them to do,” Bielema said in response to a question this week about emotion and willpower factoring into their upset win.

“Emotion is very good on game day, but what we do on the field is what we’re trying to build our program on.”

Rutgers, which has their own ‘CHOP’ phrase plastered throughout the stadium, has been using the slogan since 2005. In fact, following a loss at Illinois in their season opener, Schiano began integrating the ‘chopping wood’ mantra that has become nationally synonymous with Rutgers football.

When asked this week, Schiano isn’t sure what happened to the original ax, saying that the idea and concept of the ‘CHOP’ is more important than the physical tool.

“But I do remember carrying that ax in that door right there and it still being wet – they went and got it wherever they got it and then they brought it to the machine shop and whoever was in there, painted it spray painted it red for us,” Schiano told reporters this week.

“And I remember afterward having red paint on my hands, but it was fitting. And certainly, you know, something that I had heard years before. And it fit the situation then.”

The ‘CHOP’ concept – the idea of the only way to take down a forest of trees was one chop at a time – was presented to Schiano prior to his time at Rutgers when he was defensive coordinator at Miami. Rutgers finished the 2005 season 7-5, making just the second bowl game in program history.

The mantra has taken off and seems to be resonating within the Big Ten. Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker has started using the chop refrain this year with players and staff using a chop hand motion on the sideline and in games as a rallying cry.

After Penn State win and ahead of Rutgers, Bret Bielema suddenly upbeat about Illinois football

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is suddenly up-beat about his team ahead of Rutgers on Saturday.

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Last week, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was ripping saying some unflattering things about the state of his roster. This week, ahead of hosting Rutgers football this weekend, Bielema’s tune was a little bit different.

After his team pulled off a 20-18 win at Penn State that took nine overtimes to get a result, Bielema was upbeat about the direction of the program in his first year with the Illini.

It was a different tone than his comments from earlier last week where he openly questioned the quality of the roster he inherited. Bielema most notably said “I don’t believe we have a player in the two-deep that they’ve recruited here over the last three years that is really significantly doing anything for us in the playing department.”

Bielema was asked about the comments following his team’s win over a ranked Penn State.

“I get it. I know why you got to ask questions about it, but it wasn’t really noisy in our building. I made a comment a couple weeks ago that I wish everyone could see what’s happening inside the Smith Center because the trust, the faith, the guidance, the belief, I see the guys enjoying being around our players,” Bielema told reporters after the game.

“But I saw the joy when the players hugged our coaches and say the things they do. Really the non-issues we’ve had away from football, they just have bought in 100 times over to what we’ve been selling and preaching to them. To get a win on the road against a ranked Big Ten team and having to battle through all those overtimes I thought was just a great indication.”

Illinois is now 3-5 on the year. On Saturday they host a Rutgers team that is coming off a much-needed bye week.

At 3-4, Rutgers was beat up physically after four straight losses in Big Ten play.

Bret Bielema shredded his predecessor for the lack of talent and depth at Illinois

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema ripped Lovie Smith’s lack of ability to recruit and develop talent before his arrival

It is good to see former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema back in the Big Ten. Bielema is taking on a solid rebuilding project with the Illinois Fighting Illini, who will make their way into Happy Valley this weekend for Penn State’s homecoming game. Bielema has always had a way of rubbing some people the wrong way, but he has never been one to be bashful about where his program stands.

Unfortunately for Bielema, his Illini aren’t exactly standing on much solid ground as he works his way through the first season on the job. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bielema was pretty blunt in assessing the roster he inherited from former Illini head coach Lovie Smith. To put it simply, Bielema recognizes his roster is not exactly overflowing with quality talent at some very key positions like the offensive line.

“I don’t believe we have a player in the two-deep that they’ve recruited here over the last three years that is really significantly doing anything for us in the playing department,” Bielema said in assessing the recruiting and player development of the program and offensive line prior to his arrival. “That’s a major concern.”

It can take a lot for a head coach to come out and rip a former coach the way Bielema just did as he knows his offensive line is in for a long afternoon against Penn State’s defensive line this weekend. But the comments should send some ripples through the Illini locker room as well. Perhaps this acts as a rallying call for the entire Illinois offensive line to rise up in practice and in this weekend’s game.

Bielema has had his ups (Wisconsin) and downs (Arkansas) as a head coach, but he knows a thing or two about winning in the Big Ten. That starts with having a Big Ten-worthy offensive line. It is an offensive line that has allowed the third-most sacks in the Big Ten this season (15, tied with Purdue; Nebraska’s 21 sacks allowed leads the Big Ten), but Penn State’s defense comes into this weekend’s game with the second-fewest sacks in the conference (11; only Indiana has fewer with nine). Could something give this weekend, even with Penn State no longer with the services of PJ Mustipher?

At the very least, Bielema is not at all optimistic about the status of his offensive line, and there is a chance the Illini will be riding with a backup quarterback in Artur Sitkowski.

Penn State hosts Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 23 at noon eastern.

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Like Penn State, Illinois faces QB uncertainty in Week 8

Like Penn State, Illinois could potentially be without its starting QB this weekend

Penn State isn’t the only team in this weekend’s matchup with some uncertainty revolving around the status of its starting quarterback. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he is unsure if the Illini will have their starting quarterback available or not as well.

Brandon Peters was taken out of a game at Wisconsin two weeks ago with an undisclosed injury. Peters was taken out after being sacked in the second quarter. Now, after a bye week, Illinois is still unsure if Peters will be available for their road trip to Penn State this weekend.

While speaking to reporters on Monday, Bielema confirmed Peters has not been cleared to return to the field yet. As of Monday afternoon, there was no further update on the status of Peters amid a number of injury updates.

Peters has been banged up this season, so Illinois has had to roll with former Rutgers quarterback Artur Sitkowski a bunch of times this season. Sitkowski has made a case for arguably being the more reliable option for the Illini with a slightly higher completion percentage, six touchdowns to one for Peters and just four sacks taken as opposed to the 11 Peters has taken this season.

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No matter who is playing quarterback for the Illini, they will face a stiff challenge from the Penn State defense. After taking a loss at Iowa, Penn State’s defense will be looking to set the tone for a rebound in front of their home fans this week.

Penn State, of course, is also facing some uncertainty with its quarterback position. Sean Clifford left Penn State’s most recent game two weeks ago at Iowa and there has been no significant update on his status in the short term. Penn State went with Ta’Quan Roberson in relief of the injured Clifford for the remainder of the Iowa game and it was far from effective. But a home game with extra time to get in some practice reps should make for a much different story against Illinois this week if it comes to that.

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Ranking Big Ten football coaching salaries for 2021

Here is how the Big Ten football coaching salaries compare against each other in 2021.

It goes without saying that being a head coach in the Big Ten is a financially rewarding gig if you can get it. With the financial resources available to schools around the Big Ten, the coaches receive some big paydays even for a mediocre job. Every year, USA TODAY updates its database of coaching salaries so fans can see just how much many coaches around the country are being paid, which inevitably leads to debates over which coaches are overpaid and which deserve more?

And then there are the coaches who do not see their salary terms made public. Well, for the most part, that is. Not every school, including Penn State, has decided to make all of the financial details with their head football coach available for public consumption. But that won’t stop us from ranking the Big Ten’s coaching salaries based on what we do know.

So here is a ranking of Big Ten coaching salaries based solely on what the school is scheduled to pay their head coach in 2021. Note that these figures do not take into account any payment reductions as a result of restructuring during a pandemic.