Tag: Bret Bielema

Could Bret Bielema become next Giants defensive coordinator?

Bret Bielema is an interesting name to watch as Joe Judge fills out his New York Giants coaching staff.

The New York Giants officially hired Joe Judge as their next head coach on Wednesday, meaning the erection of an entirely new staff is now underway.

Rumors and reports suggest the offensive staff is almost complete despite no names being leaked, but what about on the defensive side of the ball?

Similarly, no official names have been released, but there is increased speculation that New England Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema could not only find a place on Judge’s staff, but could potentially even fill out the role of defensive coordinator.

Bielema was promoted to defensive line coach in 2019 after spending his first season in the NFL as a consultant to head coach Bill Belichick. Prior to that, Bielema served as the head coach at Arkansas (2013-2017) and head coach at Wisconsin (2006-2012).

While coaching at the college level, Bielema won Big Ten Coach of the Year (2006) and was a three-time Big Ten Champion (2010-2012). He compiled an overall record of 97-58.

Bielema also has experience running a defense, although that did not come in the NFL. From 2002-2003, he served as the assistant defensive coordinator at Kansas State before taking over as the defensive coordinator in Wisconsin from 2004-2005, eventually being promoted to head coach.

It would make sense for Judge to bring Bielema along for the ride, but do the two have enough experience at the NFL level to be successful? That would be the question.

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Wisconsin at the end of the decade: Bret Bielema

Wisconsin football under Bret Bielema

The 2010s are about to end. The next football game the Wisconsin Badgers play will be in the 2020s. We will spend the next week and a half before Christmas Day looking back at Wisconsin and Big Ten football this past decade. We begin with a multi-part series on the Badgers over the course of this decade, as seen through their head coaches in the 2010s. We begin with Bret Bielema, who led the Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls at the start of the decade:

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The Badgers Wire examination of Wisconsin football at the end of the decade requires a look at the Badgers under Bret Bielema, who took over after Barry Alvarez retired from coaching to become the school’s athletic director. Alvarez served as head coach until 2005 when he chose his successor, defensive coordinator Bret Bielema, to become the new head coach of the Badgers. All Bielema did to kick off his tenure in 2006 was go 12-1 with a victory over Arkansas Razorbacks, who would eventually employ Bielema as head coach seven years later. 

Bielema continued Wisconsin’s rich history at running back. P.J. Hill, John Clay, James White, Melvin Gordon and Montee Ball became synonymous with Badger football. Bielema’s teams were known for their ability to run the ball down the throats of their opponents. Coupled with physical play on defense, the Badgers entered a period when they won 10 or more games four different times in Bielema’s first six seasons, which equaled the total number of times Alvarez accomplished that feat in his 15 years as a head coach. 

Bielema had no doubt established a winner at Wisconsin and he likely would have won many more games at Camp Randall Stadium, but disputes over assistant pay and the opportunity to coach in the Southeastern Conference led Bielema to take the head coaching job at Arkansas. He did not enjoy the same success with the Razorbacks and was ultimately fired after five seasons in Fayetteville. He rebounded to win a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots as a consultant to head coach Bill Belichick, and he was promoted to his current position of defensive line coach after the 2018 season. Meanwhile, the Badgers tried to go outside their comfort zone with Bielema’s replacement. What happened there is something that will be examined as our “Wisconsin at the end of the decade” series continues.