Bret Bielema Named Illinois Head Football Coach

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman announced Saturday that Bret Bielema has been hired as the head football coach for the Fighting Illini.

Bielema, an Illinois native, released a statement after signing a six-year contract with a yearly salary of $4.2 million:

"Illinois and the Big Ten is home for me, and I can't be any more excited about the opportunity in front of me with the Fighting Illini. We want to build a program that makes Illini Nation proud and regain the passion that I've seen when Illinois wins. We want the young men playing football in the state of Illinois from Freeport to Cairo and from Quincy to Danville dreaming of wearing the Orange and Blue and playing at Memorial Stadium. I look forward to re-connecting with the high school coaches around the state making it clear we intend to keep our players home.

"We will build an outstanding staff for both player development and recruiting. The University of Illinois has incredible facilities and is known as one of the world's outstanding academic institutions. We will hold the young men on our team responsible both on and off the field while coaching them to be champions in life. Jen and I, along with our girls, are excited to get to Champaign-Urbana and get started on the journey. Go Illini!"

Bielema arrives at Zuppke Field with 12 years of head coaching experience at the Power Five level.

The 50-year-old former University of Iowa defensive lineman led Wisconsin from 2006 through 2012 before taking over at Arkansas in 2013. He led the SEC's Razorbacks until 2017.

He compiled a 97-58 record (.626 winning percentage)—68-24 with the Badgers and 29-34 with the Hogs—and his teams qualified for nine bowl games, including a pair of Rose Bowl appearances for UW.

Bielema spent the past three years in the NFL, working on the New England Patriots staff in 2018 and 2019 before becoming the New York Giants' outside linebackers coach. He spent 12 years as an assistant at the collegiate level before his first head coaching gig.

Whitman stated that wealth of experience will put the Illini back on a winning track:

"Bret Bielema is a proven winner. With three Big Ten championships to his credit, few coaches can match his familiarity with, and success within, the Big Ten Conference. In our conversations, it became clear to me that he is a life-long learner who is continually looking to grow and improve, and he has enjoyed unrivaled mentorship from some of the game's most distinguished coaches, including Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz, Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez, and Bill Belichick—all of them current or future Hall of Famers.

"Importantly to me, Bret, a native of our great state, grew up an Illini fan and is committed to seeing the football program at our state's flagship grow and prosper. Bret's blue collar work ethic and genuine, authentic manner will allow him to form strong connections to his players and staff and positive relationships in our community and our state. These qualities, combined with his commitment to education and his track record of success, give me great confidence in his leadership of our football program."

Illinois hasn't finished with a winning record since 2011 under Ron Zook and Vic Koenning, which is also the last year it won a bowl game. Former NFL head coach Lovie Smith had led the program since 2016, but the team went 17-39 with just one bowl appearance.

Bielema's work must begin immediately because the Illini ranked last in the Big Ten in recruiting for 2021 following the early signing period, per 247Sports.

The program is seeking its first conference title since 2001.