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Bret Bielema Coaching History & Bio
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Bret Bielema returned to the Big Ten in 2021 after a difficult tenure at Arkansas and is in his fifth season with the Illinois Fighting Illini entering 2025.
Bret Bielema Head Coaching Record
- Wisconsin (7 seasons): 68-24 (37-19 in Big Ten play)
- Arkansas (5 seasons): 29-34
- Illinois (4 seasons): 28-22 (18-18 in Big Ten play)
| Season | School | Record | Conference standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois | 10-3 (6-3 Big Ten) | T-5th | W – Citrus Bowl |
| 2023 | Illinois | 5-7 (3-6) | T-4th West Division | |
| 2022 | Illinois | 8-5 (8-4) | T-2nd West Division | L- ReliaQuest Bowl |
| 2021 | Illinois | 5-7 (4-5) | 5th West Division | |
| 2017 | Arkansas | 4-8 (1-7 SEC) | 7th Western Division | |
| 2016 | Arkansas | 7-6 (3-5) | T-5th Western Division | L – Belk Bowl |
| 2015 | Arkansas | 8-5 (5-3) | 3rd Western Division | W – Liberty Bowl |
| 2014 | Arkansas | 7-6 (2-6) | 7th Western Division | W – Texas Bowl |
| 2013 | Arkansas | 3-9 (0-9) | 7th Western Division | |
| 2012 | Wisconsin | 8-5 (4-4) | 3rd Leaders Division | Rose Bowl |
| 2011 | Wisconsin | 11-3 (6-2) | 1st Leaders Division | L – Rose Bowl |
| 2010 | Wisconsin | 11-2 (7-1) | T-1st | L – Rose Bowl |
| 2009 | Wisconsin | 10-3 (5-3) | T-4th | W – Champs Sports |
| 2008 | Wisconsin | 7-6 (3-5) | T-6th | L – Champs Sports |
| 2007 | Wisconsin | 9-4 (5-3) | 4th | L – Outback Bowl |
| 2006 | Wisconsin | 12-1 (7-1) | T-2nd | W – Capital One Bowl |
| Total | 125-80 |
Bret Bielema Coaching Record at Illinois
| Year | Record (B1G) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 10-3 (6-3) |
| 2023 | 5-7 (3-6) |
| 2022 | 8-5 (5-4) |
| 2021 | 5-7 (4-5) |
Bret Bielema Coaching Experience
- 1994-95: Iowa — Graduate assistant
- 1996-2001: Iowa — Linebackers coach
- 2002-03: Kansas State — Co-defensive coordinator
- 2004-05: Wisconsin — Defensive coordinator
- 2006-12: Wisconsin — Head coach
- 2013-17: Arkansas — Head coach
- 2018: New England Patriots (NFL) — Consultant to head coach
- 2019: New England Patriots (NFL) — Defensive line coach
- 2020: New York Giants (NFL) — Outside linebackers coach
- 2021-present: Illinois — Head coach
Bret Bielema Bio
Bret Bielema was unceremoniously fired on the field after a 48-45 loss against rival Missouri to close out the 2017 regular season at Arkansas. It ended a lackluster tenure for Bielema in Fayetteville that saw him go 29-34 in 5 years as the Head Hog.
After 3 years on NFL coaching staffs as an assistant on the defensive side of the ball, Bielema resurfaced and has made a positive impact at Illinois. The Illini had fallen into irrelevance during the tenures of Tim Beckman and Lovie Smith. Bielema has brought the program back to a level of respectability.
After posting a 5-7 records in 2 of his first 3 seasons, Bielma produced a breakthrough in 2024 by leading the Illini to a 10-3 record, punctuated by a Citrus Bowl victory against South Carolina. It was only the fifth double-digit win season in program history and first since 2001.
This is hardly the first time Bielema has made an impact in the Big Ten. His first tenure as a head coach came at Wisconsin, where he put together an impressive record over 7 seasons. After only 2 seasons as the Badgers’ defensive coordinator under then-head coach Barry Alvarez, Bielema got his first shot as a head coach and made an immediate impact.
They say you never want to be the guy who replaces the guy, but Bielema did a great job replacing Barry Alvarez, a Wisconsin legend. He went 12-1 in his first year as the Badgers’ head coach in 2006 after Alvarez retired, winning the Capital One Bowl that season.
Overall, he finished with a strong 68-24 overall record in 7 years with the Badgers, including a very respectable 37-19 mark against B1G competition. But he failed to win a Rose Bowl during his time in Madison, going 0-2 in the Granddaddy of Them All. Alvarez went 3-0 in the Rose Bowl in his tenure as Wisconsin’s head coach. (Bielema’s 2012 team also qualified for the Rose Bowl, but Bielema left for the Arkansas job before the bowl game.)
What does the future hold for Bielema and the Illini? Will he continue to win in the Big Ten, unlike his time in the SEC? We’ll find out what happens in Champaign in the coming years, but Bielema has his program on the right track, it seems.