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Bret Bielema reflects on NFL experience, preparations for GM-like role in current state of college football
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Bret Bielema spoke about the changing college football landscape ahead of the Illinois annual team banquet.
Bielema spoke on his NFL experience and how it prepared him for the GM-like role that current college coaches are thrust into. Bielema noted that the current transfer portal is similar to the NFL free agency period. This intense portal period just amplifies the roster-building aspect of the coaching job.
Bielema’s full comments:
There’s a lot of things that happen as you go through life and you don’t realize how it’s going to benefit you. When I was in the NFL, I watched how we managed a 60-70 player roster. The amount of times I compare that to where we’re at right now (in college football). The coaches, they know all the time, literally every day. Guys that follow me on the road, they’ll see me pull out that roster management sheet and that thing could change 3-4 times in a day. The use of the portal as kind of a free-agent market, it’s definitely a GM role like I’ve never seen before. I’m really happy I had that NFL experience because it’s truly how rosters are managed today.
After coaching at Wisconsin and Arkansas, Bielema joined the New England Patriots as a consultant in 2018. In 2019, Bielema was promoted to defensive line coach for the team. In 2020, Bielema left the Patriots to coach outside linebackers for the New York Giants.
Bielema is appreciative of the lessons learned in going from college to the NFL and back.
Check out the full video from the Illini Inquirer here.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Tradition. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.