3 reasons Bret Bielema should start eyeing a return to the Big Ten
By John Buhler
2. Really needs a change of scenery
If Bielema does get the axe in Arkansas, it might be the best thing for his coaching career. He’d be getting out of his own personal house of horrors that is the SEC West. Though the division is not nearly as menacing as it once was, it still brings up bad memories of his first few years in Fayetteville.
Not only does Bielema struggle with teams coached by Saban and Dan Mullen, but he struggles winning enough games against guys like Sumlin and Gus Malzahn. Bielema had taken Wisconsin to three straight Rose Bowls before coming to Arkansas. It’s not like he’s never been able to coach at a high level. He was excellent at Wisconsin.
Bielema may just need a return to the Midwest to get his coaching bearings back in order. He’s from Illinois and played his college ball under the iconic Hayden Fry at Iowa. Before being Wisconsin’s head coach (2006-12), Bielema had either played for Fry of served under one of his many disciples (Kirk Ferentz, Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez).
Does Bielema regret leaving the comforts of the Big Ten? Maybe, but for now he’s still at Arkansas. Maybe he can take a coordinator or position coach gig in the Big Ten to wait out his next major head coaching opportunity? What we’re seeing in Arkansas is a far cry from what we saw out of Bielema at Wisconsin.