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Wetzel: Bielema hire shows gap between B1G and SEC
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:47 am
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:47 am
quote:
Bret Bielema grew up on an Illinois hog farm, rising when it was still dark to help feed and care for 2,500-plus animals. Then he'd head to school. There were no frills in that life, just determination. Bielema only received Division III football interest, yet decided to walk on at Iowa, eventually working his way to a scholarship and eventually a team captaincy.
How Big Ten is this guy? He was born in Illini Hospital, has a Hawkeye tattoo and eventually became a young head coach, just 36, at Wisconsin – the handpicked successor of Barry Alvarez. He averaged 9.5 wins a year. He was the kind of guy who didn't just play and coach in the Big Ten but represents the Big Ten. He's burly, smart, funny and down-to-earth. He believes in power running, physical defenses and big meals. He was successful in maximizing what he had.
quote:
Arkansas doesn't get to steal Wisconsin's coach. At least, that isn't how the old pecking order went. Bielema had the third-best job in the league, one that was going to get even easier based on expansion, where he was staring at a cake division with only Ohio State a worthy opponent.
Instead, he left for a region he's never recruited, for a cut-throat culture he's previously railed against, to take an Arkansas job that might be the fifth best in its division, one ruled by no less than Alabama and LSU.
The truth is, he has a better chance of winning it all in Fayetteville than Madison. And he'll win games. He's a good enough coach to win anywhere. And, really, how couldn't he go? There's better facilities, richer budgets, closer proximity to talent, the thrill of the big time, huge exposure, monster challenges, fresh rivals, and, of course, more money.
quote:LINK
This is the reality of college football right now. The Big Ten commissioner is obsessed with building a cable network. The SEC commissioner is determined to build the NFL Lite, where even the second- and third-tier programs are budding powerhouses.
The SEC had four job openings this year. It has already hired the champion of the Big Ten (Bielema) and Sun Belt (Gus Malzahn to Auburn) as well as the defensive coordinator from the ACC winner (Florida State's Mark Stoops to Kentucky). And it might get the coach of the Big East champ (Louisville's Charlie Strong is reportedly the top candidate at Tennessee).
Everything just gets bigger and bolder and more competitive down there. It's the greatest show on field turf and the appeal of it all is drawing in fans and television viewers and recruits and, well, even about the most Big Ten coach you could ever find.
This post was edited on 12/5/12 at 9:52 am
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Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:48 am to Politiceaux
You basically just posted the whole article. People can click a link be kind to the authors and advertisers on the website the article was published.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:49 am to Politiceaux
i understand arky fans wanting to be excited about this hire...but i just don't see it.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:50 am to Politiceaux
You're terrible at summarizing.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:50 am to oklahogjr
quote:Please, please forgive me your hoginess for posting positive things about your head coaching hire.
You basically just posted the whole article. People can click a link be kind to the authors and advertisers on the website the article was published.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:52 am to Eric Nies Grind Time
quote:Edited for the Pitt fan.
You're terrible at summarizing.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:54 am to Choctaw
quote:
i understand arky fans wanting to be excited about this hire...but i just don't see it
He's basically Les Miles with a little less recruiting ability. Bielema will put a solid staff together and build Arky up the right way.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:58 am to Politiceaux
quote:
Arkansas doesn't get to steal Wisconsin's coach. At least, that isn't how the old pecking order went. Bielema had the third-best job in the league, one that was going to get even easier based on expansion, where he was staring at a cake division with only Ohio State a worthy opponent. Instead, he left for a region he's never recruited, for a cut-throat culture he's previously railed against, to take an Arkansas job that might be the fifth best in its division, one ruled by no less than Alabama and LSU. The truth is, he has a better chance of winning it all in Fayetteville than Madison. And he'll win games. He's a good enough coach to win anywhere. And, really, how couldn't he go? There's better facilities, richer budgets, closer proximity to talent, the thrill of the big time, huge exposure, monster challenges, fresh rivals, and, of course, more money.
Arky-5th
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:58 am to Politiceaux
Good read, tfp.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:59 am to Politiceaux
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:01 am to Camp Randall
quote:
He's basically Les Miles with a little less recruiting ability.
he's not close to Les Miles with alot less recruiting ability
quote:
Bielema will put a solid staff together and build Arky up the right way.
we'll see. i just haven't seen anything to make me think this
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:04 am to Camp Randall
I'm cautiously exctied. Glad we might try to field a defense sometime soon. With Gundy or Gus? Probably not. I wouldn't have minded those guys either, but they just seemed like Petrino-lite with equal or lesser defenses...
We'll see. I'm happy with BB.
We'll see. I'm happy with BB.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:10 am to landonhog
There's reason to be cautiously optimistic. We'll see how the transition goes.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:23 am to Politiceaux
This was a big hire the Hawgs, solid coach,solid plan, and will run a solid program.. He will recruit big players with decent feet and develop them.. If anything reminds of the Saban hire in someways... He coached at wisky so he recruited at a national level anyway. He recruited in South Fl. and Dallas/Ft.Worth pretty good... I would have much perferred the Hawgs had hired a spread coach...
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:28 am to Politiceaux
Arkansas. 5th best job.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:44 am to ChrisTAMU
quote:I think it's objectively true that Arkansas is the 5th best job in the West. That further illustrates the ever growing gap between the SEC and all other conferences.
Arkansas. 5th best job.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:58 am to Choctaw
quote:
i understand arky fans wanting to be excited about this hire...but i just don't see it.
i respect you opinion on here, Choctaw, and you may be accurate on this but i think there's a lot to be like about this hire (from an objective observer). arkansas is a place that wants to win desperately and just doesn't have enough of an in state talent base to do it w/o supplementing with oos guys. they have the facilities and the money and the name to bring in some quality recruits. their coaching past proves it and they have had successful hc's from out of the region before. petrino was a damn good offense coach but just couldn't get it down of defense. i think bielema has the right blueprint for winning championships and will probably get the right asst's (with arky's budget). no, his offense won't be as exciting as petrino's but it will be designed to win football games. it will designed to compete more favorably against the bama's and lsu's. the question is will he and his staff be able to recruit good enough to implement his strategy. the prevailing opinion i see on here is no but i'm not so sure that is true. in fact, i think he'll be able to do it, at least most of the time. wisconsin isn't exactly a hotbed for quality recruits. i honestly think he'll give arky the chance to win that elusive sec title. arky went out and got the best big 10 coach out there that isn't named meyer.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:58 am to Politiceaux
quote:
Please, please forgive me your hoginess for posting positive things about your head coaching hire.
Just giving you a heads up. I think it's somewhere in the board rules. No worries. good thread
Posted on 12/5/12 at 11:19 am to oklahogjr
Posted on 12/5/12 at 11:24 am to oklahogjr
i'm thinking it'll take him a cople years to acclimate to everything sec. but if given enough time, i think he'll be a very solid hire. but then i expect him to return to the big whatever and proceed to be a dominant team along with urban.
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