CHAMPAIGN — New Illinois trainer Bret Bielema stated Monday he hopes to have a team of workers in position via early January and is already targeting homegrown recruiting.
“I called (the Illinois Department of Transportation) and told them to put up roadblocks so kids won’t be allowed to leave the state,” he joked at his introductory information convention. “Seriously, I can’t tell you how many Illinois high school football coaches I have talked to already. We are making Illinois kids a priority here.”
Bielema, a local of tiny Prophetstown in northwestern Illinois, replaces Lovie Smith, who went 17-39 general in his five-year tenure and posted a 10-33 Big Ten report. Bielema’s preliminary contract is for 6 years starting with an annual wage of $4.2 million.
The college can pay Smith $2.three million to shop for out the rest of his contract.
Bielema, 50, has 24 years of faculty training enjoy, together with seven seasons as Wisconsin’s head trainer (2006-12). The Badgers received 3 directly Big Ten titles below his course (2010-12), carrying a 68-24 report whilst enjoying in six bowl video games. He was once much less a success at Arkansas, going 29-34 over 5 seasons.
Smith was once frequently criticized for his recruiting efforts, particularly from amongst Illinois excessive faculties. Both Bielema and Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman stated they perceive the want to listen extra on homegrown ability.
“If you are a player from Illinois playing somewhere else, I want you to come here,” Bielema stated. “I want you to know I am listening to you.”
Whitman stated Bielema tests the entire proper bins for one of these high-profile activity.
“We had no pre-determined outcome in mind (when starting the search),” Whitman stated. “We weren’t chasing a particular person, but a profile. We wanted someone with leadership qualities who could attract and retain quality people.”
Bielema referred to as striking in combination his personal training team of workers “a work in progress.”
“I have no set plan at the moment,” Bielema stated. “It’s a process right now, but I do hope to have most of the coaching staff, or least the offensive and defensive and special teams coordinators, in place by early January.”
He declined to mention whether or not he plans on preserving any assistants. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith coached the crew in its season finale Saturday, a 56-21 loss at Penn State.
“I plan on meeting with the staff today and will start to make those decisions going forward,” Bielema stated.
Bielema performed for and coached below Hall of Famer Hayden Fry, serving to Iowa proportion the 1990 Big Ten identify with Illinois. After two years as a graduate assistant and 6 seasons as linebacker trainer at Iowa, Bielema spent two years at Kansas State below some other Hall of Famer, Bill Snyder, serving to the Wildcats win the 2003 Big 12 championship. Two seasons later, he was once named defensive coordinator at Wisconsin below Barry Alvarez and moved into the pinnacle training position in 2006.
Bielema has spent the final 3 seasons within the NFL, his first two with the New England Patriots. This season, he was once the out of doors linebackers trainer for the New York Giants.