JUMP TO:
- Bret Bielema teams coached
- Bret Bielema coaching timeline
- Where is Bret Bielema coaching now?
- Bret Bielema college record
There aren't too many active college coaches more experienced than Bret Bielema.
The 55-year-old has spent most of his coaching years in college football, including three Big Ten championships to his name, but he has also had some brief time in the NFL. Bielema's own playing career was brief -- he played nose guard at Iowa from 1989-92 and then spent one year in the Arena Football League -- but soon after, his climb up the coaching hierarchy began.
With a defensive background, Bielema has spent time at five different programs and with two NFL squads.
Here's a full breakdown of Bielema's coaching history, from Iowa to Illinois.
MORE: Complete history of Lee Corso's College GameDay headgear picks
Bret Bielema teams coached
Bret Bielema has coached in the NCAA and NFL since 1994. In total, he's held 10 different roles between five college teams and two NFL teams.
Primarily, Bielema has spent his time in the college game, starting out as an assistant at his alma mater, Iowa, before taking on roles at Kansas State and Wisconsin. Bielema became an NCAA head coach for the first time in 2006 for the Badgers, then took on the same role at Arkansas in 2013.
Sandwiched between college head coaching roles for Bielema was a two-year stint in the NFL, first with the New England Patriots, then as an outside linebackers coach for the New York Giants.
Since 2021, Bielema has been at the helm of Illinois' football program, currently owning a 128–80 all-time record as a college head coach.
MORE: College football 2-minute warning, explained
Bret Bielema coaching timeline
Iowa, 1994-2001, graduate assistant & linebackers coach
After going undrafted in the 1993 NFL Draft, then spending the 1994 season with the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League, Bielema began his coaching career with his alma mater.
He became a graduate assistant under head coach Hayden Fry initially. In 1998, Bielema was then promoted to linebackers coach, but under a new head coach: Kirk Ferentz, who was Iowa's former offensive line coach and replaced Fry following his retirement.
Bielema was one of just two coaches to remain at Iowa through the coaching change, and he was especially known as a recruiter in his early days.
MORE: Revisiting Lee Corso's 1999 perfect "GameDay' headgear record
Kansas State, 2002-03, co-defensive coordinator
Following the 2001 season, Bielema left Iowa behind for Kansas State. He joined the Wildcats as a co-defensive coordinator alongside Bob Elliott, with the two taking orders from head coach Bill Snyder.
In his two years at Kansas State, Bielema helped the team win the 2003 Big XII Championship.
MORE: Explaining Dylan Raiola's "Baby Mahomes" nickname
Wisconsin, 2004-12, defensive coordinator & head coach
Bielema took another promotion in 2004, ditching his former co-defensive coordinator duties to handle the role full-time at Wisconsin. His head coach was Barry Alvarez.
For two years, Bielema was the Badgers' DC, but Alvarez announced in July 2005 that he would step into an athletic director role after the upcoming season, naming Bielema as his successor for 2006.
Bielema's head coaching career got off to an excellent start, with a 11-1 regular season record in 2006. He became the first Wisconsin coach to ever win eight-plus games in his first season, then the first Big Ten coach to win 10 games in his first season. The Badgers played in the Capital One Bowl, beating Arkansas 17-14. Bielema was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in his first year as a head coach.
MORE: Everything to know about College Football Playoff format
In 2007, Bielema's red-hot start at Wisconsin continued, starting with a 5-0 record. However, the Badgers lost four of their final eight games, finishing the season ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll at 9-4.
After a somewhat disappointing 7-6 season in 2008, Bielema's Badgers bounced back in 2009 with a 10-3 record, a win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Champ Sports Bowl, and a No. 16 finish in the AP Poll.
In October 2010, Wisconsin upset No. 1 Ohio State, 31-18, at home, marking the program's first victory over a No. 1 team since 1981. The Badgers finished the season playing in the Rose Bowl, albeit in a 21-19 loss to TCU to conclude an 11-2 season. Bielema was a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award in 2010, given to college football's coach of the year.
Success continued for Wisconsin in 2011 and 2012, with an 11-3 record in 2011, then an 8-5 record and Big Ten Championship in 2012.
| Year | Record | Result |
| 2006 | 12-1 | Won Capital One Bowl |
| 2007 | 9-4 | Lost in Outback Bowl |
| 2008 | 7-6 | Lost in Champs Sports Bowl |
| 2009 | 10-3 | Won in Champs Sports Bowl |
| 2010 | 11-2 | Lost in Rose Bowl |
| 2011 | 11-3 | Lost in Rose Bowl |
| 2012 | 8-5 | (Left team before Rose Bowl) |
MORE: From Diablo Valley to Rocky Top - Joey Aguilar's football journey
Arkansas, 2013-17, head coach
After a successful run at Wisconsin, Bielema departed for Arkansas in 2013. At the time, he said the switch was partially due to his desires to coach in the SEC, but also because some of his Badgers assistants were not payed enough.
As Arkansas' replacement for John L. Smith, Bielema's squad struggled in 2013. The Razorbacks had their worst SEC record (0-8) since joining the conference in 1992, stumbling their way to a 3-9 overall record with a lack of talent acquired from the previous regime.
However, Arkansas did get better in 2014, going 7-6, including two wins over ranked conference opponents (LSU and Ole Miss) in November; the Razorbacks became the first unranked team in college football history to shut out two consecutive ranked opponents. In the Texas Bowl, the Razorbacks then beat Texas, 31-7.
MORE: Complete list of Heisman Trophy winners by year
Arkansas went 8-5, another improvement, in 2015, including a win over Kansas State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. However, things began to go downhill for the Razorbacks late in the 2016 season, blowing two big leads in their final two games to finish a 7-6 record and loss in the Belk Bowl.
Bielema then led the team to a 4-8 record in 2017, and he was fired in November following a 48–45 loss to Missouri.
| Year | Record | Result |
| 2013 | 3-9 | Missed playoff/bowl games |
| 2014 | 7-6 | Won in Texas Bowl |
| 2015 | 8-5 | Won in Liberty Bowl |
| 2016 | 7-6 | Lost in Belk Bowl |
| 2017 | 4-8 | Missed playoff/bowl games |
New England Patriots, 2018-19, consultant to HC & defensive line coach
Bielema stepped away from the college game for a few years, joining the Patriots under Bill Belichick in 2018 as a defensive consultant. In 2019, he was promoted to defensive line coach.
Bielema won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2019 with their victory over the Rams.
MORE: Ranking the 18 greatest Patriots players of all time
New York Giants, 2020, outside linebackers coach
Bielema spent the 2020 NFL season with the Giants under Joe Judge, serving as an outside linebackers coach.
MORE: Ranking the 17 greatest Giants players of all time
Illinois, 2021-present, head coach
In December 2020, the Illini brought in Bielema to replace Lovie Smith as head coach, giving him a six-year contract that paid $4.2 million the first year. In his debut season at Illinois, the team went 5-7 overall, including a season-opening win and a nine-overtime upset of Penn State on the road. Bielema missed one game on the sideline due to COVID-19 protocols as well.
The Illini got hot in 2022, finishing the regular season 8-4, their first winning record since 2011. While they lost to Mississippi State in the ReliaQuest Bowl, it was the team's first bowl game since 2019.
After a 5-7 record in 2023, Illinois notched its first 10-win season since 2001 in 2024. That included upset wins over Kansas and Nebraska, then a win over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.
MORE: College Football's fake injury penalty, explained
Bielema agreed to a new deal in May 2025, keeping him at Illinois through 2030 with a salary starting at $7.7 million for the 2025 season.
| Year | Record | Result |
| 2021 | 5-7 | Missed playoff/bowl games |
| 2022 | 8-5 | Lost in ReliaQuest Bowl |
| 2023 | 5-7 | Missed playoff/bowl games |
| 2024 | 10-3 | Won in Citrus Bowl |
| 2025 | 3-0 | TBD |
Where is Bret Bielema coaching now?
Bielema is currently the head coach for the Illinoi Fighting Illini, a role he took on in 2021. That marked Bielema's return to college coaching for the first time since his Arkansas exit in 2017.
Since Bielema took over at Illinois, the team has a 31-22 record, including 18-18 in Big Ten play.
MORE: Which colleges boast the most Heisman Trophy winners in history?
Bret Bielema college record
- 128–80 (17 seasons)
Now in his 17th season as an NCAA head coach, Bielema has a .615 winning percentage in his career. That includes a 68-24 record at Wisconsin, a 29-34 record at Arkansas, and a 31-22 record at Illinois.
MORE: Breaking down the all-time NCAA passing leaders