Bret Bielema's past teams coached: Looking at Bret Bielema's coaching career

Bret Bielema's past teams coached: Looking at Bret Bielema's coaching career

Helix Odhiambo
updated at July 19, 2023 at 4:34 AM

Bret Bielema is one of the most experienced coaches in American football. He began with college football before moving to the NFL. Bret has managed high-profile teams, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the New England Patriots, and the New York Giants. This article has more on Bret Bielema's past teams coached and his achievements.

Bret Bielema's coaching history
Head coach Bret Bielema of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts to a play against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on 23 October 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. Photo: Scott Taetsch
Source: Getty Images

Bret is the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini, which plays in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. His decent portfolio and wealth of knowledge have earned him a good reputation. Learn more about Bret Bielema's records, background, family, and net worth here.

Bret Bielema's profile

Full name

Bret Arnold Bielema

Date of birth

13 January 1970

Age

53 (as of July 2023)

Place of birth

Prophetstown, Illinois

Nationality

American

Height

1.88 m

Profession

Football coach

Team

Illinois Fighting Illini

Parents

Arnie and Marilyn Bielema

Siblings

Betsy, Brandi

Wife

Jennifer Hielsberg (m. 2012)

Children

Briella Nichole, Brexli Nichole

Salary

$6 million (2023)

Net Worth

$8 million

Social media

Twitter

Bret Bielema's biography

The football coach was born and raised in Prophetstown, Illinois. He grew up alongside his sisters Brandi and Betsy Bielema. Bret developed an interest in football at a young age. He scored good grades in high school and joined the University of Lowa, where he focused on his football dream.

Did Bret Bielema play professional football?
Bret Bielema played as a tight end and a linebacker in high school. He later played at the University of Iowa as a defensive lineman. Photo: @BenScottStevens, @hawkeyenation (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

Bret was a defensive lineman, one of the hardest football positions. He played for his college team between 1989 and 1992. He even captained the team during his senior year. The University of Lowa graduate allegedly lashed out at Iowa State head coach Jim Walden at mid-field after their 21-7 victory over Iowa in his senior season. His university reprimanded him, and later, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing.

Did Bret Bielema play professional football?

After graduation, Bielema joined the Milwaukee Mustangs in the Arena Football League. His dreams of playing in the NFL became futile before turning to coaching.

Bret Bielema's coaching history

Bret Bielema's record
Bret Bielema, Arkansas Razorbacks' Head coach, yells to an official during a game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Hemingway Stadium on 28 October 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Razorbacks won 38-37. Photo: Wesley Hitt
Source: Getty Images

The Prophetstown native began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Hawkeyes in 1994. He later earned a promotion to linebackers coach. Kansas State hired him in 2002 as a co-defensive coordinator until 2003, when he the University of Wisconsin as a defensive coordinator.

The university promoted him to head coach in 2006. He held the position for six years and left for another experience. Before taking his skills to the NFL, Bielema moved to the University of Arkansas and served as head coach.

Bret Bielema in NFL

Bret Bielema's football coaching experience in the NFL began at New England Patriots, where he was appointed defensive consultant in 2018. He served under head coach Bill Belichick. Bret later got promoted to become a defensive line coach in 2019.

Bret Bielema's salary
New England Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema instructs his players during a game against the New York Giants on 29 August 2019 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Photo: Fred Kfoury III
Source: Getty Images

Bret Bielema's Patriots' tenure ended in 2020 following his appointment as the outside linebackers coach and senior assistant of the New York Giants. He left the Giants to join the Illinois Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as head coach in December 2020. Here is a breakdown of his coaching history.

Year

Team

Position

2021-date

Illinois Fighting Illini

Head coach

2020

New York Giants

Outside linebackers coach and senior assistant

2019

New England Patriots

Defensive line coach

2018

New England Patriots

Defensive consultant

2013-2017

Arkansas Razorbacks

Head coach

2006–2012

Wisconsin Badgers

Head coach

2004-2005

Wisconsin Badgers

Defensive coordinator

2002-2003

Kansas State Wildcats

Co-defensive coordinator

1996-2001

Iowa Hawkeyes

Linebacker coach

1994-1995

Iowa Hawkeyes

Graduate Assistant

Who was the coach of the Wisconsin football team in 2010?

Many people consider the 2010 Wisconsin football squad the best in the team's history. The team finished the regular season at No. 5 in the BCS standings. The squad, led by Bret Bielema, finished the season 11 -1 as co-Champs of the Big 10. Bielema proved his genius and was one of the best coaches in history.

Bret Bielema's coaching record

Bret Bielema's past teams coached
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Bret Bielema celebrates the Big Ten Championship by holding the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy after defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers 70-31 at Lucas Oil Stadium on 1 December 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Leon Halip
Source: Getty Images

The Illinois coach has won multiple titles and awards in his career. He has a win/loss record of 29-19-0 over three years of coaching. Here are some of his achievements.

  • Big Ten championships (2010, 2011, 2012)
  • Big Ten Coach of the Year (2016)
  • Championship (2018)
  • Conference Championship (2018)

Bret Bielema's salary

According to his new contract with the Illinois football team, the experienced coach will earn $6 million in 2023. His salary will increase by $150,000 annually until his contract expires in January 2029. Here is a breakdown of his earnings from 2023 to 2029.

Year

Base salary

Additional compensation

Total compensation

2023-2024

$862,500

$5,137,500

$6,000,000

2024-2025

$887,500

$5,262,500

$6,150,000

2025-2026

$912,500

$5,387,500

$6,300,000

2026-2027

$937,500

$5,512,500

$6,450,000

2027-2028

$962,500

$5,637,500

$6,600,000

2028-2029

$987,500

$5,762,500

$6,750,000

Bret Bielema's networth

The University of Lowa graduate has a net worth of $8 Million. The primary source of his wealth is his football career and endorsement deals.

Bret Bielema's family

Bret Bielema's family
Bret Bielema is married to American model Jennifer Hielsberg. They have two young daughters, Briella and Brexli. Photo: @jenbielema, @illinifootball (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Besides football, the veteran coach has a wife and children. He is married to Jennifer Hielsberg. The couple got engaged on 1 April 2011 and exchanged their wedding vows on 10 March 2012 at a private ceremony in a Catholic church. They have two daughters, Briella Nichole (born on 8 July 2017) and Brexli Nichole (born on 18 March 2019).

Bret Bielema's wife

Bret Bielema's wife
Jennifer Hielsberg is an American model and businesswoman from Tampa, Florida. She has supported her husband in his career. Photo: Wesley Hitt
Source: Getty Images

Jennifer is a renowned American model and businesswoman. She was born in 1985 in Tampa, Florida. Hielsberg has blonde hair and hazel eyes. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. Bret Bielema's wife started her career as a model during her teens. She has been featured in magazine covers and appeared in multiple TV commercials.

Bret Bielema's house and cars

Bret bought a four-bedroom house for $1.5 million in 2013. However, he listed the property on the market for $2 million. The 6,300-square-foot mansion is in Fayetteville, AR. Bielema also owns luxury cars.

It is interesting to know Bret Bielema's past teams coached and his achievements. He has coached many top talents and inspired the young generations. The Prophetstown native remains one of the most highly-rated football coaches in America.

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Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.