From an aesthetics standpoint only, there isn’t much about Bret Bielema that suggests he would be a great leadoff hitter. But that’s probably why he chose to pursue football as his sport of choice.
The former Iowa defensive lineman (1982-92) turned 26th head coach at Illinois, led off the head coaches press conference portion of Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
While he doesn’t quite resemble Rickey Henderson in any way, shape, or form, Bielema’s 12 Big Ten wins through his first three seasons for the Fighting Illini are the most by an Illinois head coach since Lou Tepper won 13 in his first three seasons from 1992-94. What were some of the notable comments he made at the podium?
3 Takeaways From Bret Bielema Talking at Big Ten Media Days
1) College Football Changes Are Nothing But Exciting
The leading storylines for the sport might include uncertainty in regards to the transfer portal, conference realignment, and player opportunities for name, image, and likeness (NIL). But that doesn’t make Bielema anything but excited for what might lie ahead.
“There isn’t a more exciting time in my life than to be the head coach at the University of Illinois in 2024. I can’t express how awesome it is to have this job.”
Bielema is somewhat of a football lifer, having played in the Arena Football League with the Milwaukee Mustangs before getting into the coaching profession.
From 2006-12, he was the head coach at another Big Ten institution, Wisconsin, where he led the Badgers to three straight conference championships (2010-12), six consecutive bowl games, and a 68-24 record (.739).
Bielema then spent five seasons as head coach in the SEC at Arkansas from 2013-17 and three more as an NFL assistant with the New England Patriots and New York Giants before returning to the Big Ten with Illinois in 2021.
Change is inevitable in life, and college sports is living proof of just that. Like many FBS head coaches, Bielema has dealt with his share of changes personally and observed changes on the outside along the way, too.
It’s not surprising to hear that the changes in the sport, especially in the Big Ten, where four new teams were added this offseason, did not make it any less exciting for Bielema.
“To be a head coach right now, in 2024, is such a special time. A lot of people want to dwell on things or think about things in a negative light. Perspective is everything.”
2) Illinois Has a Veteran Roster
The Fighting Illini finished 2023 with a 5-7 record, but that could have been very different. Illinois’ last six games were all decided by four points or less, and they held a fourth-quarter lead in each of the three games that they lost in that span.
When Bielema looks down his roster, he sees a wealth of experience.
“We have 17 players that are in either our starting lineup or what we consider to be starters in our program; 17 guys that have started more than 10 games in their college football career,” he said on Tuesday, clearly showing his enthusiasm for how many veterans can step into a leadership role in 2024.
The Fighting Illini return over 60% of their production on defense which is important considering they were a better team when that side of the ball was effective. Illinois went 4-3 last season when holding opponents to fewer than 30 points (1-4 when allowing 30+ points).
3) Bielema Wasn’t Drinking When Recruiting Gabe Jacas…Or Maybe He Was
In a light-hearted moment during his press conference, Bielema told the story of recruiting junior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas, a 2022 All-Big Ten selection who started 10 of 12 games last season.
“He was a player brought to my attention. It sounds like a joke, but I had a buddy of mine named Jack Daniels call me, who is a high school coach down in Florida. He said, ‘Hey, I am scouting this opponent, this team, we are looking at, and there is this guy on the field who is playing at a pretty high level.’”
Jacas has recorded at least 30 tackles and four sacks in each of his first two seasons in Champaign. He enters his junior season looking to help form an impressive linebacker group for the Fighting Illini with Seth Coleman, Dylan Rosiek, and Kenenna Odeluga.