Bret Bielema having a slim margin for error with Big Ten expansion
Illinois Coach Bret Bielema glances up at the scoreboard during a timeout in the fourth quarter against Penn State Saturday September 16, 2023 at Memorial Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
INDIANAPOLIS — Despite having three Big Ten Titles under his belt, the Illinois coach is coming off a second losing campaign in the past three seasons, and now the stakes are higher.
Bret Bielema had a lot of success in the Big Ten when he was at Wisconsin, but that tenure was more than a decade ago. He’s currently 18-19 with the Fighting Illini, and how he performs this fall will have a lot to do with his job security come December.
After all, Bielema knows the Big Ten like the back of his hand, considering his experience as a player, assistant, and head coach in the conference. The Illinois native knows what it takes to succeed in the league, from being physical in the trenches, speed and suffocating defenses. However, with the Big Ten expanding to 18 teams, including four former Pac-12 squads, Bielema is going to have a tougher time climbing up the mountain.
College football is constantly changing, and as a coach you have to evolve. No one understands that more than Bielema, so taking advantage of recruiting and NIL will go a long way in determining how a program will fare in the near future. Bielema has to get everything right on the field first, after losing five of his final eight games in 2023.
“I say it all of the time, as you get older you should get better at what you do, and it comes from learning from your failures,” Bielema said. “We preach it, and talk about it all of the time, how you learn more from moments of adversity, than you do from moments of success.”
Illinois might not ever reach the heights of Ohio State and Michigan, but that doesn’t mean it can’t consistently have success like Iowa. Bielema want his players and staff to understand that when it comes success on the gridiron. Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington are coming, and Illinois needs to avoid being a needle in the haystack. It goes back to establishing a culture, and laying a foundation of winning. Regardless, that’s easier said than done in Bielema’s mind.
“I do think there’s a certain level of expectations as a head coach, and if you don’t manifest and make the players understand them, then they never happen,” he said. “So there has to be a little of a balance there, and I know I prepare differently.”
The Fighting Illini had a glaring weakness last season, and that was their defense. Illinois finished third in the FBS in total defense under Ryan Walters in 2022. The unit took a big step back in 2023 under Aaron Kelly though, and finished 61st nationally in total yards allowed. Bielema understands that’s what can dictate a winning or losing season. So this time around he’s keeping more of an eye on the defense, and takes full responsibility of how everything is going to transpire this fall.
“As a head coach I’m the responsible person, and I think the fact that everybody learns from mistakes from the past,” the 54-year old said. “There’s no one more prideful than our defensive coaches, Aaron included, I think everybody wanted to take a moment in January and February to review what did and didn’t do well, and obviously there’s schematic things we needed to address.”
Illinois does return a solid quarterback in Luke Altmyer, who threw for 13 touchdowns last season. Fall camps is going to be a time for Altmyer to discover new weapons, and build more chemistry, especially with Isaiah Williams no longer around. At the end of the day, Bielema knows the pressure he’s facing as the season looms, and needs to deliver something worthwhile to keep all of the haters at bay.
