Bret Bielema is Enjoying SEC Largesse, Tweeting Not So Subtle Shots at Wisconsin

All, College Football Ty Duffy February 11th. 2013, 3:15pm

Bret Bielema took a not so subtle shot at his former employer, Wisconsin. The Arkansas coach tweeted how happy he was to be at a program willing to invest to keep assistants from leaving (Alabama coming in for offensive line coach Sam Pittman?). It had a bit of a “look how how my new girlfriend is” vibe to it.

Can’t say THANK YOU enough to UA administration & support to keep our staff together when others come calling to hire away. #WPS #GoHogsGo
— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) February 11, 2013

Bielema claimed assistant salaries were a major reason he left Wisconsin. The Badgers did have an exodus after 2011, with six assistants leaving, but it is not clear how that could have been prevented.

Paul Chryst left to take the Pitt head coaching job. He took three assistants with him, who were all offered promotions. Bob Bostad went from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator (before leaving for the NFL). Dave Huxtable went from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. Joe Rudolph went from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach (and now offensive coordinator).

DeMontie Cross (now with TCU) left his safeties/special teams spot to be linebacker coach at Kansas. The only lateral move was Southern California native DelVaughn Alexander leaving to becoming wide receivers coach at Arizona State.

Comparing across the Big Ten, though, it is not hard to see why Bielema felt deprived. Wisconsin ranked 5th in total coaching staff payments, but ranked just ninth in assistant payments of 10 schools where USA Today had full data. Only notoriously stingy Purdue spent less than Wisconsin on its assistants. Wisconsin spent less than 60 percent what Ohio State did on assistants in 2012.

[Photo via USA Today Sports]

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26 Responses to “Bret Bielema is Enjoying SEC Largesse, Tweeting Not So Subtle Shots at Wisconsin”

1
VladimirCrouton Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:18 PM
Arkansas Fan Girl is a believer!
2
ms621 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:21 PM
Arkansas Fan Girl is a believer!
She is rather frightening.
3
Babar 2.0 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:26 PM
He’s accomplished two things: 1) thanking his his new bosses publicly and 2) reminded the donors to keep their checkbooks open to retain top assistants.
The dig seems tertiary.
4
hussler2 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Big Ten sucks? This is news?
5
hussler2 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Big Ten sucks? This is news?
6
Hail Leroy Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Unless Wisconsin changed their scale once Biels left, they may be behind Purdue now. AD finally figured out you had to put some money in the program when he brought Hazell on board
7
Ty Duffy Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Unless Wisconsin changed their scale once Biels left, they may be behind Purdue now. AD finally figured out you had to put some money in the program when he brought Hazell on board
Possible. Purdue spending $2m on Hazell, $2.1m on assistants. Were spending like $1m on Hope and $1.4m on assistants. Now creeping toward average in B1G.
8
ms621 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:41 PM
Guys I have a question as to whether the general suckiness of the Big Ten is news….oh wait, it’s already been asked.
9
clearly erroneous Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:42 PM
Eff him. Lets see how publicly grateful he is when they fire him in three years.
/bitter husker fan
10
SportsIndustrialComplex Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:43 PM
Wisconsin fans will have the last laugh when Bielema inevitably and repeatedly sits on two timeouts while refusing any attempt to score at the end of either half. Enjoy 7th place, bitch.
/Vindictive Badger fan
11
johndewar Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:48 PM
He’s accomplished two things: 1) thanking his his new bosses publicly and 2) reminded the donors to keep their checkbooks open to retain top assistants.
The dig seems tertiary.
I think this is the correct interpretation.
12
spencer096 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:49 PM
Wisconsin spent less than 60 percent what Ohio State did on assistants in 2012.
60% wins too…tells me you get what you pay for.
13
Hail Leroy Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Were spending like $1m on Hope and $1.4m on assistants.
Going solely off their on-field performance, playcalling and overall field discipline, Burke was overpaying by about 2.4M. Thank god that era is over
14
sousedbergin Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:52 PM
You dicks are cunts, as in your genitalia has transmuted into cunts now and forever.
15
ButtersBC Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:52 PM
Wisconsin fans will have the last laugh when Bielema inevitably and repeatedly sits on two timeouts while refusing any attempt to score at the end of either half. Enjoy 7th place, bitch.
I don’t expect him to flame out there…guy could always recruit, just wasn’t so good about game coaching but in CFB you can out-talent your opposition by so much that they should be fine, just wouldn’t expect them to knock off Bama or LSU too often
16
spencer096 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:52 PM
arkansas football: built like a steakhouse but handles like a bistro.
-zapp beilema
17
Lack of Institutional Control Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:55 PM
You dicks are cunts, as in your genitalia has transmuted into cunts now and forever.
Coming off a blackout bender I assume?
18
ms621 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:58 PM
Coming off a blackout bender I assume?
Is there another type?
19
Chelsea Chris Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 3:58 PM
Assistants salaries was supposedly one of the big reasons that RichRod left WVU.
I wish Beilma all the success that RR had at Michigan.
20
Liquor Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 4:02 PM
I wish Beilma all the success that RR had at Michigan.
Just wait until he’s got his players in place man, he’s recruiting like crazy, its gonna be sick.
/Michigan fans in 2009 (and now again in 2013)
21
SportsIndustrialComplex Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 4:17 PM
in CFB you can out-talent your opposition by so much that they should be fine, just wouldn’t expect them to knock off Bama or LSU too often
Yeah except now he’s in the SEC where he has to perennially compete with Kevin Sumlin at A&M and Ole Miss with their freakish incoming freshman class. They also play at Florida and South Carolina at home in ’13, in addition to at LSU and at Alabama. Piss poor game management is the last thing I’d want when running through that gauntlet. Not to mention, the Badgers rarely “out-talent”-ed other teams, they “out-bigged” them with a wall of corn-fed lineman. As far as recruiting goes, he got Russell Wilson, but he also got Danny O’Brien.
22
ButtersBC Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 4:26 PM
As far as recruiting goes, he got Russell Wilson, but he also got Danny O’Brien.
Lotta Badgers in the NFL these days is all I’m saying…I want him to fail same as you, just tempering expectations, they should reasonably be expected to win 7+ games a season which isn’t going down in flames
23
Ty Duffy Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 4:44 PM
Just wait until he’s got his players in place man, he’s recruiting like crazy, its gonna be sick.
/Michigan fans in 2009 (and now again in 2013)
Totally the same thing.
Hoke has gone 12-4 in B1G in first two years. RR went 3-13.
24
arkbadger Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Yeah except now he’s in the SEC where he has to perennially compete with Kevin Sumlin at A&M and Ole Miss with their freakish incoming freshman class. They also play at Florida and South Carolina at home in ’13, in addition to at LSU and at Alabama. Piss poor game management is the last thing I’d want when running through that gauntlet.
there isn’t a single Arkansas fan that expects the team to do amazing things this year considering the talent that left, the players that are still here and the upcoming schedule. ole piss and their flash in the pan recruiting class is the least of this teams concerns.
25
spencer096 Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 5:17 PM
Totally the same thing.
Hoke has gone 12-4 in B1G in first two years. RR went 3-13.
i mean, you could say “totally the same thing” to that too. aren’t only two of those wins over ranked teams? and those ranked teams were nebraska and VT, which, lets be honest…psshaw.
26
Nada Says:
February 11th, 2013 at 5:19 PM
SEC Largesse
Les Miles thinks this has something to do with offensive linemen and their broad posteriors.