I 2nd the comments suggesting butt-hurt WI fans influencing too many opinions on here for a guy none of us, I'm sure, have met.
Bielema checks the boxes in that he's recruited the midwest, especially Illinois. He's a proven winner in the Big10, and he's successfully sold his program to 4 and 5 star players year after year.
Why would a guy like Fickell join Illinois when his ceiling right now is not being able to attract 4 and 5 star players to Cinci? So he goes to another school with the same problem? He's getting paid one way or another, but he's going to go to a school that already recruits itself (Texas, Nebraska, Michigan, Auburn, etc).
A guy like Leipold might be an option since he's a step down the ladder and probably won't have the same opportunity as a Fickell would, but I don't see how he is any better than Bielema? He doesn't check any of the boxes other than being able to instill a winning culture. Hasn't recruited 4 and 5 start talent, hasn't won in a p5 conference.
A Dave Clawson type hire might take us back to Zook level team performance which would be an improvement now, but whats the upside?
A guy like Gus is either taking another top job, or joining as a coordinator on a star staff before going back to another top job. He is not rebuilding Illinois from the ground up.
I think Bielema is the ceiling on this hire.
EDIT: I am not equating Zook and Clawson as coaches. Just saying that he's a coach that hovers around .500 and won't elevate the program beyond what Zook did.