Illini92and96
- Austin, TX
Your description seems complexity opposite of what the staff has presented. I haven’t seen any sense of entitlement or lack of enthusiasm for building a program right. Who knows behind the scenes, but publicly it seems like the right approach. Whether we have success is up for debate, but for those of us that have seen this game numerous times it should not be surprising. In the business world driving the right long term change can be painful and a step back in the short run. No different here.I’m here as an Arkansas fan who endured our years with Bret Bielema. I hate to tell you this but you won’t see much better than this right now; you future will be disappointing until he is fired and collects another big buyout.
I was excited when he came to Arkansas. I thought his emphasis on line play and O line development at Wisconsin would serve Arkansas well in the SEC. He came in with three Rose Bowl rings and my Big Ten friends were flabbergasted he left for Arkansas. He came in though with unbridled arrogance and got his head handed to him.
He immediately alienated the high school coaches in Texas, Arkansas’ primary recruiting grounds since Frank Broyles. He then butted heads with other SEC coaches, painting a target on himself. As he saw how hard it would be to just be a competitive program in the SEC he lost his way. He put little effort into recruiting in a part of the country where mamas expect to see Nick Saban and Ed Orgeron in their living rooms. He polished his party side and often arrived at games looking like he had closed the bars. He had a reality TV show.
Bielema is simply lazy and not self motivating. Arkansas learned without a Barry Alvarez busting his !!! he would simply slow down. He hated the heat, and so would allow the offensive linemen to have days off from outdoor practices or weight lifting. Any good coach down here in Texas knows that stamina in the heat and humidity is the best weapon any team can possess.
So a couple of years in New England and with the Giants don’t seem to have changed him. Good luck with this guy. 5 wins a year is Bret doing ok.