Hlas column: Why does Bret Bielema make many Hawkeye fans see red?

Bret Bielema rankles a lot of Iowa football fans.

It doesn't matter that he was a Hawkeye walk-on who became a Hawkeye captain. It doesn't matter that he was a Hawkeye assistant coach who had a lot to do with bringing several first-rate players from Florida to Iowa.

I know the Wisconsin head coach bugs many of you in Hawkdom. I've read it, I've heard it. At the Hlog (thegazette.com, free) I asked readers to tell me why. Here is an excerpt from a respondent:

The ethics of using all that Iowa gave you - admittedly with your own hard work - and then taking it to an institution where the bottom line will be to take away athletic success from the University of Iowa, is questionable. I don't think it is a coincidence that of all Hayden's assistants, only (Barry) Alvarez used the Hawkeye success to gain a position at a close rival. Coaches and even some players may believe this is all a business, but fans do not. (I make an exception for Dan McCarney, not only because he is Iowa City-raised - as I am - but because I truly do not feel that Iowa State is a rival in the sense that Madison or Minneapolis is.)

So the question for Bret Bielema: ... Do you ever feel a wistful moment that you are hurting those that helped give you glory?

I asked Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz Tuesday if he could understand why a Hawkeye fan would hold taking the Wisconsin job against Bielema.

“I don't know why Bret wouldn't be there,” Ferentz said. “I guess I'm just trying to logically look at it. His path left here to be a co-coordinator at K-State, and had an opportunity to be the coordinator at Wisconsin. I don't know why he would have turned either of those opportunities down.

I don't know anybody that would be mad at Bret. It's not his fault all these things happened. I think he's walked into a great situation, and more importantly, he's done a great job in a great situation. He's prepared for that, and has done a great job since taking over.

There's something else, though. Bielema is perceived as brash. Brash as in not hiding his jubilance on the field when his first Wisconsin team won at Iowa in 2006. Brash as in going for a two-point conversion against Minnesota this year with a 25-point lead and under seven minutes left.

Another Hlog e-mailer sent me this:

I think Iowans expect head football coaches - at least to the public eye - to be strong, smart leaders, but in a businesslike sort of way. Witness Evy, Fry, and Ferentz among the good guys and Carr, Tressel and Paterno among the enemy.

Neither brashness (Bielema/Stoops) nor buffoonery (Zook/Brewster) are tolerated whether or not there is Hawkeye heritage and regardless of wins or losses. In contrast, even if the opposing headman is beating Iowa regularly, there is no derision or angst if he's Eisenhower and not Patton.

Iowa fans don't at all mind that Fry's and Ferentz's success is attributable to players that have a brash “take the hill at all cost” or “no retreat” mentality. But, when those players put on the headsets and have either not chosen or not learned to adopt a boardroom (albeit non-Wall Street) persona, it doesn't fit the mold.

I may have to remember not to use e-mailers again. These people write too well.

My theory is that no former Hawkeye is disliked as an opposing coach until he beats Iowa. I'm not sure I've heard anyone from Iowa disparage Bob Stoops. I think that's because Iowa and Oklahoma haven't played each other in the 12 seasons Ferentz and Stoops have been the coaches at those two schools.

Arizona lost at Iowa last year, and I heard no put-downs here about Wildcats Coach Mike Stoops. But then Arizona beat the Hawkeyes in Tucson last month, and I came home to hear all sorts of criticisms about Stoops' sideline demeanor, as if he had just become excitable during a game for the first time.

Were Bielema 0-4 against Iowa instead of 2-2, and were the Badgers a perennial also-ran instead of 44-15 under the ex-Hawkeye, I suspect he wouldn't bother many in Hawkdom.

But today, the man with the famous/infamous Tiger Hawk tattoo on his calf brings a squad to Kinnick Stadium that was good enough to push around the nation's No. 1 team last week.

The threat level to Iowa's unbeaten Big Ten season has been raised to Badger red this week. That's no way to induce “Welcome Back, Bret!” banners from Hawkeye fans who once considered Bielema beloved.

If underdog Wisconsin does pull off a win today, Bielema may want to bite his lip, graciously shake hands, and save his first big whoop for the Badgers' locker room. Because the home folks would be in no mood to have their noses rubbed in it and would talk angrily about it for years and years.

And if Iowa prevails? Bielema and his Badgers get forgotten faster here than you can say “Lake Mendota.”

Because Michigan State is next, and that won't be about rivalry or personality. That would be high-stakes football, a battle to be the king of the Big Ten hill.

But looking ahead only increases your chances of tripping, and today is plenty high-stakes on its own.

Wisconsin-Iowa. Something's got to give. This won't be pretty. But it should sure be interesting.