Bielema earning his stripes

CHICAGO - Bret Bielema's intensity and desire to succeed have elevated the Badgers program to sizzling heights in his five-plus seasons as head coach.

In 2006, Bielema took over Wisconsin as one of the nation's youngest coaches at age 36. The former Iowa defensive team captain maintained the program's excellence under Hall of Famer Barry Alvarez and has taken it to elite status.

Consider that Bielema sports a 53-16 record and has the fourth-best winning percentage among active Division I football coaches. Bielema, 41, ranks third in victories at Wisconsin and led the Badgers to five straight bowl games, the Big Ten's second-longest streak. Only once have the Badgers won fewer than nine games under Bielema.

Yet, for all of his success, the genius label has evaded him. He's not mentioned among the Big Ten's great coaches. His peers are impressed by his statistics but rarely pass along compliments.

“I have a saying that perception is more important than fact,” said BTN analyst Glen Mason, a former head coach at Kansas and Minnesota. “It shouldn't be. But most people deal in perception. ... The perception isn't that he's in that elite group, but when you look at the facts it's pretty impressive.”

Bielema's coaching pedigree is top-notch. He played or coached under Hall of Famers Hayden Fry and Alvarez, and coached under other likely Hall of Famers in Bill Snyder and Kirk Ferentz. Bielema left an impression with each, as they did with him.

While Fry was a master psychologist, Bielema said, Ferentz helped rein him in at Iowa. As an assistant, Bielema spent five years with Fry and three with Ferentz.

“I don't know to this day if I ever talked X's and O's with Coach Fry,” Bielema said. “He didn't like the defensive side of it - just get it done. Kirk is probably, the No. 1 thing I've ever learned from him is he's a great, great listener. He really taught me how to slow down and listen to people.”

Bielema then joined Snyder at Kansas State for two years as a co-defensive coordinator. Snyder's legendary work ethic and attention to detail impressed Bielema, as did Snyder's offensive game planning. They also had it out about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday nights over Bielema's punt-return plans.

“Whatever I had, he'd disagree with 100 percent,” Bielema said. “We'd argue about it for about a half-hour and eventually he'd come back and we'd go halfway in between. I just love him because that's one of the most enjoyable times, because it was just he and I one-on-one. To this day, of all the head coaches I've worked for - Coach Alvarez obviously is different - (Snyder) and I talked as much as anybody.”

After the Wildcats won the 2003 Big 12 title, Bielema left to become Wisconsin's defensive coordinator. Before Bielema's second year, Alvarez told him he was stepping down and asked Bielema to replace him. The move raised eyebrows because of Bielema's youth.

“You have to give Barry a lot of credit because it was a surprise when he hired Bret to be the coordinator when he did, and then I think a lot of people were very, very surprised when he named Bret (as head coach),” Ferentz said. “Clearly he knew what he was doing.”

Wisconsin has won 11 or more games just twice, and Bielema coached both teams. The Badgers finished 12-1 in his rookie campaign and won the Capital One Bowl. Last year, the Badgers steamrolled the Big Ten in shocking fashion. Wisconsin averaged 45.2 points in eight Big Ten games - second-best in conference history - and were 4 yards from having three running backs gain 1,000 in a season. Wisconsin tied for the Big Ten title and played in its first Rose Bowl since 2000.

The Badgers led the nation in fewest turnovers (nine) and penalties per game (3.15). The last two seasons Wisconsin has had 22 academic All-Big Ten performers.

With his team at 4-0 and ranked No. 7, Bielema has a chance to boost his coaching profile among the game's elite.

“It's been a learning process for Bret,” Mason said. “It wasn't too long ago that the people in Madison weren't sure they had the right guy for that job, and now I think he's won everybody over.”

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