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Illinois Football: 4 assets Bret Bielema will bring the Illini

By Rees Woodcock

Oct 21, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema looks on during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema looks on during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois football
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – SEPTEMBER 3: Head Coach Bret Bielema of the Arkansas Razorbacks jogs onto the field after a game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs 21-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

The Illinois football team has hired Bret Bielema to take over the head coaching role for the program.

This is a big hire and one that will pay dividends in the near future for the program. Illinois AD Josh Whitman could have swung and missed on this hiring, but he managed to bring in a solid coach.

Here are four assets Bret Bielema will bring the Illini.

1. Winning

The Illinois football team hired a head coach in Bret Bielema who is a proven winner at the power-five DI level.

The last time the Illini hired someone who had previously been with a power-five program and had a solid record was Ron Zook. He spent three years at Florida and never had fewer than seven wins. Illinois now has another head coach who has experience with winning.

Bielema took over the Wisconsin Badgers program in 2006 after legendary head coach Barry Alvarez decided to step away and take a different job within the program. Alvarez had done some great things with the Badgers, but they needed someone to take the program to the next level.

In Bielema’s first year at the helm, he took Wisconsin to a 12-1 record and a victory over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl. After two just okay seasons, both bowl appearances, Bielema had the Badgers on top again.

In 2009, Wisconsin won 10 games and the Champs Sports Bowl. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Bielema helped take the Badgers to a 30-10 record and made three-straight Rose Bowl appearances. He helped take this program to great heights.

At his next stop, which would be Arkansas for five seasons, Bielema struggled at times, only going 29-34 with the Razorbacks. But he did have three winning seasons and won two bowl games. Some of his bigger victories were against No. 20 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss in 2014. He then beat No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 9 LSU in 2015. In 2016, Bielema took down No. 15 TCU, No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 10 Florida.

Bielema knows how to win at the highest level. This is what Josh Whitman saw when he decided to hire the former college coach. I can’t wait to see what he can do for the Illini.

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