Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Arkansas Football: Legacy of Bret Bielema with Razorbacks

By Andrew Miller

TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Bret Bielema of the Arkansas Razorbacks looks on during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Bret Bielema of the Arkansas Razorbacks looks on during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next

The coaching search is underway for Arkansas football after the firing of head coach Bret Bielema after five seasons in Fayetteville.

Arkansas football had its worst season in a few years in what amounted to head coach Bret Bielema’s final campaign with the program. The Razorbacks finished with only four wins this season, unacceptable for a traditionally respectable program in the SEC West.

The coaching search has not yielded many promising options yet, aside from current Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn. However, Malzahn’s last focus at this point in the Tigers season is the Arkansas opening. Auburn is close to the program’s first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Coaching in the SEC took its toll on quite a few coaches this year. A list of coaches fired includes Butch Jones for Tennessee, Kevin Sumlin for Texas A&M, and Jim McElwain for Florida. Even Mississippi State is now searching for a coach after Dan Mullen took a gig with the Gators.

If anything’s guaranteed after this firing for the Hogs, it’s that the next head coach will not be as entertaining. Bielema is a favorite personality in the media, and always gives an entertaining interview. He made SEC Media Days a lot of fun and that won’t be anymore.

Overall, Bielema finished with a 29-34 record with Arkansas. His record in the SEC was not very good either at 11-29. Two bowl victories, in the Texas Bowl in 2014 and Liberty Bowl in 2015, were some of the high points of his tenure with the program. At least he kept fans entertained through some of the bad times.

Here’s a few notes on the legacy of former head coach Bret Bielema with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Home/Arkansas Razorbacks