Bret Bielema is the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini, as of 2024. Bielema has held his position since 2021. During his prep career, he played as a tight end and linebacker in high school. After graduating high school, Bielema played for the Iowa Hawkeyes as a defensive lineman and was a member of the 1990 Iowa Hawkeyes team that won the Big Ten title. Professionally, he played for the Milwaukee Mustangs for one year.
Bielema returned to Iowa as a graduate assistant in 1994. He was promoted to the role of the linebackers coach in 1996. In 2001, Bielema was announced as the co-defensive coordinator for the Kansas State Wildcats. In 2004, he became the defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers and was promoted to the role of the Badgers' head coach in 2006. He transferred to the Arkansas Razorbacks as their head coach in 2012. Following that, he had stints with NFL's New England Patriots and New York Giants, as their assistant coach.
In 2020, Bielema was announced as the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini and holds a record of 18-19, as of 2024, as per USA Today.
Bret Bielema Wife
Bret Bielema is married to Jennifer Hielsberg, they got married in Madison, Wisconsin, on March 10, 2012. As mentioned on his official Illinois Fighting Illini profile, Bret Bielema and Jennifer Bielema have two daughters together. According to Jennifer's X account, their elder daughter Briella Nichola Bielema was born on July 8, 2017. Two years later, in March 2019, their second daughter, Brexli Nichole Bielema was born.
Read More: What is the salary of coach Bret Bielema?
Jennifer Hielsberg Social Media
Jennifer Hielsberg has an Instagram account with 99 posts and 6,228 followers, as of 2024. Her X account features 208 posts and 54.3K followers, as of 2024.
| Social Media | Account |
| @jenniferbielema | |
| X (formerly Twitter) | @jenbielema |
FAQs on Bret Bielema Wife
A. Bret Bielema won three Big Ten titles as head coach at Wisconsin.
A. Bret Bielema is the head football coach at the University of Illinois.
A. Bret Bielema was named Illinois' head coach in December 2020.
A. Yes, Bret Bielema held coaching positions with the New England Patriots and New York Giants.
A. Bret Bielema played as a defensive lineman at the University of Iowa.
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