"I'm not afraid to speak my mind": Bret Bielema gets 100% real about his no-nonsense attitude amid massive changes in Big Ten

Bret Bielema is a fan of chirping, particularly during heated moments on and off the field, and he likes to be as blunt as possible. The legendary coach's no-nonsense attitude has been a prime attraction among fans, and often catching media attention. However, he doesn't have any regrets.

Bielema likes to be himself, especially as he has been on the field for almost two decades. He shared his thoughts on Friday on being open-minded about making decisions, and vented out his frustration on the field.

The Illinois coach claimed that he has been associated with coaching for almost 17 years. When he entered the Big Ten, it was all new to him. However, he has gained enough exposure to the operations and changing dynamics of the NCAA that sometimes gets the better of him.

“You know, it's crazy. My first year head coach at Wisconsin, I went to a Big Ten meeting, Lloyd Carr and Jim Tressel grabbed me,” Bielema said on Friday (1:30:30), via the "Pardon My Take" podcast.

“We went 12-1 to Wisconsin, and they kind of asked me to kind of sit down for a minute. And those two guys kind of said, hey, you know, Barry Alvarez says you're going to be really good. You're 35 years old. You're going to be a spokesman for this occupation for a long time. And at that time, I'm just like, 'Oh, these guys are being pretty cool.'"

Bielema added that he's not afraid to speak his mind given his tenure.

"Well, now I go into those Big Ten meeting rooms, and I am one of the older guys in the room. I'm 55, you know, I've done it 17 years, and some of these guys say things. I'm just like, 'Just shut up,' right? Like, just, let's just pay attention to what we need to do. I want to protect our players all the time. That's my number one priority. I'm not afraid to speak my mind.”

Bret Bielema opened up about his feud with top college football coaches

Bret Bielema’s heated on-field exchanges have been a fan favorite. The most recent one was with South Carolina coach Shane Beamer during the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, which caught headlines.

Bielema said it was all heat of the moment, and that after the game, he got on a call with Beamer before the Big Ten meetings in January. He added that the dust is now settled.

Similarly, he threw some light on his beef with Jim Harbaugh and that he has yet to make a truce with the former Michigan coach. Their feud dates back to his Wisconsin days, and he has not spoken to Harbaugh. However, he showed love to his kids and family.