Bret Bielema
The University of Arkansas confirmed this afternoon, the hiring of Wisconsin Badger football coach Bret Bielema to be the next head coach of the Razorbacks.
Bielema took over at Wisconsin in 2006 and led the school to its first 11-win regular season in his first year on the job.
According to a report from ArkansasBusiness.com, Bielema will earn an annual salary of $3.2-million a year for 5-years. His annual salary in Madison is reported to be $2.59-million per year.
Bielema led the Badgers to a third straight Rose Bowl after Wisconsin blew out Nebraska 70-31 in the Big Ten Title game last Saturday. That victory made him an even hotter commodity among coaching candidates to move.
Bielema will replace John L. Smith, who coached one season at Arkansas and led the Razorbacks to a 4-8 record. It’ll be Bielema’s job to help stabilize the program quickly and get the Arkansas pointed back into an SEC contender.
AUDIO: Bob Hague discusses Bret Bielema’s departure with WTSO’s Phil Dawson 4:30