UW's Bielema to take Arkansas college gridiron job

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MADISON - The head coach at Wisconsin’s only major college football program is apparently moving on. Several media reports confirmed this afternoon that Bret Bielema has agreed to become the new head coach at Arkansas.

He’s reportedly about to sign a 5-to-7-year contract that would pay him over four-million-dollars a year to coach the Razorbacks. That compares to the $2.5 million that Bielema was expected to make at the UW this year – which includes funding from boosters and a base salary from the university of $400,000. Bielema would like to coach the Badgers in the Rose Bowl before he leaves but the indications are UW will not allow him to do so.

Bielema is ending his seventh year as Wisconsin’s head coach. He was Alvarez’s hand-picked successor when the former coach moved from field into the athletic director’s office. Bielema is 68-and-24 in Madison with three consecutive Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl appearances. Bielema takes over a Razorback program that’s been embroiled in scandal. Arkansas brought in John L. Smith to coach this year, after Bobby Petrino was fired for having his mistress work in the football department. Arkansas went 4-and-8 this season, and it was then announced that Smith was being let go.

Tags: wisconsin sports, proam, badgers, football