Kansas hired former Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long on Wednesday, which made for an easy jump-to-conclusions tweet just minutes after the hire was announced.
Will Bret Bielema be coming with him? With media days coming up fast for the 2018 college football season, Bielema is one of the coaches who will be missed most this season. He's always quotable, but he won't be on the sidelines.
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Arkansas finished 29-34 from 2013-17 under Bielema, who dug the program out of a hole but couldn't take the next step in the SEC West. For comparison, Bielema finished 68-24 in his previous stint with Wisconsin from 2006-12.
So when is @BretBielema joining @KUAthletics ???? https://t.co/qOWMZDhfvh
— David Schoonover (@schoondawg1) July 6, 2018
Here's what we know, based on that track record: Bielema can coach, but he belongs in the Heartland. He's renowned for developing a big-and-beefy run game. A landing spot in the Big 12 or Big Ten would be the best possible move. So #BertWatch is on for 2019.
Kansas, of course, could be one potential landing spot if David Beaty doesn't show the necessary progress in Year 4. The Jayhawks are 3-33 the last three seasons. Bielema could theoretically be an upgrade, but he wouldn't come cheap.
Bielema also would need to want this job. Mark Mangino led the program to an improbable 12-1 season and Orange Bowl berth in 2007, but it went downhill quickly from there. Mangino left after a 5-7 season in 2009.
Turner Gill and Charlie Weis followed in Lawrence, but the Jayhawks haven't won more than three games since that 5-7 campaign in 2009. This isn't just any rebuild.
That said, Bielema could have several potential suitors down the line:
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Kansas State
Bill Snyder is entering his 27th season, through two stints, as the Wildcats' head coach. He turns 79 in October. Bielema was a co-defensive coordinator with Kansas State from 2002-03. Would Kansas and Kansas State be in a bidding war for his services?
Iowa
This is the best fit for Bielema, on multiple levels. He played nose tackle at Iowa and was a former assistant there from 1994-2001. Kirk Ferentz is entering his 20th season with the program. It also gives Bielema a chance to mix it up with his former employer in the Big Ten West.
Illinois
This would also put Bielema in the Big Ten West, and would mean Lovie Smith didn't make enough progress with the program. The Illini haven't had a winning season since 2011.
Colorado
This would be a long shot, but Mike MacIntyre is coming off a 5-7 season. The Pac-12 has other second-chance coaches like Mike Leach, Kevin Sumlin and Herm Edwards. Why not add Bielema to that mix?
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Those are the best potential landing spots for Bielema down the road. We want to see him back on the sideline, and most importantly, back in the Heartland. We think that happens before 2019.
In the meantime, enjoy #BertWatch.
