1\. While the Arkansas HC (2013-2017), he recruited to his football program **RB Alex Collins** (2013-2015), where Collins had three 1,000-yard seasons (Rushing/Receiving: 1,026/63; 1,100/9; 1,577/95).
........ **Sidenotes about Alex Collins (just for the remembrance of Collins)**
A. RB Alex Collins, in 2015, became only the third player in SEC history to rush for 1,000 plus yards in three seasons, joining Herschel Walker and Darren McFadden. Collins is second on the Razorback career rushing yards list (3,703), behind only Darren McFadden (4,590).
B. In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Seahawks drafted RB Alex Collins with the pick 5.171. Collins played for the Seahawks in 2016. He, however, was cut by the Seahawks during the final cuts on September 2, 2017, then being claimed by the Ravens on September 5, 2017. On September 16, 2017, Ravens' HC John Harbough named Collins his RB3 on the active roster (the change of pace RB).
Collins entered the 2018 season slated as the Ravens starting RB. He started 10 games, recording 411 rushing yards while getting seven touchdowns along with 15 receptions for 105 yards while getting one TD. On December 18, 2018, the Ravens placed Collins on IR for a foot injury. For some legal troubles in March 2019, he was out of the NFL for a spell.
On November 4, 2020, Seahawks' HC Pete Carroll signed Collins. Collins played for the Seahawks in 2020 and in 2021.
C. On January 14, 2023, Collins signed with the Showboats of the USFL. On April 29, 2023, in a game against the Gamblers, he threw a touchdown pass. On May 4, 2023, Collins was placed on IR.
D. On the evening of August 13, 2023, Collins was killed in a traffic collision in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, on the evening of August 13, 2023, when the motorcycle that he was riding crashed into the rear passenger side of an SUV at high speed. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and it was later reported that he likely died instantly.
**Back to Coach Bret Bielema**
2. For the 2018 NFL season, Bret Bielema became a consultant for the Patriots. For the 2019 season, the Patriots made Bielema its DC. For the 2020 season, the Giants made Bielema its Outside LBs Coach.
3. In 2021, Bielema became the HC of the Illinois football program. At this program was **CB Devon Witherspoon** (2019-2022 at IL), who Bielema helped coach up into being a great college football player. Witherspoon was selected by the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft at 1.5.
4. Bret Bielema grew up on an 80-acre hog farm near Prophetstown, Illinois with brothers Bart and Barry. Each of the brothers competed in football, track, and wrestling. Bret attended Prophetstown HS in Prophetstown, IL. He played TE and LB in HS. Bielema walked on as a defensive lineman at the University of Iowa under coach Hayden Fry, playing from 1989 to 1992. He lettered four years, earned a scholarship and served as team captain his senior season. Bielema was part of the 1990 Iowa team that won a share of the Big Ten championship title. In his senior season, after Iowa beat Iowa State 21–7, Bielema approached Iowa State HC Jim Walden for a post-game handshake and said "You’re a big prick. It’s been a pleasure kicking your ass the last five years" (Iowa State had never beaten Iowa during Bielema's tenure with the team). The moment caused a considerable stir, with University of Iowa officials reprimanding Bielema and sending an official letter of apology to Walden. Bielema graduated from Iowa with a bachelor's degree in marketing.
5. **Bret Bielema's time as a Seahawks Player himself**
After going undrafted in the 1993 NFL draft, Bielema signed as a FA with the Seahawks. He stayed with the Seahawks after the 1993 Seahawks rookie camp. (In 1993, the Seahawks' owner was Ken Behring, and its HC was Tom Flores.) During the summer of 1993, Bielema was cut by the Seahawks. (Without putting words into Bielema's mouth, he speaks about his time as a Seahawks as being one for which he has always been grateful.
6. In 1994, Bielema played for the Mustangs, a team in the Arena Football League.
7. In the fall of 1994, Bielema returned to Iowa, his alma mater (nourishing mother), to begin his coaching career under Fry as a graduate assistant. In 1996, he was promoted to LB coach, a role he would hold until 2001. In 1998, Fry retired and was replaced by former Iowa O-Line Coach Kirk Ferentz, who had briefly coached Bielema in offensive line sets during preparation for the 1988 Peach Bowl.
8. Bielema, one of the leading recruiters on Fry's staff, continued on the road recruiting during the coaching search. Ferentz retained only Bielema and quarterbacks coach Chuck Long from Fry's staff. During his three years with Ferentz at Iowa, Bielema recruited several players, most from Florida, that would form part of the core of the 2002 Iowa team, including Heisman runner-up quarterback Brad Banks, wide receivers C. J. Jones and Maurice Brown, nose tackle Colin Cole, cornerback Antwan Allen, and linebackers Fred Barr and Abdul Hodge.
9. After the 2001 season, Bielema became co-defensive coordinator for the Kansas State Wildcats, coached by Bill Snyder, who had coached at Iowa with Fry for a decade. Bielema and Bob Elliott replaced Phil Bennett, who had left to become the head coach of the SMU Mustangs. Bielema coached the K-State defense for two seasons, helping the Wildcats win the 2003 Big XII Championship.
10. Bielema left Kansas State after the 2003 season to become the Wisconsin defensive coordinator under HC Barry Alvarez, who had also coached at Iowa under Fry. Bielema served as DC for two seasons. In July 2005, Alvarez announced he would retire after the 2005 season and become the Badgers athletic director. Alvarez also announced he had chosen Bielema as his successor, and Bielema would take over as HC in 2006. In 2010, 2011, and in 2012, Bielema coached Wisconsin into the Rose Bowl, getting a victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl. (**2011 Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson** brought his team into the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2012, to face the Oregon Ducks. In that game, Wilson had 19 pass completions on 25 attempts for 296 yards, 18 rushing yards, and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) as the Badgers lost by a score of 45–38 (in the final moments after a snap did not get off timely). Wilson finished the 2011 season with 33 passing touchdowns, which set the single season record at Wisconsin and was the second-most in Big Ten history behind Drew Brees during the 1998 season at Purdue (39). In 2011, Wilson also set the single season FBS record for passing efficiency (191.8). On January 28, 2012, Wilson, as a Wisconsin player, completed his college football career at the 2012 Senior Bowl. In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seahawks selected Wilson at 3.75.
11. On December 4, 2012, it was announced that Bielema was leaving Wisconsin to become the HC of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He left partly to coach in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and partly because he felt that his assistant coaches were not being paid enough at Wisconsin. He stayed with Arkansas as its HC through the 2017 college season. (The rest of his coaching history was told earlier above).
12. As a college football HC, Bielema has a 134-84 record, while at Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Illinois.
**Important:** With former Seahawks' QB Russell Wilson recently retiring from NFL football and with current Seahawks' CB Devon Witherspoon helping the '25 Seahawks win the 2026 Super Bowl, it would sure be nice to see a local Seahawks' podcaster interview the college coach (Coach Bret Bielema) who coached both Wilson and Witherspoon. (Witherspoon came to the Seahawks by a pick obtained when the Seahawks traded Wilson to the Broncos.)
Bielema is a great college football coach. He's a great recruiter. He's also a former Seahawks' player himself. He's also been a great person to interview, and he loves the Seahawks, the only NFL team to have given him a shot in the to play in the NFL a player.