The University of Illinois introduced new Head Football Coach Bret Bielema to the public earlier this afternoon. Athletic Director Josh Whitman worked fast in his hiring of Bielema and he said they went into the search not with an individual in mind, but a profile.  

Coach Bielema says that they will build the Illini football program to be successful in the long run. 

Bielema, 50, has 24 years of college coaching experience, including seven seasons as Wisconsin’s head coach (2006-12). The Badgers won three straight Big Ten titles under his direction (2010-12), sporting a 68-24 record while playing in six bowl games. He was less successful at Arkansas, going 29-34 over five seasons.

Bielema, a native of tiny Prophetstown in northwestern Illinois, replaces Lovie Smith, who went 17-39 overall in his five-year tenure and posted a 10-33 Big Ten record. Bielema’s initial contract is for six years beginning with an annual salary of $4.2 million.

Declined to say whether he plans on retaining any assistants, Bielema called putting together his own coaching staff “a work in progress.” Offensive coordinator Rod Smith coached the team in its season finale Saturday, a 56-21 loss at Penn State.

Bielema played for and coached under Hall of Famer Hayden Fry, helping Iowa share the 1990 Big Ten title with Illinois. After two years as a graduate assistant and six seasons as linebacker coach at Iowa, Bielema spent two years at Kansas State under another Hall of Famer, Bill Snyder, helping the Wildcats win the 2003 Big 12 championship. Two seasons later, he was named defensive coordinator at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez and moved into the head coaching role in 2006.

Bielema has spent the last three seasons in the NFL, his first two with the New England Patriots. This season, he was the outside linebackers coach for the New York Giants.