Illinois, Whitman Not Troubled By Bret Bielema’s Ongoing Legal Battle vs. Arkansas

Bret Bielema's legal battle with the University of Arkansas athletics department didn’t deter Illinois from him as their next head coach.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The ongoing litigation battle between Bret Bielema and the University of Arkansas athletics department didn’t deter Illinois from hiring the 12-year college football head coach.

In a statement released to Illini Now/Sports Illustrated by the University of Illinois athletics department, Illinois athletics spokesperson Kent Brown stated all parties during the interview were obviously aware of the situation and Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman discussed the lawsuit extensively with Bielema personally before agreeing to hire the former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach.

“All parties were certainly aware and discussed the matter in depth with Bret during the process,” the statement provided by Brown reads. “There is quite a bit of info out in public already on the matter so it wasn’t hard to find out more info. Bret was very open in discussing it with Josh during the process.”

Illini Now/Sports Illustrated has previously reported Whitman traveled last week to East Rutherford, N.J., to interview Bielema in person for the opening. It was during those in-person conversations and others via phone and Zoom conference where the two men spoke on the legal matter. Whitman then relayed Bielema’s answers on the issue to University of Illinois chancellor Robert Jones before an official offer was presented to Bielema’s representation that includes agent Neil Cornrich.

Bielema’s contract with Illinois is a six-year agreement beginning with an annual salary of $4.2 million.

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema hugs linebacker Josh Harris (45) prior to leaving the field after the game against the Missouri Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 24, 2017. Missouri won 48-45 :: Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports

Bielema’s lawsuit against the Razorback Foundation, the private fundraising organization behind Arkansas’ athletics department, alleges he is owed that remainder of his contractual buyout settlement following his termination in 2017. Bielema and Arkansas agreed to a $12 million dollar buyout and Bielema was scheduled to receive $320,833.33 per month while he searched for a new job. The language in Bielema’s contract stated the buyout amount would be adjusted accordingly once he found comparable employment and Bielema was hired to an off-the-field coaching role with the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick, who is also represented by Cornrich, in 2018. Belichick promoted Bielema to defensive line coach in New England for the 2019 season and Bielema’s lawsuit alleges the payments ceased at that point. Bielema’s suit is demanding $7.025 million in compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages, attorney fees, court costs and a jury trial.

Following the 2019 season, Bielema was hired by New York Giants first-year head coach Joe Judge in January as an outside linebackers coach/senior assistant coach and was in the midst of his first season with the Giants until last week when he accepted the offer to become Illinois’ new head coach.

It's official.@IlliniFootball introduced @BretBielema as its new head coach today.

Full presser ➡️ https://t.co/ZXCzVndNhO pic.twitter.com/Q1TlaJ57HF

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 21, 2020

In the media conference introducing Bielema as the Illini’s new head coach, Whitman referenced a 45-minute phone conversation he had with Belichick to help convince him to offer Bielema the open position in Champaign.

“(Belichick) spoke highly of Bret’s understanding of the game, his football acumen, talked about his strengths in connecting with different groups of players and the entire roster regardless of a player’s background,” Whitman said. “He said (Bielema) has a really strong sense of self-awareness, a commitment to self improvement, impressed with his thirst and desire to get better as a coach (and) spoke highly of his evaluations both of coaches and of players.”

After the Razorbacks Foundation’s motion to dismiss the suit was denied the August in United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas by Judge Paul Holmes, the organization filed a countersuit claiming breach of contract and demanded he repay more than $4 million he’d already been paid. Not long after the countersuit was filed, the Razorback Foundation reportedly issued Belichick a subpoena suggesting he answer questions to allegedly employing Bielema at a salary lower than the minimum stated in his Arkansas contract in order to mitigate future buyout payments by the school that terminated him.

Thomas A. Mars, who is one of six attorneys representing Bielema in this matter, confirmed to Illini Now/SI the Bielema’s case and the Razorback Foundation’s countersuit were both still pending in federal court.

New Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema (left) and Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman (right) posing for a photo during Bielema's introductory media conference on Dec. 21, 2020.  :: Mike Glasgow/University of Illinois athletics department

In his introductory press conference Monday, Bielema referenced the experience of being informed he would no longer be the head coach at Arkansas as he was walking off the field at Razorback Stadium on Nov. 24, 2017 following a 48-45 loss to Missouri in the season finale

“When I left my previous institution, they gave me a letter that said I was fired without cause because I didn’t win enough games," Bielema said Monday. "I know what I did and what I accomplished in that building and that wears on my heart to this day. To be able now to have my own ship again, to run it the way I know can bring success, is tremendously rewarding."