Less than 14 months ago, Bret Bielema was an unknown commodity armed with a modest contract for a rookie head football coach and faced with the daunting task of maintaining the level of success Barry Alvarez established at the University of Wisconsin.
Today, barely more than one month after guiding UW to one of its more successful seasons in the history of the program in his rookie season, Bielema has a new five-year, $7.5-million contract that should lift his national profile and enhance his credibility with recruits.