Longtime Wisconsin HC among college football’s winningest active Power Four coaches entering 2024

Former Wisconsin and current Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is one of college football’s winningest active Power Four coaches entering the 2024 season.

His 115 wins sit No. 7 overall, ranked behind only North Carolina ‘s Mack Brown (276 wins), Iowa ‘s Kirk Ferentz (196), LSU ‘s Brian Kelly (186), Clemson ‘s Dabo Swinney (170), Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy (166) and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham (162).

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Bielema tallied 68 of those wins during his seven-year stretch with the Wisconsin Badgers from 2006-2012. He was 68-24 overall, good for a winning percentage of .739.

His eight years of coaching since leaving the Badgers before the 2012 Rose Bowl have not been as successful. He went 29-34 in five years at Arkansas before taking three years off, then going 18-19 in his first three years at Illinois.

Bielema’s record at Wisconsin: 68-24 (.739)

Bielema’s record since leaving Wisconsin: 47-53 (.470)

Regardless, the former Badger head coach is one of the longest-tenured active head coaches in the sport. He now must prove at Illinois that he can have success outside of Madison, Wisconsin, however, or that tenure may not extend for much longer.

Other coaches who will soon pass Bielema on the active wins list include Penn State ‘s James Franklin (112 wins), NC State’s Dave Doeren (104) and UCF’s Gus Malzahn (101).

Current Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, for reference, has 71 career wins.

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