Bret Bielema is taking his talents to the SEC.
The former Wisconsin head coach is leaving Madison and will be taking the same job at Arkansas. According to a statement from the school, Bielema has agreed to a contract and will take over the football program.
According to ESPN.com, sources said that the deal is for six years and $3.2 million annually.
Barry Alvarez, the athletic director and previous head football coach at Wisconsin, hired Bielema in 2006 as his successor.
Bielema was 68-24 while with the Badgers and has led them to three straight Rose Bowl appearances. In his first season as head coach, Bielema and Wisconsin were bowl eligible and defeated Arkansas 17-14 in the Capital One Bowl.
Arkansas has been through a tumultuous season following the firing of head coach Bobby Petrino earlier this year and hope that Bielema will bring stability and leadership to the program.
"His tough, aggressive style of play has been successful and will be appealing to student-athletes and Razorback fans," Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said of Bielema in a statement, according to ESPN.com. "He not only shares the vision and values for the future of Arkansas football, he embraces them."
Under Bielema, Wisconsin was known for running the ball and producing pro-ready offensive lineman, something that Arkansas has not done in recent years. While the Razorbacks have been more of a passing team in recent years, under Bielema the style will likely be different.
"During my conversation with Jeff (Long), he described the characteristics for the perfect fit to lead this program," Bielema said in a statement. "It was evident we share the same mission, principles and goals."
Bielema coached a number of talented running backs while at Wisconsin, including senior Montee Ball, who set the single season and career rushing touchdown record while with the Badgers.
Ball had 202 yards and three touchdowns in the Big Ten Championship game against Nebraska, which Wisconsin won 70-31. The game appears to be Bielema's finale as coach of the Badgers, but ESPN.com is reporting that he would like to coach Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl against Stanford.
According to ESPN.com, "it's unknown if Alvarez will want him to (coach). A source close to Alvarez told ESPN that Alvarez would consider coaching the team himself in the bowl game."
Wisconsin had great success under Bielema, who was promoted to the head-coaching job after spending two years as defensive coordinator. He previously was an assistant coach at Iowa and defensive coordinator at Kansas State before moving to the Badgers.
After being handpicked by Alvarez to be the next head coach, Bielema went 11-1 in 2006 and became the only coach in school history to win that many games in his first season. Earlier this year, Bielema signed a contract extension that took him to January of 2017.
"I was very surprised when Bret told me he was taking the offer from Arkansas," said Alvarez, Wisconsin's athletic director and former coach. "He did a great job for us during his seven years as head coach, both on the field and off. I want to thank him for his work and wish him the best at Arkansas."
Wisconsin finished 12th in the nation in rushing with 237 yards per game and had a top ranked defense that allowed just 19 points per game. The team finished the season with a win over Nebraska, but had previously lost two straight overtime games to Ohio State and Penn State.
Bielema has been one of the most successful college coaches in all of football in recent years, leading Wisconsin to three straight Big Ten championships.
According to ESPN.com, Bielema has "the ninth-highest winning percentage among active coaches in the NCAA with at least five years of experience"
Wisconsin had a 7-5 record prior to the Big Ten championship game, but got the nod in the Leaders division because Ohio State and Penn State are on postseason probation.
The Razorbacks fired Petrino in April after a motorcycle accident that eventually revealed his affair with an athletic department employee. The scandal rocked the school and Long brought in John L. Smith as interim head coach.
Smith had his own personal issues with bankruptcy and financial problems, but the play on the field was subpar as well. The Razorbacks finished 4-8 and suffered a number of disappointing losses, including a 34-31 overtime loss in the second week of the season to lower-division opponent Louisiana-Monroe.
The team was ranked 22nd in the nation in passing with 301 yards per game, but were ranked only 108th in rushing. The defense was the biggest issue for the Razorbacks, allowing over 30 points per game, including games of giving up 52 and 59 points.
The offense also disappeared in numerous games, including in a 52-10 loss to Alabama on Sept. 15, which followed the upset against Louisiana-Monroe. The team only scored 47 points in the last three games of the season, all losses.
"It's very difficult for me to believe that is not a bowl-eligible team," LSU coach Les Miles said following the Tigers' win over the Razorbacks in the season finale, according to ESPN.com. "Watching the talent there, (it's) very capable."
The Razorbacks had SEC-title aspirations with quarterback Tyler Wilson, but the senior was injured for part of the season and posted disappointing numbers. After throwing 24 touchdowns last season with just six interceptions, Wilson threw 21 touchdowns and 13 picks.
Petrino previously brought the Razorbacks to national attention last season after the team finished No. 5 in the nation, but the scandal changed everything, including his 21-5 record over the past two seasons.
"I'm excited about this decision," Arkansas cornerback Tevin Mitchel tweeted.
The team will attempt to move on from the Petrino scandal and put the disappointing season behind them. Bielema will attempt to lead the Razorbacks to their first SEC title in school history.
"The infrastructure in place at Arkansas shows the commitment from the administration to accomplish our goals together and I am excited to begin to lead this group of student-athletes," Bielema said. "This program will represent the state of Arkansas in a way Razorback fans everywhere will be proud of."
HERE is the full schedule of college bowl games for the 2012 season.
