Former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema says he won’t coach the Badgers in the Rose Bowl. He has an idea who might, however.
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez has a news conference scheduled for today where he’s expected to discuss Rose Bowl staffing. Alvarez was Bielema’s predecessor at Wisconsin, and there’s speculation he’ll return to the sideline when the Badgers play Stanford on Jan. 1.
“I think he’s actually coaching their bowl game,” Bielema said Wednesday in Fayetteville, Ark., during his introduction as Arkansas’ coach. “I just heard that before I came here, which would be awesome. They might finally win one. Everyone tells me he won three and I lost two.”
Arkansas will pay Bielema $3.2 million annually for six seasons.
COACHING SHUFFLE
Purdue has hired Darrell Hazell of Kent State as its new coach. Hazell won this season’s Mid-American Conference coach of the year award after leading Kent State (11-2) to its first winning season since 2001 and its first bowl appearance since Don James led the Golden Flashes to the 1972 Tangerine Bowl.
Boston College hired Temple coach Steve Addazio to replace Frank Spaziani.
Cincinnati’s Butch Jones denied he has agreed to coach Colorado. In a text message, Jones called a report that he’s accepted the position “absolutely false.”
Florida International fired Mario Cristobal after a 3-9 season.
AWARDS
Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert won the John Mackey Award as college football’s best tight end.
South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney won the Ted Hendricks Award, the first sophomore named the nation’s top defensive end.
EXTRA POINTS
California released a statement that wide receiver Keenan Allen will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. …. Rutgers is suing the Big East Conference trying to avoid paying a $10 million exit fee to join the Big Ten in 2014.
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