Bret Bielema to reportedly serve in coaching role with Patriots
Bret Bielema lost his job as the head coach at Arkansas back in November, but the New England Patriots have kept him plenty busy over the past several months.
Prior to the NFL Draft, Bielema served as a consultant for the Patriots and helped them evaluate prospects. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Bielema will remain with the team in a coaching role — at least in the short-term — now that the draft has come and gone.
Former Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema has continued to work for the Patriots after the draft. Look for him to be involved with coaching duties as the team begins its rookie minicamp tomorrow.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 10, 2018
Bielema obviously has the respect of Bill Belichick, as he was mentioned as one of the college coaches Belichick consulted before the draft even when he was still with the Razorbacks. The Patriots have also drafted a few of Bielema’s former players, most notably Trey Flowers and James White, in late rounds and seen the decisions pan out.
Bielema has been linked to other college coaching jobs since Arkansas fired him, and there’s a chance that could be something he pursues again in the future. In the meantime, you can’t ask for a much better resume booster than working with Belichick and the Pats.