The New England Patriots are expected to lose current defensive playcaller Brian Flores to the Miami Dolphins in the upcoming off-season. Flores has done a fantastic job with the defense, piloting the team to a third consecutive Super Bowl. While he will be missed, the Patriots need to hire somebody to fill the void. While nothing is official, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that Bret Bielema has told people he will be the next Patriots defensive coordinator. This move comes as a surprise, as he wasn’t on our list of likely replacements. However, let’s take a look at Bret Bielema and see what he can bring to the Patriots sidelines.

What to Expect From Bret Bielema If He Gets the Defensive Coordinator Job

Bielema spent the 2018 season with New England serving as the consultant to the head coach. While that job description is vague, Bielema has been seen working with the defense and special teams. This makes sense, as Bielema spent most of his career on the defensive side of the ball.

Bielema is best known for his work in the collegiate coaching ranks. Bielema most recently spent the 2013-2017 seasons as the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach. He posted an unimpressive 29-34 record with Arkansas, including an 11-29 record in the SEC.

However, he fared better as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. Leading the team from 2006-2012, Bielema posted a 68-24 record while earning three first-place finishes in the Big-10. His best season came in 2006 when he posted a 12-1 record while going 7-1 in the conference. Bielema won 11 games to start his head coaching career, which still stands as a Wisconsin record.

Prior to being a head coach, Bielema served as the defensive coordinator for Wisconsin from 2004-2005 and Kansas State from 2002-2003. It was his work as defensive coordinator which first made Wisconsin hire him as head coach in 2006.

Bielema played defensive line for the University of Iowa under then-head coach Hayden Fry. Bielema spent four seasons with Iowa, earning captains honors as a senior. He attempted to pursue his dream of professional football in the Arena Football League, but only lasted one season before joining the coaching world.

Bielema’s Ties to New England

Bielema didn’t have many established coaching connections in New England prior to joining the staff. However, he has worked under quite a few respected coaches such as Kirk Ferentz, Bill Snyder, and Barry Alvarez. All three are great coaches and certainly helped Bielema throughout his career. Additionally, quite a few of Bielema’s old players made have had great success in New England.

Wisconsin alumni James White and Arkansas alumnus Trey Flowers and Deatrich Wise all played college ball under Bielema. Each player was drafted in the fourth round of their respective drafts, yet each has been well worth the investment.

After riding the bench as a rookie, James White has evolved into one of the best receiving backs in the league. White was arguably the most dangerous weapon in the Patriots passing game, finishing his season with 87 receptions for 751 yards to go along with 94 carries for 425 yards and a combined 12 touchdowns. He plays his best in the postseason, as White boasts the record for most receptions in a Super Bowl and the franchise record for most receptions in a postseason game.

Likewise, Flowers has developed into one of the best defensive ends in the league. An absolute monster on the edge, Flowers finished his 2018 season with 7.5 sacks, 57 tackles, and 20 quarterback hits. He plays the run and the pass at an elite level and is arguably New England’s most important defender.

Deatrich Wise isn’t quite as good as those two, but the second-year defensive end is still a good depth piece. Wise played in all 16 regular season games this year, recording 4.5 sacks, 30 tackles, and 16 quarterback hits. An ankle injury has kept him out of the playoffs, but he should return to take the field for Super Bowl LIII.

The Coaching Fallout

If Bielema is the next in line, then that all-but ensures Greg Schiano will not be on the Patriots sideline in 2019. Schiano and Bill Belichick have a long history together, and many expected a 2019 reunion. However, that won’t happen unless Schiano is named the defensive coordinator. Schiano won’t want to be a positional coach, so this reunion won’t happen any time soon.

As far as the in-house candidates go, it looks like Brendan Daly and Josh Boyer will continue to serve as defensive line coach and cornerbacks coach, respectively. Flores served as the linebackers coach in addition to defensive playcaller, so that position will still need to be filled. At this point, the most likely candidates appear to be Steve Belichick and Pepper Johnson. Belichick is currently the safeties coach, but the linebacker position would be something of a promotion. Johnson, meanwhile, actually served as New England’s linebacker and defensive line coach from 2000-2013. Johnson isn’t in the NFL anymore and is currently a defensive line coach for the Memphis Express. New England could probably lure him back to the NFL with the right offer. They could also choose to promote Daly and have Johnson coach the defensive line.

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