And, this was always one of the “mitigating” points I would wrestle over when I considered the “should we keep him or move on” fate of CBB.
Let me state right here that ultimately, I agreed that we had make a change, and - moreover - Chad Morris quickly became the coach I wanted us to hire. So, I’m happy with where we are now, relatively speaking (i.e., I’d be happier if we were all speculating about an SEC Championship season; but I’m pleased with our new direction).
That said, I was really, really pulling for Bielema to have a better season and then build upon it in the future, for many reasons. Unlike many, I still strongly prefer the style of football he played to the hurry-up, short-pass offenses many schools feature today (and, yes, I do realize that is the “wave of the future”, whether I like it or not). But there also was the issue of continuity vs. having to reset and “retool” personnel to fit a new style (as we are going through now).
However, even more than that, I was and have been legitimately proud of the academic progress and record that Football, in particular, has posted during the years CBB was on campus. I know many will scoff at that and ridicule it as a “loser’s consolation prize”. But to me, winning on and off the field are not mutually exclusive. Sure, I really, really want to win some Championships - I’m starved for one! But I do believe, unlike some, that for a college team, it’s still about the classroom first and then athletics. Also, I believe that “winners” in the classroom translate into athletes that play smart and play with character.
I’m proud of the record of academic success reflected in the OP, and I thank Coach Bielema and his staff for that excellent result, along with congratulating the players who got it done.
