Bret Bielema is moving from the Big Ten to the Southeastern Conference, and Gus Malzahn is returning to Auburn — this time to run the Tigers.
Boston College turned to Temple to fill its coaching vacancy, hiring Steve Addazio away from the Owls.
Bielema’s hiring by Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long was a stunner. Arkansas came in with high hopes, even after Bobby Petrio was fired amid scandal during the summer, but things fell apart quickly and the Razorbacks finished 4-8 under interim coach John L. Smith.
Bielema is in his seventh season as Barry Alvarez’s hand-picked successor at Wisconsin.
He’s 68-24 with the Badgers, with four double-digit winning seasons.
Malzahn was the offensive coordinator at Auburn for three seasons under the coach the Tigers just fired, Gene Chizik.
With Malzahn running the offense, and Cam Newton playing quarterback, Auburn went 14-0 in 2010 and won a national title. Malzahn left to take the Arkansas State job after last season and Auburn finished 3-9 and 0-8 in the SEC without him.
He led the Red Wolves to a 9-3 record, a Sun Belt Conference title and a berth in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Addazio, a Connecticut native, went 13-11 in two seasons with the Owls since taking over for Al Golden in Philadelphia.
Temple was 4-7 this season, its first back in the Big East after five in the Mid-American Conference.
— The Associated Press
