Las Vegas is a special place for Illini head coach Bret Bielema. During his weekly press conference on Monday, the 51-year-old made mention that two of the most special people he’s ever met happened in Sin City.
One of the two was his wife Jen, whom he married in 2012 and met at a casino in Vegas prior. The other was Paul Chryst, who Barry Alvarez — the Wisconsin legend and Bielema’s predecessor — introduced to him, and Bielema eventually hired on his staff.
Bielema left Wisconsin after that 2012 season, after making six consecutive bowls, and went to Arkansas to be the head football coach of the Hogs.