5 September 2023
LAWRENCE (KSNT)- Lance Leipold and Brett Bielema will be on opposite sidelines on Friday night in Lawrence, but the two are anything but enemies.
They’re actually friends, Leipold told reporters on Monday.
“Brett has been awesome to me,” Leipold said.
The now Jayhawk and Illini leaders have a relationship dating back to Leipold’s DIII days. Leipold was the coach at Wisconsin-Whitewater when Bielema was leading the Wisconsin Badgers.
“Right before we went to play for a national championship we practiced outside and it was 15 degrees… minus five wind chill,” Leipold said. “[Bielema] said ‘Why didn’t you just call me and ask, and I would’ve moved our practice.'”
That’s not the only time Bielema, who has 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, has offered his help.
“When I got the Buffalo job he reached out twice and invited me down to Fayetteville to sit down and go through things,” Leipold said. “The first time I thought it was general then he called right before they were going to a bowl game…”
Leipold decided to take Bielema, who was coaching for Arkansas at the time, up on the offer.
“It was immesely valuable to me,” Leipold said. “I’ll always be indebted to Brett.”
Bielema spent on season in Kansas, 2002-03 when he was the co- defensive coordinator for K-State. He also made college stops at Iowa, Arkansas and Wisconsin before Illinois.
Plus, Bielema has professional coaching experience. He spent two seasons with the Patriots and one with the New York Giants before returning to the college world and taking the job in Champaign, Illinois.
Bielema might not be offering help this week. Leipold will look to defeat his coaching friend and mentor in the Jayhawks’ week two matchup.
KU and Illinois kickoff at 6 p.m. in Lawrence on Friday. The game will air on ESPN2.