Arnie Bielema is not an unfamiliar name if you are familiar with college football and National Football League (NFL).
He is the father of the current New York Giants‘ outside linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant, Bret Bielema. Furthermore, he is also famous as the father-in-law of businesswoman and model Jennifer Hielsberg.
Arnie had a pig farm in Prophetstown, Illinois. He was well-known for his hog farm. Not to mention, Bielema’s farm had more pigs than the town’s human population.
Hence, he was a hardworking man. Many people praised the pig farmer’s dedication and consistency in his work. He has instilled all of those values in his kids too.
Although not much is known about Arnie’s life, he is usually known for his children’s achievements.
The father of an NFL coach has a total of five kids; two girls and three boys. The father of five is very proud of the right people his children have turned out to be.
His name sometimes pops up in the media, primarily because of his son Bret, an NFL coach.
Besides that, the hog farmer loves to play golf with his sons. The three sons started playing golf with their father when they were six to seven years old.
His children often visit him with his grandchildren to keep him company. He loves being a grandfather.
Before getting into details about the NFL coach’s father’s life, here are some quick details about his life.
Quicks Facts
| Full Name | Arnie Bielema |
| Birth Date | 1939 |
| Birth Place | Union Grove, Whiteside, Illinois |
| Nick Name | Arnie |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Not Available |
| Horoscope | Not Available |
| Father’s Name | Richard Bielema |
| Mother’s Name | Henrietta Bielema |
| Siblings | Not Available |
| Age | 85 Years Old |
| Height | Not available |
| Weight | Average |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Known For | Father of NFL Coach Bret Bielema |
| Profession | Hog Farmer |
| Current Work | Retired |
| Position | Owner |
| Active Status | Not Active |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Marilyn Bielema |
| Kids | Five; Betsy, Brandi, Bart, Barry, Bret |
| Net Worth | Not Available |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Arnie Bielema | Early Life, Family, And Education
Arnie Bielema was born in Union Grove, Whiteside, Illinois, to Richard Bielema and Henrietta Bielema. At the time of his birth, his parents were only 28 years old.
The father of five was counted as one year old in the 1940 census. He grew up in a rural environment. Nevertheless, he was very outgoing and played sports.
Besides that, he is popular in the town for his humility and kindness. In addition, people in the town often praise him for his commitment and enthusiasm for his work.
Moreover, the former hog farmer is well-known for raising his kids with his parents’ same morals and values.
There is no accurate information available regarding his education. However, he might’ve completed his high-school education at a local high school in Illinois.
The now 82-year-old has been a pig farmer for as long as people know him.
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Arnie Bielema | Age, Height, And Weight
The former hog farmer is currently in his 80s and recently turned 85 Years Old. However, he is pretty fit for his age and has an average height and weight.
Arnie Bielema | Professional Career
Bielema was a former hog farmer. He had a pig farm in Prophetstown, where he raised 2500 pigs.
Moreover, the population of his pigs exceeded the human population in the town. Therefore, it took a lot of hard work and patience working on the farm.
The father of five involved all of his kids in his work. Furthermore, he gave all of them daily chores and encouraged them to complete them.
His son, Bret, has often shared how working on the farm helped him be disciplined and believe in hard work. Besides that, it gave them a good sense of work ethic and responsibility.
Hence, all five children grew up to be hard-working and humble citizens. One of his daughters, Brandi, is a registered nurse in the same town, his sons have a marketing degree, and Bret is well-known for coaching NFL and college teams.
Correspondingly, Bret also has a marketing degree from the University of Iowa.
Arnie Bielema | Marriage And Kids
Marriage
The father of the NFL coach married his wife, Marilyn Bielema when he was only 20 years old.
They met when they were relatively young and fell in love shortly after. As of July 1, 2020, the couple celebrated their 60th marriage anniversary. Marilyn was a homemaker and looked after the children.
Nevertheless, she helped her husband to look after the pigs on their hog farm. In addition, she is very close to all of her children and shares a special bond with each one of them.
The pair has five children; two daughters named Brandi and Betsy and three sons named Bart, Barry, and Bret.
Marilyn Bielema’s Breast Cancer
As a big inspiration in her house, Marilyn Bielema equally stands as the bigger source in the outer world.
Marilyn Bielema is a breast cancer survivor and a passionate supporter of breast cancer research and awareness for all the questions.
Marilyn had breast cancer when Brandi Bielema was just 13 years old. Indeed, she has no signs of it nor premonitions.
All in all, the first thought to strike her mind after she found her breast cancer was that Brandi still needed a mother at home, and she would do anything to get her well.
Now, it’s been decades since she has had a battle with it, and she stands strong above it. Furthermore, for her courage, she was awarded in 2008.
To elaborate, the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation awarded her as the Champion in Women’s Health Awards.
Besides, in 2014, she also stood as an honorary co-chair for the 2014 Annual Komen Ozark Race for the Cure. As a matter of fact, Marilyn is a retired daycare operator.
“If my story can help one woman make the decision to get her mammogram, then everything I have been through is worth it. I tell the ladies to be selfish and put themselves and that doctor’s appointment for a physical ahead of everything.”
-Marilyn Bielema
Indeed, we can say that toughness runs in Bielema’s family.
Kids
Betsy Bielema
Betsy Lynn Bielema was born on January 16, 1963, to Arnie and Marilyn. She was one of his two daughters.
She was a very energetic and outgoing soul. Like her father, Betsy was kind and humble. Furthermore, she was hard-working and gracious. She graduated with honors from Prophetstown High School in 1981.
Not to mention, Arnie’s daughter was very athletic. She played basketball and was also a part of the girls’ track team in school.
Not to mention, the basketballer was also the homecoming princess. After a wonderful high-school journey, she went on to attend Illinois State University. Correspondingly, she was also a member of the girls’ track team there.
The former basketballer majored in marketing. After college graduation, Bielema moved to Seattle and worked in the King Broadcasting Company’s accounting department. Betsy had a caring and giving nature.
Besides work, she was heavily invested in the I Have A Dream Foundation. There she was a volunteer for different projects and tutored inner-city children.
However, she sadly passed away when she was only 27 years old. While she was horseback riding in Washington state, the horse spooked by a snake bite knocked her off.
After the death of his sister, Bret was deeply affected mentally.
Although she was flown by helicopter to the Seattle hospital, she failed to make it after her immediate surgery. Betsy’s funeral took place at Leon United Methodist Church.
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Bret Bielema
Initial and College Coaching Career
Bret is a football coach who coaches well-known NFL teams like the New England Patriots and New York Giants. He was born on January 13, 1970.
The coach was athletic since he was a kid. He played football in school and went on to play for the University of Iowa. As a player with the Hawkeyes, he beat Iowa State for the entirety of his college career.
Likewise, he has maintained an Arkansas record of 5-7.
From there, he graduated with a degree in marketing. The former footballer had played and worked under notable coaches like Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz, Bill Snyder, and Barry Alvarez.
Although he had a marketing degree, he pursued a career in football and coaching. The NFL coach started his coaching career under the guidance of his Iowa coach Hayden Fry.
Initially, he was a graduate assistant and later on departed as a linebackers coach for the Hawkeyes.
After that, he became a co-defensive coordinator for the Kansas State Wildcats for a year. Similarly, the former footballer became the defensive coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nevertheless, he was promoted to the head coach position a year later.
After serving as the head coach for six years, he left Wisconsin for Arkansas in 2013. He had a pretty decent career with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Along with the team, he defeated his former mentor Bill Snyder at the Autozone Liberty Bowl. Moreover, he led the team to a win in the 2014 Texas Bowl.
NFL Career
Furthermore, Bret was reported as the highest-paid Arkansas employee with an estimated payment of $4,200,000. However, the former footballer was fired from the head coach position after five seasons with the Razorbacks.
Bielema was then appointed as a head coach consultant for the New England Patriots in 2018.
The same year he went on to win Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots. Hence, the following year he was assigned to the position of defensive line coach.
Bret currently serves as the outside linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant for the New York Giants.
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Brandi, Bart, and Barry Bielema
Arnie’s other children prioritize their privacy and maintain a life outside of the limelight. Nonetheless, Brandi Bielema Cooper is a registered nurse who serves at Allure of Prophetstown. She has worked there since 2018.
Furthermore, she loves her post-marriage life and often raises awareness against childhood cancer.
Bart and Barry are also married and have a small, happy family of their own. The brothers enjoy playing golf with their father and sibling Bret whenever they get a chance.
Arnie Bielema | Net Worth And Salary
Although Bielema is a successful hog farmer raising hard-working and successful children, his exact wealth is not available.
Nevertheless, his net worth estimation is somewhere between $100,000 to $500,000.
Besides that, Arnie’s son Bret has a net worth of $8 million. Not to mention, he earns a pretty decent salary of $3.2 million.
Furthermore, Bret’s wife, Jennifer Hielsberg, is a model and businesswoman. She has worked in well-known finance companies and is reportedly worth $500,000.
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Arnie Bielema | Social Media Presence
Common Queries
Who does Bret Bielema coach for?
Arnie Bielema’s son, Bret, coaches for the National Football League team New York Giants. He was offered the job and hired on January 21, 2020. Recently he coached New England Patriots, with whom he won Super Bowl LIII.
Is Bret Bielema still married?
Yes, Bret is still married to his longtime girlfriend, the former model and businesswoman Jennifer Hielsberg. Moreover, the couple celebrated their eight years of togetherness on March 10, 2020. The pair have two beautiful daughters.
