AUBURN AUTHORITY

Bret Bielema fires back at Gary Pinkel: 'I know fiction when I see it'

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser

HOOVER -- Bret Bielema is a fan of documentaries.

The things you learn at SEC Media Days.

In response to Gary Pinkel calling the health concerns over fast-paced offenses "fictional," Bielema fired back that be is "probably more of a reality‑based movie guy more than fiction, I guess. I think I deal more in what I know, what I see, what I believe."

The outspoken Arkansas coach would not back down on his stance that up-tempo offenses like Auburn's Hurry-Up, No-Huddle or Missouri's up-tempo attack are a potential threat to player safety.

"If I recruit somebody, bring them into my family, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they're the most well‑equipped, educated to make player safety a premium in our program," Bielema said. "I really like the fact that last year we made a stance, a big stance in college football about targeting. I sat on the player committee two years ago. We didn't make such a big wave as we did this year when we talked about the 10‑second rule. … So I firmly believe that, yes, our responsibility as coaches is player safety. However that comes about, whether it be a 10‑second rule in the future, whether it be a substitution mandatory rule that a committee comes in place and sets in college football, I think the game is going to be a safer one because of it."

Bielema and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn have traded barbs over their philosophical differences during the past year.

A believer in "Normal American Football," Bielema relishes playing no-huddle opponents.

"It is absolutely probably one of the most enjoyable things I can have as a coach," he said. "There's nothing more enjoyable than to see a no‑huddle offense sitting on the sideline and can't stand it.

"But to do that you have to play really good defense and you have to play well on offense. For my formula to work and complete wins, you have to be able to be good offensively, defensively and on special teams. All three have to work together. A lot of times no‑huddle offenses can play really good offense and bad defense and still win. That's just not how I'm going to work. I have seen a couple good fiction movies, though, so I know good fiction when I see it."