Large crowd on hand to see Coach Bielema

MANILA -- A capacity crowd was on hand Wednesday night at the Manila Regional Airport to see new Arkansas Razorback head football coach Bret Bielema at the Mississippi County Razorback Club banquet.

The banquet was originally scheduled for Monday but inclement weather throughout Arkansas postponed the event until Wednesday night. The change in schedule didn't prevent a record crowd for the event from showing up. Prior to speaking to the large crowd, Bielema signed autographs and spoke to fans for about a half hour.

"It doesn't matter where we are in the state -- northeast, southwest -- everybody is a Razorback. There's just tremendous support," said Bielema, who takes over the Razorback job after leading the University of Wisconsin to three straight Rose Bowl appearances.

Bielema touched on the differences between the two jobs.

"I never get the right answer with this, because I'll upset one and make the other happy," he said. "It's the pure passion here that's different. At Wisconsin, there was an NFL team. There were the Green Bay Packers but there was also the Brewers and Bucks to support them. Here, we are the NFL. We're the NHL, the NBA and pro baseball. It's the Arkansas Razorbacks. That's what brings this passion out. I'm sure tonight, we'll set a record for calling the Hogs, which is a good thing. It's just really overwhelming, the support."

Not only is the passion of the fans overwhelming throughout the state but the talent level in the state has been high recently making in-state recruiting a priority for the new coach. With talents such as Davion McKinney (Forrest City) and A.J. Turner (East Poinsett County) already in the program and Osceola's Korliss Marshall attending next year, Bielema definitely sees the importance of keeping the local talent at home.

"The thing that's jumped out at me is that the kids from Arkansas that are in that program, that means a lot for them to have success."

Marshall was given an offer late in the process but Bielema is happy to have him on board.

"The great thing about Korliss is, I just think he's an untapped commodity," he said. "I don't know if he's going to be a wide receiver, running back or start him at DB (defensive back). When you meet him, you see that he's physically gifted. He's got all the right bumps in all the right places. I think he has a chance to grow. I don't know if he'll be a guy we play in that first year but definitely in the near future."

Spring workouts are right around the corner, and Bielema touched on what the team will try to accomplish.

"We have an idea and philosophy in our program to just take everyday for what it is. That's the way we'll approach spring ball. We've got 15 practices over a 45 day window and we'll just take everyday as an opportunity to get ourselves better that day and put ourselves into a good position and make the most of it."

As for the current group of Razorbacks, Bielema has been pleased to their openness to his approach.

"I'm excited. We've had our afternoon workouts and the team is open to everything. They're great coachability-wise, they've been trying and competing. Yesterday, I tried to test them physically and they didn't flinch an inch. It's been fun just to see that reception and the willingness."

With expectations high in his first year in the Southeast Conference, Bielema appears ready and up for the challenge to get the Hogs back into championship contention.

"You've got 85 scholarship players and we'll fill that up with the best players we can to win a championship," he said. "But you can't really jump to the end. You have to take every day for what it its. It's a building process. I don't want to set up expectations that can't be reached. I just want to set up a standard that I want success to come. It's building on a daily basis and you can't deviate away from that plan."

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com