James White and Bret Bielema go way back to when the latter recruited the former to Wisconsin in 2010. They met again in New England and then in Illinois. Now, the Fighting Illini HC’s assistant is leaving him for a head coaching position. You’d expect some sort of resentment. Bielema is not one of those coaches.

James White has accepted the head coaching position at Benet Academy, as announced yesterday. Bielema, though, was happy with the coach’s move and congratulated him for the feat.

“James hire, a big news coming this afternoon. It’s kind of cool, so I’m super excited for him. He’s really been a blessing,” said the head coach in his November 20 press conference.

Under Bielema’s guidance, White went on to win the Big 10 Freshman of the Year in 2010 and earned second-team All-Big Ten Honors in 2010 and 2013. Later on, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native was selected in the 2014 NFL draft by the Patriots, where he sealed his legend status, winning 3 Super Bowls. But, for Bielema, his relationship with White extends beyond his tenure at Wisconsin.

“I joined the Patriots and shared a journey with him, and then now got him into coaching. He’ll take another step forward, and I’m really excited for him later this year. But he gave us a good year here, and super excited about his future,” said Bielema.

White, in return, replied to Bielema’s X post, congratulating him and saying, “Thank you, Coach.”

Bielema was the Patriots’ head coaching consultant in 2018. In 2019, he was promoted as the team’s defensive line coach. He was the one who oversaw the Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl win. At the time, White was part of the roster. Post-retirement, he had a stint at Northern Illinois in 2024 and then joined Bielema’s coaching staff this season. Now, he’ll lead Benet Academy, replacing Pat New, who retired after a 92-67 record.

That said, while Bielema seems happy with White’s head coach job, it was not always the case.

Bret Bielema’s relationship with James White overshadows his aversion to disloyal coaches

Bret Bielema has built his coaching staff like a stonemason, perfecting it brick by brick. Right now, he has Aaron Henry as his DC, a former Wisconsin player, and Terrence Jamison, DL coach, and his former Wisconsin DL. Both players hold legendary status in Wisconsin and have a longstanding relationship with the Illinois head coach. However, despite their shared loyalty and relationships, Bielema has maintained concerns about losing coaches.

“I’ve lost some (coaches) to the NFL during my career, and this year, in the last five days, I think I’ve heard from four NFL teams,” said Bielema in January. Bielema also outlined how his mentor and Iowa legend Hayden Fry had emphasized loyalty from coaches. “Coach [Fry] always said there are two types of coaches: there are coaches that try to find their next job or the ones that take care of the job they have.” That advice was the reason Wisconsin’s head coach rejected a top coordinator job, too.

That’s precisely what Bielema wants from his coaches. Loyalty, respect, and staying put. But if a good opportunity comes, it wouldn’t be up to Bielema to stop his assistants. For that, the Illinois head coach simply asks to be kept “in the loop.” That loyalty for now has paid dividends so far since the Illinois head coach is 7-3 in the season after finishing with a 10-win season in 2024.