Anybody that would know who the next Arkansas football coach is going to be, they aren’t saying anything … and, as usual, the only ones jabbering don’t really know anything.
The guess here is Hunter Yurachek knows what he wants and he deflected that Monday.
“All will be considered,” he said.
He has the parameters he’s got to work within and most of us have no idea exactly what that is, but it’s a good guess he knows a lot more about what’s needed, who might be interested and what might work than anybody knows.
Most fans will trust his decision more than the last hiring process, which in hindsight looks more like a knee-jerk reaction based on a little too much urgency.
Shoot, even Gus Malzahn may be on the table right now. Tigers defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is the best coach at Auburn right now and it’s a good bet the powers that be down there might be willing to work out a deal just to get the Gus Bus out of town.
Whether he’s really a fit at Arkansas is not known. He has won with the Tigers, but he can round up better players there than he could in Fayetteville. Can he win games in the SEC coaching up two-star and three-star players?
Remember, just because a coach has had success somewhere else doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen at Arkansas, which is a unique place.
And right now there’s a lot of coaches that think it’s where coaches go to disappear.
All of that calls for the requisite listing:
You don’t really want these guys
• Mike Leach. Yes, he was able to recruit at Texas Tech, so he knows a thing or two about Texas, but he’s never really been able to win the biggest games when it counted.
For those of us in the media it would be fun times, but is he really the answer? I don’t think so, but that’ just my opinion.
• Lane Kiffin. There’s always a buzz about him but everywhere he’s left has been a path of destruction behind him. Sorta like what you see after a tornado.
Plus, does he really know anything about Arkansas? He was a toddler when his dad Monte was Lou Holtz’ defensive coordinator from 1977-79.
• Bobby Petrino. A lot of people want to just talk about his apology for getting caught in an inappropriate relationship after flying through the handlebars, but he was going to do a repeat of what just happened at Louisville.
Yurachek wouldn’t be bullied like Jeff Long was and the main baggage with Petrino had nothing to do with his relationship. Yes, he can draw up plays and call ’em, but he discovered in Louisville II he can’t bully the players any more, either.
• Jon Gruden. Please, not again
Intriguing possibilities
• Houston Nutt. He wants back in coaching, is a convert to a spread offense that is a lot like what Morris had and has won at Arkansas in the SEC. He also has a ton of support from former players and a lot of boosters.
But is he the right fit at this time for Arkansas?
• Sam Pittman. It’s not a very well-kept secret he would be interested in the job, can recruit like crazy and develop offensive linemen. But can he do the same magic at other positions on the field, build a staff and handle in-game decisions?
He’s at Georgia now which has managed to blow key games under Kirby Smart with incredibly bad sideline management. That’s not just my opinion, but what other SEC current and former coaches tell me.
• Barry Lunney, Jr. If you want a similar situation to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, it’s Lunney, not Chad Morris. Remember, Swinney was the wide receivers coach with zero coordinator experience when handed the keys to the Tigers.
And, don’t forget, he’s got the keys to the car to drive around for three weeks.
• Tim Horton. Another former player who has spent time at various college football coaching stops and knows the ropes about as well as anyone could imagine.
Whether he’s a viable candidate or not, there should be a place for him somewhere in the program.
The water-cooler favorites right now
• Mike Norvell. The Memphis coach has a lot of support, mainly because he puts an offense on the field that lights up scoreboards. His defense also lets the other time light up the other side of that scoreboard, but I’m not sure that matters after watching LSU and Alabama combine for 87 points in one game.
• Eliah Drinkwitz. Having an 8-1 success in his first year at Appalachian State, has ties to Arkansas and has worked as an assistant (with success) around the country.
But he’s likely going to come at a premium, which is what happens when you have big success in your first year, accomplishing what he’s done in his first year.
There’s at least a baker’s dozen of other names being thrown out there, but it’s hard to see any of them being a fit for Arkansas.
In the end, that’s the most important thing. Coaching the Razorbacks is unique, from just about every perspective you can think of.
It’s going to take someone different is the guess from here and, no, I don’t have the answer.
But I am pretty sure Yurachek has an idea.
