Fans’ frustration level boiling over after Kiffin chooses better job

Arkansas fans’ frustration level probably went to the stage of boiling over Saturday as Ole Miss announced the hiring of Lane Kiffin.

Hunter Yurachek and his merry band had conversations with Kiffin, but we don’t know how those actually went … or really even if they got to the stage of serious.

Oh, everybody has some sources that know somebody. I’ve had people insist to me they knew people that were related to somebody that knew it was going to be first one, then the other.

Even Houston Dale Nutt has been mentioned along with Butch Davis as the senior candidates.

The actual ones who may still be in the picture are Appalachian State coach Eli Drinkwitz and interim coach Barry Lunney, Jr., who likely will be with the Hogs in some capacity if he wants regardless who’s hired.

The lack of information out there is what has driven Razorback fans to the point of where they are totally, completely and hilariously off the rails as of Saturday night.

Many feel the Board of Trustees blocked the hiring of Kiffin. Others have said there was never an offer on the table for Kiffin. There will be a few that go to their grave believing the Hogs were out-negotiated by Ole Miss.

What actually happened is not known, but reports out of Oxford are saying Kiffin’s deal with the Rebels is for $4 million a year and I’ve been told Arkansas could have topped that.

The fact is right now the Ole Miss job is a better job than the one currently open in Fayetteville.

Yeah, I know, Hog fans tend to assume everyone should share their view, but having been all over the SEC, I can tell you right now that view hasn’t been widely shared for at least the last 10 years.

Believe it or not, today’s world of college football coaches doesn’t mean you throw enough money out there and that’s all it takes. Coaches ain’t starving these days and the track record of success in Fayetteville hasn’t been particularly appealing.

They aren’t going to risk career suicide for a shot at a couple of million bucks. And, yes, I know most reading this would in a second, but coaches look at the roster, what’s there for assistants, attractiveness to recruits and, finally, the money.

At least that’s what several have told me over the last few years.

Right now Arkansas football is mired in a death spiral.

Every coach not already listed as the one expected to be named to a head job somewhere is on the wishlist of Razorback fans.

What started as confusion for the fans has turned into complete chaos. Somehow I still think Yurachek has played this exactly how he wanted all along.

Yeah, I know. Fans will disagree with that, but I didn’t expect anybody to be announced before this weekend at the earliest unless somebody unexpected all of a sudden had an interest in the job.

This is a similar situation Jeff Long found himself in back in 2012 trying to replace Bobby Petrino, who had been fired for a year and a half. Then-current coordinators in the SEC weren’t even interested and Long remembered a love letter from Bret Bielema and found someone trying to get away from having adult supervision.

If there was any doubt, the Arkansas job is not considered a top job. That happens with five head coaches since the end of the 2011 season and the most recent was fired less than two seasons into it.

Razorback football is not even in the Top 100 in winning percentage over that time.

A lot of coaches don’t think you can win in Fayetteville.

Yurachek’s task is to find somebody that might be able to win that’s willing to try.