Hogs’ fans just want competitive teams … what happened to championships?
Football fans in Arkansas don’t even talk much these days about championships, instead seemingly re-focusing on just getting being able to keep things a little closer.
Yes, a program that was one of the 10 winningest programs in all of college football from 1958 to 1992 has fallen to being mentioned as one of the worst today.
It’s a slide that slipped when Frank Broyles tried to make the best of what he knew back in 1990 was going to take a heavy turn downward because he’d already had conversations and discussions about a merger between the Southwest Conference and the Big 8 didn’t include the Razorbacks.
Most fans these days don’t even talk about competing for a conference championship (which the Hogs have never won in the SEC) as the goal. These days the goal appears to be 6-6.
It was Lou Holtz who said back in 1977 that people live up to — or down to — expectations. Arkansas has turned into a program that rewarded a .500 coach with a contract extension that included a ridiculous buyout after the 2014 season.
A lot of people applauded the move. Some of us wondered at the time if it wasn’t the dumbest move made in Razorback athletics history.
Hindsight can point to that as the defining moment the foundation was laid for mediocre expectations that make average seasons as being considered a success.
Thus Hog fans find themselves mired in yet another coaching search where one person is deciding things and it really doesn’t matter what former coaches, players or even the rank-and-file fans think.
Hunter Yurachek is making the decision, which does eliminate the need for fans to settle on who to aim at if it goes wrong. Based on his recent basketball hiring, though, you kinda like the fact he’s picking the next coach.
There are some whispers that a couple of money people are pushing current Florida International coach Butch Davis, who is 68 and probably ranks third in Miami among college coaches in popularity behind Mario Cristobal and Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin, by the way, is who some fans want (imagine a single Kiffin turned loose on Dickson Street may be what keeps him from getting the job). Others hold out a pipe dream that Mike Leach gets the job, which is being content to keep coming up short, but scoring a bunch of points doing it.
Everybody’s got an answer in today’s world where more fans want affirmation instead of information. Let’s face it, if you put enough names on a hot board list the odds are in your favor one of them is going to be the pick.
Right now a lot of Razorback football fans have actually floated the idea of getting a coach in just to settle down the program, restore some credibility and set the stage for the next coach. It wasn’t intentional, but that’s kinda what Danny Ford did for Houston Nutt.
Yurachek is the only one I hear talking about finding a coach to compete for championships. Fans, by and large, apparently can’t grasp that competing for a title of any sort is remotely possible.
Apparently the athletic director is the only one that dares to speak the word championship and doesn’t exactly appear to be the type with a lot of patience for coaches that can’t point the ship in that direction.
Which is precisely the attitude everybody should have, in my opinion.
Razorback fans should be careful about hoping or even willing to be happy being mediocre. Many were ecstatic winning 10 games a year and finishing third in the SEC West just a few years after flying banners over the stadium to fire the coach winning 10 games and going to the conference championship game.
What changed? From this view it’s been lowered expectations and many willing to make excuses to not compete for a championship.
Yurachek apparently doesn’t think that way.
And it may make a difference in this coaching search.
Clary talked about what win could mean to program for offseason, next year
Razorbacks center Ty Clary talked after practice Tuesday about what getting a win in the season’s last game at War Memorial Stadium on Friday could mean to the program going foward.
Bell on ‘bittersweet moment’ playing last game Friday in War Memorial
Arkansas defensive end Jamario Bell after practice talked Tuesday about the “bittersweet moment” of playing his last game in Little Rock, where he played in state championship games.
Lindsey after practice Tuesday on continuing preparing to be ready
Razorbacks quarterback Jack Lindsey talked with the media for the first time after practice Tuesday about getting his opportunity against LSU last week and how he saw it.
Agim on playing final game for Razorbacks, importance of getting a win
Arkansas defensive tackle McTelvin Agim talked after practice Tuesday about playing is final game Friday, what getting a win against Missouri could mean to program.
Neighbors after first loss of season against Cal over weekend
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors talked Tuesday afternoon about falling late at California, travel issues and previewed the Bahamas Hoopefest facing more ranked teams.
???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Nikki on the incredible shot last night
Phil & Tye on Mason Jones’ incredible shot, Muss on what he has, plus Nikki Chavanelle!
Lunney appears to be fine with starting Lindsey at quarterback Friday
In the complete dysfunction of two seasons it probably shouldn’t be that surprising if former walk-on Jack Lindsey becomes the eighth different starting quarterback Friday in Little Rock against Missouri.
Interim coach Barry Lunney, Jr., was asked Monday the inevitable question about if he would be comfortable doing that.
“Absolutely,” Lunney said.
There wasn’t any wiggle rooom in that answer.
Lindsey, who’s become steady as the placement holder, got the first snaps at quarterback against LSU last Saturday that he’s seen in his four seasons with the Razorbacks.
Apparently, he’s quietly developed himself into a quarterback. It’s not like he had much coaching.
Dan Enos, who coached the quarterbacks under Bret Bielema, didn’t spend a lot of time working with Lindsey. Current offensive coordinator Joe Craddock has shown he doesn’t have a clue about how to develop anyone.
“He just knows what’s going on,” Lunney said about Lindsey. “He knows where to go with the ball. He knows the offense in and out. He’s kind of got the ‘it’ factor when it comes to those types of things. He’s just kind of a football junkee with a really high IQ.”
He doesn’t have the athleticism of true freshman K.J. Jefferson, who has tremendous upside, but that’s going to be a year or two down the road. Right now, Lindsey may know more about HOW to play football at this level than anyone else.
We’ve seen it in practices for a couple of years, but you hold back judgement until you see it in a game. Over nearly 50 years, you see a lot of quarterbacks who look like All-Americans in practice, but get in a game and you wonder why they’re even on the roster.
Lunney didn’t announce a starter at quarterback Monday. On the depth chart, Lindsey is listed second with an OR between he and Jefferson. He does fit the profile of what Lunney talked about is critical to success with the Hogs.
“At the end of the day you better be able to evaluate ’em and develop ’em,” Lunney said. “It’s really critical here … it always has been. You’ve got to identify those players who can help you win games, whether it’s immediately or three years down the line.”
Especially players within the state, even if they are walk-ons like Lindsey.
“You’ve got to go get ’em, you have to go all-out and do everything you can to get those guys, especially those guys within these borders,” he said. “There are some out that you’ve just gotta dig a little deeper for.”
In other words, like I’ve said over and over (and a lot of media people argue about), Arkansas is never going to be a consistent team in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings.
“It’s not about the splash on national signing day,” Lunney said Monday. “It’s about getting it right. There’s enough around here if you get the right guys to build it. You’ve gotta coach ’em up.”
Lunney knows what every coach that’s had success here for 60 years has known — it’s about evaluation, development and getting players that want to be part of the program here.
It’s really just selling what you’re doing to the right people who want to buy. That includes the fan base, by the way, that’s desperate for any kind of steps forward.
Chad Morris tried to do it but never could sell himself to the fans and, ultimately, the players themselves. Maybe his biggest mistakes, though, came in choosing his staff. Longtime SMU followers said Craddock would get Morris fired if he was the coordinator.
Lunney showed once again Monday why he should be part of the Razorback program going foward. What role he plays in that is something for others to decide.
Every coach in the last 60 years has won with over-achieving players (many from the state) that were developed and played above their ranking with fanatical effort.
Playing Lindsey on Friday checks off a lot of the boxes Lunney talked about in what it takes to build a program in Fayetteville:
• He grew up wanting to be a Razorback, following in his family’s footsteps.
• Lindsey was more than happy to be a walk-on.
• He worked at it every day and developed. It might have been interesting if a coach had helped, but the key here is he progressed.
• Lindsey figured out a way to get on the field, holding for placements.
• When he got a shot at quarterback, well, he made the most of it.
We’ll see how it plays out on the field Friday in a game that will mean a lot to the players that still care about anything and have a little pride.
That’s guys like Lindsey, by the way.
