Nutt at AD, Gus as coach? Well, it is silly season
Silly season is in full swing and this time Arkansas is right in the middle of it.
For better or worse.
It is likely for the Razorbacks it will include more than just the football coach.
Could athletics director Jeff Long (sorry, Jeffrey, but all that other grandiose title is too long to type and this parenthetical aside is probably shorter) be gone before New Year’s?
There are some that believe that could be the case.
It’s also likely when whoever fires Bret Bielema gets around to doing it (and every day they wait it is just prolonging the tortuous rumor mill) that Long won’t be included in choosing the next coach, even if he’s still hanging around.
And he shouldn’t be. It’s likely he knows the ball is blown up and not stuffed, but walking into Bud Walton Arena on Sunday holding a soda can that is NOT the official soft drink supplier of Razorback athletics indicates even that may be in doubt with some.
Which leads to the latest drama that brings two familiar names into the discussion for both jobs. Granted, they are not open right now but it won’t be surprising if one is vacant before the Thanksgiving turkey is gone and the other before the Christmas tree is taken down.
Could one Houston Dale Nutt be the next Hogs’ athletic director?
And — wait for it — Gus Malzahn as the new football coach?
Now THAT is one scenario nobody saw coming.
When I floated it to one former SEC coach Monday evening, his answer actually surprised me.
“That’s probably not a bad combination when you stop and think about it,” he said.
Now, let’s be clear: This is not a prediction, but a possible scenario based on names discussed for both positions.
When Malzahn was Nutt’s offensive coordinator in 2006 there was high drama all over the place.
To this day I don’t know if they hated each other, tolerated each other, respected each other or handled things in a professional manner.
Somehow the limited knowledge I have of both tells me they weren’t having fistfights in offices. Anything short of that is not completely uncommon with winning football teams.
Besides, neither would actually be dealing with the other on a day-to-day basis.
Despite what most people think very few former football coaches-turned-athletic director actually do much more than visit with the coach weekly or so just to talk about, well, football.
That’s kinda what even ex-coaches tend to do. Oh, a lot gets made of an ex-coach diagramming a play for his current coach but ex-coaches tend to do that, too, when they get together.
Darrell Royal once sat in a cafeteria in Austin, Texas, explaining to a young reporter the Wishbone offense and how it had advanced using salt shakers, sugar cannisters, ketchup bottles, steak sauce bottles and anything else handy, including napkins, waitresses’ pens and other things.
He hadn’t coached a game in more than 10 years, but he was convinced it would still work.
Both know Arkansas well. They both grew up here. They both played for the Razorbacks, then transferred to other schools. They both coached against the Razorbacks while at other SEC schools.
Nutt actually would probably be a better fit as Arkansas’ athletic director than Long has been for the last 10 years.
Some won’t like it, but then there were some that absolutely hated Frank Broyles. I know. I fielded phone calls and read the letters and, later, e-mails about him for 40 years.
As for Gus, one thing is for certain: Coaching the Razorbacks is something that is one of two ultimate destination jobs for him.
While some will say Gus would never leave Auburn, others say that is like one of those dysfunctional families in a Hollywood comedy.
I mean you’ve got the uncle that used to be rich but now just has a lot of money and still thinks he owns the place, then there’s the drunk uncle who still thinks he’s relevant.
Leaving that mess on The Plains wouldn’t surprise a lot of people.
Especially to come home.
His family is still in Fort Smith. He knows Arkansas high schools and where East Texas is located. That’s important because the last two head coaches were not especially welcome at a lot of places there (some assistants, yes, but we’re talking the head coach here) and until the Hogs start getting players from there it’s hard to see a path back to prosperity.
What’s Gus’ other dream job? Coaching the Dallas Cowboys.
There is kind of a connection there.
But, make no mistake about it, it would be interesting.
Bielema on Kelley, loss at LSU, game with Bulldogs
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema met with the media Monday and talked about suspending quarterback Cole Kelley, the loss to LSU and playing Mississippi State on Saturday.
Bielema failing to project confidence for sinking Hogs
If you didn’t know better, you’d think Bret Bielema had some sort of job security.
His press conference Monday was another one of those gatherings where you would not have been surprised if the cheerleaders and band paraded through near the end.
Does that sound like the same team safety Santos Ramirez complained about after Saturday’s 33-10 loss to LSU?
“I’m not in every guy’s head, but I got kind of worried at halftime when I saw some guys laughing,” Ramirez said. “I saw that focus leave us a little bit.”
After last week’s 39-38 win over Coastal Carolina, the players were whooping it up and celebrating coming off the field, talking about partying after the game.
Most championship coaches I’ve seen in over 45 years of doing this at almost every level would have.
There are some that believe Bielema might have led the charge to Dickson Street, an area of town where some say he is intimately familiar with.
No, for whatever reason it’s become painfully obvious that what many thought Arkansas was getting back in December 2012 was actually what I feared — a smoke and mirrors act.
When Bielema had Barry Alvarez looking over his shoulder and all he had to do was maintain something already built, he did okay. His three straight Big 10 titles included a couple of back-in’s helped by the NCAA against Ohio State and Penn State.
There is nothing he has shown in five years at Arkansas to give anyone confidence that he can build a team to be even semi-competitive on a regular basis in the SEC West.
Some of it is a lack of knowledge before he took the job. Some of it is just being plain stubborn about adapting his beliefs or having the experience necessary to hire (and keep) competent assistants.
He started off confused and went downhill from there.
Nothing is Bielema’s fault … ever.
Saturday when asked about a lack of playing time (again) for running back T.J. Hammonds, he promptly threw running backs coach Reggie Mitchell under the bus, saying he recommended going with the “older guys.”
Apparently Bret forgot that he has veto power over that.
But don’t worry, Hog fans.
The end of the Bielema Era is drawing to a close.
Rhoads on Bulldogs’ Fitzgerald, problems against LSU
Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads talks about Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and the defensive issues against LSU.
Enos talks about Allen, Mississippi State’s defense
Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos talks about Austin Allen’s play against LSU and looks ahead to Mississippi State.
Kelley suspended from team indefinitely after DWI
The first item on Bret Bielema’s agenda at his Monday press conference was addressing the status of quarterback Cole Kelley.
“He’s suspended indefinitely,” Bielema said.
Kelley was arrested early Sunday morning in Fayetteville and charged with DWI. He will be allowed to continue medical treatment and all academic support, but won’t be practicing or participating in team activities.
“He’s got to understand what life can be like without football,” Bielema said.
Going forward that leaves fifth-year senior Austin Allen and sophomore Ty Storey, who hasn’t seen the field very often this season, as the quarterbacks against Mississippi State.
Kelley, though, could be a big absence. Many were viewing him as the future of the program and Bielema is hoping he learned something from this.
“He’s been pretty honest and up front with me all the way through,” Bielema said. “… He’s very disappointed. We were disappointed. It’s a learning lesson that I hope he takes full advantage of, as well as our team.”
Because of the timing of the arrest, Kelley went through Sunday meetings with the rest of the team, which Bielema said was “one of the few times I’ve seen Cole quiet.”
“I kept him in the building Sunday because I wanted (him) to be around our guys, I wanted him to see them, face them,” Bielema said.
Kelley has a court appearance Wednesday.
Bielema on Kelley, LSU loss, looking at Bulldogs
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema met with the media Monday and talked about suspending quarterback Cole Kelley, the LSU loss and playing Mississippi State.
