Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors wants his team to get off to faster starts, but he’s still trying to figure out how to do it.
Venables’ name pops up in talk about Hogs’ opening
It really was a just a matter of time before Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ name surfaced in the rumor mill around Arkansas’ coaching vacancy.
He is considered in some circles as the best assistant coach in college football these days and it’s kinda hard to argue with that.
He’s coached defenses that have played in back-to-back national championship games and won the last one, although it could be argued the defense didn’t exactly slow Alabama down that much in either game.
Barrett Sallee at CBSSports.com placed Venables’ name into the mix along with one we’ve heard numerous times in the past couple of weeks: Mike Norvell at Memphis:
Sources tell CBS Sports that Venables impressed many people tied to Arkansas when he was in Little Rock, Arkansas, receiving the 2016 Broyles Award given to the nation’s top assistant coach. His ability to consistently produce top-tier defenses in conjunction with Clemson’s high-octane, no-huddle offense is a trait that would translate well to an Arkansas program that recognizes the need to be more innovative offensively after Bielema’s more traditional approach never found sustained success.
We’ve heard from folks that Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is still the No. 1 target. Venables offers no quicker hiring options as the Tigers are poised to be in the College Football Playoff if they get past Miami in the ACC Championship game Saturday night.
Plus there’s still that question about whether Venables, who has turned down overtures on other head coaching jobs, is even interested in being a head coach.
“I love my job. I love the simplicity of it,” Venables said in a story with the Charleston Post and Courier in 2014. “I’m not going to be defined by a title or any kind of stature or pay. I just want to make sure I’m somewhere successful and got a quality family life.”
In a teleconference Sunday before the title game, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said nobody’s brought it up to him.
“We are 100 percent focused on Miami. I don’t know anything about that and I never get too worried or focused on any of that stuff,” Swinney said. “There are a million rumors and whatever. Our focus, Brent’s focus is on — I promise you — getting ready for Miami.”
He did say, however, it’s his policy to help his assistants get head jobs if they want them.
“I’ve always had a policy of if guys have opportunities somewhere down the road that they think is good for them, that’s great,” Swinney said. “But nobody’s sitting around worrying about any of that stuff. Everybody’s focused on trying to beat Miami this week. That’s it.”
Barford leads Razorbacks’ win over Huskies at PK80
PORTLAND, Ore. — Jaylen Barford scored 16 of his 24 points in the first half, and Arkansas used a huge second-half run to rout Connecticut 102-67 on Sunday in the consolation bracket of the PK80 Invitational.
The Razorbacks (5-1) rebounded nicely from being overwhelmed by North Carolina in the semifinals on Friday.
Arkansas led 45-31 at halftime and blew away the Huskies in the second half thanks to a 19-0 run that gave the Razorbacks a 72-41 lead.
The Razorbacks topped 100 points for the second time this season after scoring 101 in a win over Bucknell.
Barford was a spectator for a big chunk of the second half. His 24 points came in just 28 minutes.
He was 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 on 3-pointers. He was the leader of a tremendous shooting performance by the Razorbacks, hitting 60 percent for the game and 65 percent in the second half. Arkansas was 11-of-19 on 3-pointers.
Daryl Macon added 16 points after leaving Friday’s game against North Carolina early due to a leg injury, and C.J. Jones had 19 points.
Jalen Adams added 16 for the Huskies (4-2), but very little went UConn’s way two days after watching Michigan State run away in the second half for a 77-57 victory.
Terry Larrier added 18 points, but left late in the second half with an apparent right leg injury after landing awkwardly. Larrier limped off with 5:45 left.
While Arkansas played well for most of the first half, the Razorbacks were dominant the final 20 minutes.
After cutting the Arkansas lead to 12 with 15 minutes remaining, the Huskies missed eight straight shots and watched the Razorbacks turn the game into a laugher.
Arkansas made 10 straight shots at one point of the second half, the streak finally snapping when Jones’ 3-point attempt from the wing rimmed out with four minutes remaining.
COACHING SEARCH: Mullen heading to Gators?
We told you to get ready for a wild ride and apparently it’s already starting with Dan Mullen possibly heading to Florida after all.
Gainesville sports radio host and author Buddy Martin has been going live for about two weeks now (okay, not all the time, but a lot of it) and he’s reporting that the Mississippi State coach is headed there.
He is reporting this morning that Mullen has been offered the job and that Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin was in Mississippi for most of the holiday weekend, including slipping into the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night.
How does this affect Arkansas’ coaching search?
You can bet the Bulldogs will be going hard after Memphis coach Mike Norvell, who is reportedly on the Razorbacks’ radar as well.
It also means Central Florida coach Scott Frost, who will meet Memphis in the All American Conference championship game Saturday morning, is likely headed to Nebraska.
With the news that former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is being offered the Tennessee job Sunday morning that takes one of the premier jobs off the market (raise your hand if you saw that coming).
UPDATED: Tennessee hoping to finalize agreement with Greg Schiano to be its next coach today https://t.co/J7K9rH2UKC via @usatoday
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) November 26, 2017
All of which means the game of musical chairs has started.
And you don’t want to be the one left standing at the end.
