I’m sticking with something more tangible. Arkansas cannot recruit the 5s. (aka 5 rated recruits). Simple as that. Can’t get those guys to the Hills of Northwest Arkansas.
Without the 5s - 7-8 wins annually is reasonable.
Before those Petrino crazies react, I’ll give you that there are windows in time where schools will rise to 9-10 wins without the 5s. You get a half-dozen kids that get in the right system at the right time and you’ll get there. You still won’t win (reference Petrino’s two good years) but you do rise. When those unexpected stars move on, the baseline returns. Arkansas’s baseline is 7 wins going back as far as I can remember. Coaching helps - but without the 5s - it won’t likely happen.
Love the Hogs - will watch every play like its the play for a Championship. So I see- like most others - where this team - with all the heart of the world just doesn’t have the depth and the skill play to play, game to game, year to year. Probably never will competing with schools down country.
Once you understand the realities, watching on Saturday makes you enjoy the nuances of the game more (the fans, the stadium, the northwest arkansas beauty) and the final outcome less.
Currently then recruiting class for 2018 has only 15 players rated as a 5 star recruit,
Obviously we aren’t going to get any of these players.
Championship teams are built on the dominance of a handful of programs getting the bulk of the 4 star recruits mixed with a few of these 5 stars. Programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, USC, Florida State, Michigan, Auburn, Oklahoma and LSU.
I hesitated and delayed in sending my contribution to the Razorback Foundation scholarship in April, but I did. But next year I will not. A change is needed, before apathy and disinterest sets in.
Chris Klieman - North Dakota State (proven program builder who will EARN his keep) The guy can coach football and we wouldn’t have to pay top dollar until he proves himself.
Charlie Strong
Les Miles - the guy can recruit football players! GREAT defensive coach also
Klieman helped build that program…was there the entire time and he still beats division 1 teams EVERY year. Nobody scheduled him this season. He’s not 31 like Riley at Oklahoma but he’s seen the blueprint for building a winner and he hasn’t missed a beat since he took over. We’re not getting a big name coach to come in here after being a subpar team for the last 6 years. Our next head coaching hire will more than likely come from a lower tier school with great success. Go for the best in Chris Klieman
Like Dudley stated in another thread, AR has had 12 - seasons with 10 wins or more out of 123 years playing the game. Not knowing how many of those early years were less than 10 game schedules.
I like everyone else am not happy with anything less than 8 wins in regular season, but still a die hard Hog fan every second.
That’s quite a few Coaches I suppose.
Jim, here is the issue with Dudley’s statement. In the 60’s we avgd 8-2 (10 games a year), under Bret we are 6-7 (13 games a year). The 70’s were 8-3, the 80’s were 9-3. That’s the equivalent of 30 years of what would now be 10 win seasons (BP 10-3, 11-2). The NC team was 11-0 and the following year was 10-1, back when 11 games was a huge accomplishment (that would be 15-0, and 14-1 now). You have to factor in the number of games.
What Petrino did was prove with the right SYSTEM (X’s and O’s, not Jimmy’s and Joe’s) that you can win here. You were on the old board when CBB was hired, you saw me say several times his style was to Out Bama both Bama and LSU, and we didn’t have or could not get the players that could run that style. Heck, look at the issues we have and compare it to Bama, that system requires those 4 & 5 * athletes. We don’t have them, and as was said we won’t get them. So, we need a system to counter the talent separation that exists. That’s why Saban was so against the hurry up, it neutralized his talent. It was all about the scheme. That’s why BP is having good seasons at Louisville. It’s the system, and the right players for it (not the 4 & 5* guys that is required for Bret’s system). We don’t have and won’t get the type Bret needs, but we can get the types that Norvell could use (I’m not saying Fire Bret and hire Norvell, it’s just two names I’ve seen mentioned in threads).
I would do what Terry Don Phillips did at Clemson. I would elevate a position coach like he did with Dabo Swinney.
I would elevate Barry Lunney Jr. as head coach. I know he bleeds Razoback red. I know he led a bunch of 2 and 3 star talent down the field against Alabama in the 4th quarter and got our first win over the Crimson Tide ever in 1995. He’s been around. He is articulate and I think his position group (tight ends) represents the best coached and most talented crew we have going for us.