---------------------- hit the ground running in recruiting, and have the ability to win quickly?
I like the idea of Pittman but that might be another new offensive system that would lose many of the current players and recruits who were recruited for a different system, again.
Norvell or Malzahn would have almost the identical offensive system. Malzahn should have more recruiting power but he carries a big negative for fans since he turned us down two years ago. Norvell might not start as quick as Malzahn but he could be good for Arkansas given enough time.
I have never been a Malzahn fan but, even though he is damaged goods, he may be our best shot at fixing this mess we may have available. (That assumes he loses to Georgia and Bama and becomes available.) It may be a case of “beggars can’t be chosers” and us Malzahn-haters in the past may need to suck it up and make the best out of a bad situation. Take one for the team, so to speak.
That’s not going to happen, because the head man needs to bring guys in that he knows and trust… The only one that gets retained will probably be Lunney because of the home state connection and maybe the RB coach If were Lucky… The RB coach is a hot name in Texas so he will have a job probably when the clock hits 0 on the last game…
Best way to retain is to keep a couple of guys on staff. Maybe even three. The 2019 class is very important to the program the next two-three years.
The new coach would obviously have to see them as good fits, but the kids probably need some familiar faces and coaches they feel like they can trust.
The portal makes it so much easier for kids to transfer. If several of the key kids in the freshman class leaves, it will set back the program more so than this year’s recruiting class. A coach and staff put together in Dec. will be playing catchup in recruiting. It will be a patchwork type class. They always are.
Best thing about the current roster is that freshmen become sophomores and sophomores become juniors. There’s some talent here that is very young and didn’t get much help from the upperclassmen. We need to keep those guys.
It gets a lot less talented if its better players leave. We need to add to what we have, not lose more ground to the rest of the SEC and then try to catch up.
I am talking about hanging on to our players. That may be helped by retaining Lunney, Caldwell, and others on the staff too, but most of the staff and ALL of the coordinators will be the new guys men.
The only reason to keep the roster is just a numbers game. If we get a good coach with a WINNING record, the good players will stay. If we hire a younger coach with a poor record, we will just have Morris 2.0 and nobody wants that.
To some degree I think we are worried about how to arrange the lawn furniture on the deck of the Titanic.
What we really want is the coach who can take those who stay and turn things 180 degrees by the end of 2020. If a coach can do that, they can also sell usable recruits on joining the process for 2020, 2021 and beyond.
I am not worried about a particular player or talent. I am worried about a long-term trend. We may not turn things around fully until every current player, including redshirts, have walked on their senior day.
Interesting quote from Bob Stoops today:"Well you never know what the Lord is going to bring you,” Stoops said.
"Everybody wants ya to define your life at every age. At 50, they wanted me to know what I was going to do the rest of my life. And at 55, and now at 59, everyone thinks you gotta…you know, who knows what I’ll be doing next year or the year after.
“You don’t know what you’re going to be doing next year. And the good Lord is the only one who knows. We’ll see where things end up for me.”
Now we’re talking write the big check. Call Jerry. Call Tyson. Call JB Hunt. Heck, Call Wal-Mart.