While a large segment of Arkansas Nation is looking for a change at the HC position at seasons end, we certainly aren’t alone when you take stock of what’s possible when all is said and done.
How would the HC job stack up against the possible openings that could include Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Mississippi St. if Mullen is lured away to a better situation within the conference.
There is a good chance that both Auburn and Texas A&M could finish at 8-4 and that may be all it takes at those two Universities to pull the plug and make a change.
Meanwell, Arkansas might eventually stay the course with Bielema even after a sub 500 season because as AD Long stated that Arkansas is not a win at all cost type of University. I don’t want to be a program that is cheating to try and get ahead, but I also don’t want to continually be a program that doesn’t seem to be able to compete on a regular basis.
The fact is that four of those possible job openings are without debate more attractive jobs for the more high profile coaching candidates that would be on most coaching search committees, so Arkansas would really have to do a deep search to come up with the type of coach that could come in and change the culture and start winning.
Most likely an up and coming young coach or possibly Malzahn if he does get let go at Auburn.
I do find it humiliating that several of our conference programs won’t tolerate an 8-4 season while at Arkansas we seem to deem success if we reach bowl eligibility, which isn’t going to happen this year and still possibly retain our HC.
Why do we have people in place that are ok with mediocrity?
I’ll only address your last paragraph because replacing Bielema has been talked to death and his job isn’t even open yet, if at all.
Most of the teams that aren’t happy with 8-4 seasons are in hotbeds in recruiting like LSU and Auburn, yet Arkansas is not in a hot bed and historically since being in the SEC, we are a 7-8 win a season team. Does that mean we should accept that or that we can’t/haven’t done better? No. But we need to be realistic that if we want continual success of 8 wins or better a season, it’s going to take time here.
And I thank you.
only at arkansas does it take time to win 8 games… excuses
No, that is simply a fact. And Arkansas isn’t the only one. Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Florida and Georgia consistently have great recruiting classes because they are in a hot bed of recruiting and because of that, they can attract bigger top notch coaches. Arkansas is different. We have to find the right man with the right fit and sometimes, it’s not a quick fix and takes time to be consistent.
It doesn’t take six years with rhe “right man” to string together multiple successful seasons. There are plenty of teams without arkansas resources and past success that have been able to turn themselves around quickly.
And there’s some with more resources or storied histories that have taken longer to turn themselves around. There isn’t a universal answer. The problem is fans expect too much too soon without examining all the facts.
I don’t think arkansas fans have been unreasonable with their expectations for bielema and the program. The body of work over the last 5 years has been atrocious, and this season rather than progressing weekly, we regress.
Agreed. My expectations are not unreasonable. Bowl eligibility every season…8-10 wins every 3-4 years NC convo every decade or so. I think most fans would be ok with that. Losing seasons are only acceptable the first year of any coaches tenure. Bielema has not met that pedestrian level of success and I was convinced we needed to go in another direction after the AnM game.
I’m not saying with Bielema, but overall with the program.
[quote]Meanwell, Arkansas might eventually stay the course with Bielema even after a sub 500 season because as AD Long stated that Arkansas is not a win at all cost type of University. I don’t want to be a program that is cheating to try and get ahead, but I also don’t want to continually be a program that doesn’t seem to be able to compete on a regular basis.
[/quote]
There’s Your Problem in BOLD. It’s not about Cheating, but Rather Doing What It Take’s Within The Guideline’s.
Remember this is the SEC, Not the NEC. Arkansas is Southern. Stay Southern with Your Coaching, and Develope tie’s and Friendship’s that are Southern. Don’t Turn Yankee and expect Southern Loyalty. You’ll get Laughed At and Your Butt’s beat from one end of the Field to the Other.
Stop expecting and accepting Mediocre, or that’s all that you will ever get. Stop wondering WHY and GET WITH THE PROGRAM, AND STOP LISTENING TO LOSER’S THAT OFFER EXCUSE’S AND DEFENSE’S FOR YOUR YANKEE COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR.
WPS
You can look at the last 4 games aginst Texas A&M! Those games alone paint a picture of what we are!
The melt down to Missouri and Va Tech were the tipping point.
The loss at Jerry’s world was close. It should not have been close. We out played them for 3 quarters.
The lack of motivation and fight in this team is a direct reflection of the leadership they have. The game at the Chuckens place was felt horrible just like Bama and Auburn. If he is unable to motivate a team to play hard then he is being paid for doing nothing. He owes the Razorback Foundation a refund. There should be some clauses in these coaches contracts where their pay is based on what you’ve done lately.
He better turn a corner pretty quick. Or it should end.
Underlying this discussion is the questions of expectations which everyone seems to have an opinion about win ratios and timing. CBB created the bed he lives in today with big mouth talking in the early days. He was going to ride right in and hand Alabama a dose of down their throat smash-mouth football like they had never seen before. He and Mr Long made serious miscalculations and hear we are today with a huge gap in delivering wins, not just against Alabama and winning SEC titles, but being beaten badly by traditionally second tier rivals. And finally to make matters worse, we have a pride in the history of being the state wide supported team that is one of the scrappiest, fight from behind teams in America. I think the numbers show we have about 0 in 28 wins were we came from a halftime deficit under CBB. In summary, it’s an unfulfilled expectation CBB created and a tradition of fight it out that he doesn’t seem to understand or just flat doesn’t have the ability to deliver in the last half of games. Time to move on folks.
I want everyone to calm down and remember 2009. Arkansas was coming off a 5-7 season with a second year coach. There was a cautious optimism that the program was getting better. The Razorbacks responded with an 8-5 trcord. The next season resulted in a 10-3 record with Akansas’ only BCS. bowl bid. The record improved the next season to 11-2 with a Cotton Bowl victory and an AP 5th place ranking.
This is recent Razorback history. This proves that the right coach can have great success at the U of A in the SEC West. Given this recent history, Razorback fans do not have to accept a mediocre or poor football team. The state of Arkansas has always supported the Razorbacks and furnished the resources necessary for success. Their is no reason to put up with excuses about small state, poor recruiting base, and any other B.S. With the right coach,this can happen again.
The Hogs won big in the 60’s with Coach Broyles. Lou Holtz won in the 70’s. Even Coach Hatfield won multiple SWC championships in the 80’s. Danny Ford and Houston Nutt won SEC West titles in the 90’s
We need to make big changes on the Hill. Arkansas has never been a win at all cost program from the1950’s fo now. However, It has always put a premium on winning. That is the reason they keep score. And I am sick of looking at bad scores in the Sunday newspaper.
2008 was Petrinos first season and ended up 5-7, did you notice it was his first season and not his 5th season? There in lies the problem, it’s year 5 and we are gonna end up 5-7 at best without the benefit of a 9 or 10 win season in the intervening years.
Reading comprehension… Ricemab’s whole point was that Arkansas can turnaround quickly with the right coach, evidenced by petrino in 2009, and that CBB is not the right man for tje job.
My reading comprehension is fine, your and his logic is obtuse. To put it in terms you might understand Apples to Oranges.