This is not a negative post about the new AD. But I just started thinking about this, and I have not seen anyone else raise this question.
There was all this talk about getting someone in there who understood Arkansas and was connected to Arkansas – several Arkansas names thrown around. For example, Scott Varady is more than qualified, and he’s 100% Arkansas.
Any insight on what led to the decision to hire an outsider and complete stranger to Arkansas again?
My two cents: This chancellor makes his own decisions.
I said from Day 1 of the search that it likely was going to end with someone with previous AD experience. Aside from Gragg, the ones with a connection to Arkansas did not have that.
I think all with Arkansas ties were considered. Ability to hire quality coaches and experience running an athletic department got him the job.
He can hire a football coach that can win.
I always thought the idea of having one with Ark ties was a worthy goal, but hardly an essential requirement.
Sounds like the chancellor had a different view than the interim AD re. HC hire. Will be interesting to see if HY will carry forward JCP’s stated wishes and find a coach with strong Arky ties or whether that hiring process has already passed the incoming AD.
I believe this was for AD.
is the chancellor going to pick the head coach like he did with the AD IFhe does im afraid we are going to be in big time problem we will be in the lower part of the sec teams in football
In case you just woke up we are at the bottom of the SEC.
No, Tennessee is. We won a game. They didn’t.
Julie’s statement about regional ties was in reference to the head coach, not the AD. Arkansas targeted Gus Malzahn for the head coaching position. You can’t find many coaches with more Arkansas ties.
True… but how deep is the hole with those bragging rights?
That was my recollection of her presser - that she was focusing on Arkansas ties for HC, while Steinmetz was searching for AD. My question was will the new AD also focus on Arkansas ties to whatever degree he is involved in the HC search. What do you think?
Unless you count Kiffin running around the Broyles Center in his training pants, Norvell and Strong are it for Arkansas ties. I think JCP was sending out a coded message that she was going after Gus, and she did. And he played us. So we move on to people who actually want us to hire them.
It could be argued that Kiff is still running around in training pants - metaphorically speaking…of course.
I think there will also be an effort to break up the JL kingdom he was constructing and replace with those with Arkansas connections…
according to Mike Irwin, the new AD presented a written, detailed plan of what he would accomplish in the first 100 days if hired and that is what tipped it in his favor.
Ya, that is impressive. Guess he whipped that together pretty quickly. I wonder how detailed he was in laying out his criteria for a football coach.
Yeah if we start grading dumpster fires, The Vols nose out the Hogs. They brought Coach Fulmer as AD, they have been turned down by everybody on the Hogs published short list of coaches. Loving this!
After the Schiano nightmare led by former UT AD J. Currie, and the ensuing clamor for his scalp; most likely all the other coaches offered by him were unwilling to come to work for a boss that may not last before they could even get to campus - if one should have accepted.