What in the world is going on in Razorback country? Whatever it is, it all centers around the coaching staff, and the biggest news came Sunday night when KOTV Channel 6 News in Tulsa (Okla.) made a startling discovery.
Trey Biddy
Malzahn jumps ship to Tulsa?
Former Springdale (Ark.) High School head coach and Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has accepted a job as the new co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa University, this according to KOTV News in Tulsa. Malzahn was named Rivals.com Offensive Coordinator of the Year for his efforts last season during a 10-4 campaign, and both Arkansas coach Houston Nutt and Malzahn expressed content as the end of the season drew closer. Malzahn even said the offensive coordinator job at Arkansas was a dream come true for him.
"[Nutt] hired me, and I consider him a friend, and we've had a good working relationship," Malzahn said one month ago. "I'm sitting here, and I'm the offensive coordinator at the University of Arkansas. It's a dream job for me, and I'm just trying to do everything in my power to help us win.
"It has been a pretty wild ride the last two years with experiences, but at the same time, to have a chance to represent our state - like I've said numerous times, I've coached 15 years of high school football in this state - to have a chance to have influence on whether the Razorbacks win is a true blessing to me, and that's the way I look at it."
Nutt was also quoted several times stating that he was pleased with the offense and the way Malzahn was handling it. Nutt called it "baloney" when it was suggested during a KNWA interview last month that Malzahn wasn't calling the plays.
If one aspect of coaching is consistent, as seen with the recent Nick Saban hiring at Alabama and any time someone is about to be fired, it's that everything is hunky-dory until whatever is about to happen actually goes down.
Prior to Malzahn's hiring in December of last year, Springdale (Ark.) five-star quarterback prospect Mitch Mustain decommitted from Arkansas and appeared headed to Notre Dame. Malzahn was hired not too long afterwards and helped put together a solid end to the recruiting season with Mustain, Damian Williams, Ben Cleveland and several solid receiver prospects joining the Hogs.
Arkansas spent the spring working on Malzahn's offense, but as the season drew near the Razorbacks started leaning more heavily to an attack that featured tailbacks Felix Jones and Darren McFadden. The Hogs reeled off 10-straight wins, sandwiched by much disappointment, and McFadden finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Also during this time, there seemed to be much division among fans and numerous rumors and conspiracies surrounding the coaching staff, despite the 10-game winning streak. After the SEC Championship Game, three Springdale players' parents met with Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles to discuss the direction of the program and voice concern over their sons' situation at the UA. Starting wide receiver Damian Williams opted to transfer and eventually landed at Southern California. Then, a 'tell all' book entitled Year of the Dog; One Year, One Team, One Goal, written by Kurt Voigt, came out. While the book chronicled Springdale's run to a state championship and a fierce recruiting war, it also painted several people in a negative light, including UA coaches, Springdale players and parents.
In Nutt's end of the season press conference, he said he would like to keep the staff intact and to improve the contracts for both Malzahn and defensive coordinator Reggie Herring. Herring's deal was completed soon, but Malzahn's does not appear to have ever been put on the table. Did Malzahn leave on his own? Did he feel he had a better opportunity becoming the co-offensive coordinator at Conference-USA member Tulsa rather than being the offensive coordinator at SEC member Arkansas? Maybe he did not like the way he was treated at Arkansas? Was this a force out situation? Was it a mutual deal? Whatever the final verdict, it certainly seems bizarre.
Just as important, director of on-campus recruiting Chris Vaughn is now out on the road recruiting, meaning he has to be viewed as a coach now. Vaughn has coached bandits and rovers, linebackers, and safeties at Arkansas before being moved to that position after last season. Vaughn was one of the team's best recruiters and held the position of recruiting coordinator. Will there be more shakeup with the staff? Offensive line coach Mike Markuson has shown interest in some big jobs, including the head coaching spot at Minnesota. Quarterbacks coach Alex Wood has interviewed for the head coaching job at FIU and the offensive coordinator position at North Carolina but did not land either gig. What is for sure is that Razorback fans are caught off guard, and few know exactly what to think of the situation.
If reports are true, and there does not seem to be any reason to doubt that they are, Malzahn will join former West Virginia tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Herb Hand as co-offensive coordinator under new Tulsa coach Todd Graham, who was the head man at Rice last season before then Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe accepted the Louisville job.
http://arkansas.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=629645
Malzahn Quits Arkansas
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