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Oct 24th, 2007 12:09AM
by: whatsshakinbacon

The Short List
Volume LXXIX
October 24, 2007

It has become increasingly clear that Houston Nutt’s tenure at Arkansas is about to end. Some top boosters and even trustees have quietly let it be known that no turnaround will be enough to save the embroiled coach’s job. The question on the street is no longer whether or not he will return. The focus now is on whom the Razorbacks pluck from the coaching ranks to be our new leader.

And before you say this column is jumping the gun, let me say this. I remember every coaching change Arkansas has made since Ken Hatfield took over for Lou Holtz in 1983. Every season before a change is made there is a distinct atmosphere in the Razorback Nation. You know the end is near by how the media and coaches act. There’s a voice of resignation from players, coaches and fans alike. And 2007 passes the litmus test for impending change.

It is a painful time. We watch dreams implode for a 2007 season and a fan-base splinter in the process. Players in the upper classes see their career dreams wither away while coaches and media engage in a dance of subtle attacks. But, rising like a phoenix out of ashes, our hopes as a football program will begin ascending when the expected changes coalesce.

In just over a month Arkansas will close out its season against LSU, Nutt will resign or be fired. And then we will witness what could very well be the most important football coach hiring process on our campus in decades, possibly ever.

We stand at a crossroads. There is a belief among many that our administration has lurched towards a “mediocrity is good enough” attitude. As a backlash to this mindset, a growing percentage of fans have become passionate about voicing for change. Razorback Nation is being reunified under the banner of what used to be, an excellence that was resident in our program in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

This demand for coaching change is all about a rejection of the status quo. Without an upset fan base one has to believe there would be no FOI, no banner, no booing. At a time when fans of many programs would have folded their tents and become dispassionate it has been encouraging to see Razorback fans finding a loud and common voice of discontent.

But dismissing the old is only half of the battle. It is time for our administration to meet fans halfway by listening to our plea for a return to excellence. The direction of this hiring will show either an administration moving towards the Razorback fan base in a show of respect or moving away by dismissing our relevance.

The future of Arkansas football rests in the willingness to open up the golden coffers of the Razorback Foundation. Don’t fool yourselves, the foundation has many millions of dollars at its disposal, enough to hire at Nick Saban levels if they so desire. One has to hope that from time to time they sit back and reflect on where these millions came from.

In the administration’s defense, the short list of names being circulated is impressive. In all likelihood the most frequent names we are hearing are on the cursory “A-list”. Any selection off of this list would likely show the fans the administration cares about their concerns.

A hire from the “A-list” would be a coup for our program and a promise of a commitment to win. Three names that continue to surface from this list are Jimmy Johnson, Butch Davis and Tommy Tuberville. There are likely one or two others, but suffice it to say these three have to be circled. These are proven winners who command respect and a healthy salary, but with an almost guaranteed return on investment. If a hire of this magnitude is made it will almost assuredly placate and unify our fan-base.

But right now Arkansas has a few things working against us. A new AD and his relationship with any future coach could prove a sticking point. Historic problems with exiting AD Frank Broyles and his soured relationships with ex-coaches could raise an eyebrow if there is a hint of his involvement in our football future. Aggressive fan tactics including an FOI request and banners could work against us, though most coaches are wise enough to know this has built over ten years of average football, something they hopefully expect to avoid.

The biggest stumbling block this year, however, is that Arkansas enters into a coaching search in what could be the busiest off-season for coaching change in decades. A list of heavy-hitting schools that could be looking for new leaders includes Michigan, LSU, Penn State, Florida State, Auburn, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Tennessee and Clemson, just to name a few.

So it is entirely possible that our “A-list” candidates find new homes elsewhere. It’s also likely Jimmy Johnson will have no interest whatsoever. If that’s the case it will be incumbent upon the search committee of one, two, or maybe several, to look at up-and-comers based on a few criteria. The good news is that John White already has just such a list of criteria in his desk drawer from a few short months ago when John Pelphrey was hired.

The list undoubtedly has some very specific qualities that must be met, but the most important aspect may be the intangible quality best described as being a “winner”. Arkansas needs someone who can win over a state yearning to come together. Arkansas needs someone we can trust, someone we have confidence in, and someone we believe cares about winning who will do what he can to insure our future success. It’s more than bullet points on a resume’, it’s a personality quality that very few in this world possess. We need the kind of person who would be successful regardless of whether he was driving a taxi, sweeping floors or running a football program.

Once upon a time a coach just like this called asking for a job. As a young head coach at Oklahoma State Jimmy Johnson was confident he would be a good coach given the right school. He called for Frank Broyles on a winter afternoon in 1983 after it was announced Lou Holtz had resigned. All he sought was an interview. He was granted the interview but never got the courtesy of a follow up phone call. Four years later he returned as Miami’s head coach to mercilessly pound Arkansas 51-7 on his way to an NCAA championship. Those who knew Johnson were not surprised with his success. Isn’t it a thick irony that now, with Broyles departure in the bag, there just might be some mutual interest?

But this time around, should Johnson and all other “A-list” candidates fall through, we should implore our administration to not make this mistake again. You see, there’s another coach who wants to come to Arkansas with all the tools and talents we seek, someone who has the “it” that Johnson had, and somebody who will learn quickly and become a head coach we want on our sideline, someone we would fear if he stood on the other side. If we don’t grab him now, I strongly suspect in four years he’ll be coaching an opponent coming in to hand us our head like Johnson did.

And this candidate, also a couple of hundred miles to the west of Fayetteville, is the man who we painfully ran off last year when it was obvious he was the one that turned Darren McFadden into the Heisman candidate later ruined by a “pro-style” attack in 2007.

He brings no baggage, he rises above controversy, he carries himself well, he has no ego, and he’s a winner. Given the fact that a “B-List” candidate commands less money, he would undoubtedly have the funds to go after the top assistants in the country, essentially surrounding himself with greatness sans jealousy.

To the Chancellor, AD and Board of Trustees, if your top tier falls through, do the right thing – hire Gus Malzahn.

Bacon out…