So what is the path out of the middle of the SEC pack

[hogsanity]

Every sport.  Fb, Basketball, Baseball.  The 3 MAJOR sports, we are, on average, middle of the pack.  So whats the answer(s)?

Let me guess, recruit Texas.  Forget the other states, just get some texas leftovers in Fb and we will win.

Basketball - Pg, all we need. 

Baseball - just avoid injuries, cause no other teams has to deal with those.

How about some answers outside the normal " HDN Sucks"  " Heath cant coach"  etc

[HogISH™]

-1

HogISH

ps.. you left off move to the big 12

[hogsanity]

-1

HogISH

ps.. you left off move to the big 12

Now how did i forget that

[hogman64]

Every sport.  Fb, Basketball, Baseball.  The 3 MAJOR sports, we are, on average, middle of the pack.  So whats the answer(s)?

Let me guess, recruit Texas.  Forget the other states, just get some texas leftovers in Fb and we will win.

Basketball - Pg, all we need. 

Baseball - just avoid injuries, cause no other teams has to deal with those.

How about some answers outside the normal " HDN Sucks"  " Heath cant coach"  etc

Over the last 3 seasons  we have fewer conference wins  than any conference team other than Vandy, when you combine football and basketball wins...............that being said, you would have a hard time convincing me that we are middle of the pack, if we get to 7 or 8 i will  go with middle of the pack... more than likely to get even there we will need two new head coaches,, tho I do think giving Heath another year is the thing to do...............As for baseball we are middle of the pack at worst and if you are middle of the pack in the SEC you will have a legitimate chance to get to Omaha, so I will take middle of the pack in baseball and top 25 nationally............

[Dr Carl aka Shorthog]

Well, in baseball I think we should just leave it alone honestly. Sure everyone has injuries, but some more than others in number and impact. This was a bad one for the Hogs.
Basketball I am not sure. I honestly do not like Heath as a coach. I think he was not ready and is too soft. I doubt we will win 20 games next year. We really do need a good PG. We need shooters really bad. Oh, and we need a center that is just nasty in the middle. Also, we need everyone to work on rebounding a lot. Guess we need a lot, but hopefully we will have the PG and the shooter this season. And Rebounding is a lot about how much you want it. I want Hill to become evil.
Football I would leave alone right now, with the exception of maybe a few new assistant coaches. I know everyone hates Nutt, but at this moment with the hiring of Gus and Wood and Herring looking to be the real deal, I am willing to see this season through. IMO Mitch will be the QB, although it would be nice for Dick to step up and take it from him so he could red shirt. Our offense looks sound with the new WR's coming in. Although they are learning a new system, the run game will be so good I think the transition will be easier than it would be for most other teams. The D should be pretty good. I think our D line will be the best in a while. Starting LBs are great, but depth is still an issue. The backfield is still up in the air. If Grant can fill the safety spot then we will be at least ok. I predict 8 to 9 wins and second in the West.

[SultanofSwine]

If you don't want the REAL answers then why ask the question. FB and Hoops lack strong coaching leadership at the top and until that changes we will never see sustained success.

I doubt you will find many people that know baseball that consider the HOGS mediocre since DVH arrived, you are grasping there.

[hogfan064]

Every sport.  Fb, Basketball, Baseball.  The 3 MAJOR sports, we are, on average, middle of the pack.  So whats the answer(s)?

Let me guess, recruit Texas.  Forget the other states, just get some texas leftovers in Fb and we will win.

Basketball - Pg, all we need. 

Baseball - just avoid injuries, cause no other teams has to deal with those.

How about some answers outside the normal " HDN Sucks"  " Heath cant coach"  etc

Basketball-well we were on the top a couple years ago.  We should always be in the top 3, no excuses.  We'll be back I have no doubt about that at all

Baseball-Winning 2 SEC championships since 99 I don't think means we're middle of the pack.  We'll stay a contender in baseball as long as DVH is here.  Besides a 6th place finish in SEC baseball means you're a top 20 team. 

Football-This is tough because we are behind 6 very good programs.  The 6 are listed below

Alabama-12 NCs brings recruits in.  Lots of tradition and national exposure.  Yet, the Hogs stay competetive with Bama.  HDN is 4-4 against the Tide

Florida-recruiting and a rabid fan base will keep the Gators on top.  Spurrier awoke a sleeping giant in the 90s and it won't rest again for a long time

Auburn-Remember 3 years ago when we owned the Tigers?  No reason that can't happen again.  HDN is 4-4 against Auburn

LSU-They are in a state with lots of recruits and noone to compete with for those recruits.  They've had their down times in the 90s.  Really this is a program that underachieved for 30 years and now is reaching its potential

Georgia-They are in a fast growing state where they are the top dogs.  Tons of recruits that never leave Georgia.  If you've ever been in Georgia you now the support for the Dogs is amazing.  The could never leave the state and still be a top 10 program, Arkansas can't say this

Tennessee-Living off of tradition and fan support.  They recruit very well nationally. 

We're ahead of Ole Miss, MSU, Vandy, and UK.  I don't think we're in danger of falling behind those schools, but the problem is South Carolina.  USC is located in a fast growing state that is actually a top 5 producer of NFL talent.  USC's problem is that for years FSU, UGA, UT, and others have stolen recruits out of the state.  If USC and Clemson ever close the doors to outsiders both will be national powers.  The fact that USC has Spurrier will only help it.  Arkansas is slowly falling behind USC. 

With that said the Hogs have to do 3 things

1) Keep all recruits instate.  No more losing guys to UT or others

2) Recruit Texas.  We need to become the #2 player in that state.  Texas will always be #1 and that will probably never change

3) Get away from the past.  Hogs must become a more balanced type team.  For years the Hogs have swayed big name QBs and WRs to go another direction.  We've never had a passing game worth a darn.  This not only loses us talent positions, but also linemen.  OLinemen want to learn to pass block so they can get to the NFL. Unfortunately Arkansas is still running offenses that remind people of Ken Hatfield.

[LA HAWG]

Football--Fire dale

Basketball--Fire stan

I just had to do it Hogsanity.  Sorry. 

Baseball--Get deeper

[hogsanity]

No, I WANT the REAl answers, I just dont think that coaching is the only problem. 

[hogfan064]

No, I WANT the REAl answers, I just dont think that coaching is the only problem. 

You just saw the problems above.  I'll list some more for you

1) keeping up with UGA, UF, LSU, AU, Bama, and UT

2) Keeping USC behind us

3) Recruit Texas harder

4) keep recruits in Arkansas away from other schools

5) Do a better job of showing off facilities. 

6) Get more national publicity

7) Update the offense.  Nebraska, UGA, Bama, and many others have done it in the last 10-15 years

Better fan supports.  Sorry guys but getting only 60,000 for a home game is not acceptable.  Having 4 corners in each upper deck completely empty looks really bad

[hogman64]

Part of the problem is that people even think we ARE middle of the pack .. a case can only be made for middle of the pack in basketball for the  5 game stretch at the end of last season, if you look at his overall conference record the football team hasnt been middle of the pack under Nutt in quite some time.....Why even give us credit for being THERE?

[Theolesnort]

No, I WANT the REAl answers, I just dont think that coaching is the only problem. 

What you don't get Hogsanity is that you start with the right coach. Bruce James once told me why he came to Ark when he had a ton of options. It wasn't the facilities or the pretty Ozarks or any such stuff. He came to play for Frank Broyles because of his reputation and name.

[hogsanity]

No, I WANT the REAl answers, I just dont think that coaching is the only problem. 

You just saw the problems above.  I'll list some more for you

1) keeping up with UGA, UF, LSU, AU, Bama, and UT

2) Keeping USC behind us

3) Recruit Texas harder

4) keep recruits in Arkansas away from other schools

5) Do a better job of showing off facilities. 

6) Get more national publicity

7) Update the offense.  Nebraska, UGA, Bama, and many others have done it in the last 10-15 years

Grow more in sate recruits, because NO ONE keeps them all.  Thankfully, because if ALL we had was instate guys, we would be worse than ASU. 

Recruit Texas harder?  okay, fine.  But remember, The pecking order in Texas is UT, A&M, OU then, depending on location, maybe even LSU and now in West Texas TT.  Especially for skill players. 

A better job of showing off facilities?  How about not playing 2 games in a junk stadium 200+ miles away from said facilities.  That would help keep up with those teams you listed.  All of which USED TO PLAY off campus "home' games, but which no longer do so.  Must be something to it or they would still do it.  How else should or could they be shown off?

Update the offense.  I think hiring Gus was a move to do that.

[EastexHawg]

How will you know whether or not coaching was the REAL ANSWER to the problem..until you bring in another head coach to see what he can do?

I honestly think one reason the Nutt groupies don't want a top notch head coach brought in is...SO THEY CAN'T BE PROVEN WRONG.  If Butch Davis or some other head coach came in, turned the program around in a year or two, put together a few 10-win seasons, won the SEC, and got the Hogs to a couple of BCS bowls...the huggers would have to admit that Nutt's direction from the head coach position has been the anchor dragging the program down for years.

As long as Nutt is on the job, it is impossible to prove that another coach could do better.  Of course, I have to admit it's also impossible to prove that another coach wouldn't do worse. 

But, at this point...considering we're coming off two straight losing seasons and are 5-11 in the SEC the last two years...how big is the risk?  WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOSE? 

Is being able to claim we can beat the Mississippi schools worth keeping Nutt indefinitely?

[hogsanity]

I have said several times, bring in whoever.  I don't think that, by itself, will do it, and if you bring in a new guy, oh excuse me the only guy out there is Butch Davis, AND CHANGE other things, and he wins, is it the coaching or the other changes.

And, unlike the HDN haters, if someone else is coaching and they win, I wont care, I just want to win.  Some are scared to death that this team will do well this year.  And some OPENLY ROOTED for the Hogs to lose last year thinking that would get rid of Nutt.   

[TOM "tbw1"]

If we are going to break out of the pack, we are going to have to pass in our division LSU, Bama, and Auburn.  This is no small feat in and of itself.  Bear with me and listen to my three year plan to rule the West.

1.  Hire coaches of SEC caliber.  During the Broyles glory years of the 60s men came to Arkansas as Assistant coaches knowing that if they gave their best here there would be major head coaching jobs availabe.  Johnny Majors, Hayden Fry, Mervin Johnson, and Jim Mackenzie come to mind.  Right now we only have Tracy Rocker and Reggie Herring that are of that caliber.  As a caveat let me say the jury is out on Gus Malazan, ask me in December.

2.  Recruit, Recruit, Recruit.  We have to have people in the seats at every game regardless of bream fishing weekend or whatever.  This plus the money we have on the hill already will allow us to have a recruiting budget that is not eighth or ninth in the league.  We need to have quality people to play at every position not just the skilled positions.

3.  Unity in the program.  John Barnhill retired as coach because he realized that he was divideing the loyalty of the Arkansas fans.  He knew that people had to be Razorbacks first and Barnhill supporters second.  The inability of HDN to rally all the folks behind the program has kept us from being what we need to be.

[artyhog]

Winning will cure all.

[go hogues]

It has got to start from the top down folks.  The man in front of Nutt has to go too.  JFB must step down/be run out before this athletic program ever has a chance of going anywhere.  He still loves living in the days of Arkansas past too much to concentrate on what needs to be done now. Once JFB is out, any other AD that would come in would not put up with Nutt.  Until then, MEDIOCRITY.

[Tusks]

Let's stick to one ? at a time....in football its going to take a new coach.  JFB/JL are going to have to decide to spend money on a real coach.  You've got to find a coach with a schtick.  "Look at my super bowl rings mr. prospect, come play at Arkansas and I'll get you ready for the NFL" or "I called the plays on 2 NC teams, come play for me at Arkansas and you'll run that same offense and get ready for the NFL". 

Your not going to recruit players today to the UA by just being the UA.  Now after a coach with a schtick won some games then you can sell the UA more and more, but with the state of Hog football today its got to be a path to the NFL, start winning and then sell the school.

[jabohog]

I have said several times, bring in whoever.  I don't think that, by itself, will do it, and if you bring in a new guy, oh excuse me the only guy out there is Butch Davis, AND CHANGE other things, and he wins, is it the coaching or the other changes.

You kind of skipped over this part. Who is going to change somethings? I think it would probably be the new coach, don't you?
Recruiting in all sports needs to be improved. I like nutted's idea in football.

[hogsanity]

I have said several times, bring in whoever.  I don't think that, by itself, will do it, and if you bring in a new guy, oh excuse me the only guy out there is Butch Davis, AND CHANGE other things, and he wins, is it the coaching or the other changes.

You kind of skipped over this part. Who is going to change somethings? I think it would probably be the new coach, don't you?
Recruiting in all sports needs to be improved. I like nutted's idea in football.

The OTHER things would be increased funding for promotion of the school.  Trying to change the perception around the country.  Things the coach can do, but can not appropriate the funds for.

[SultanofSwine]

I was told yesterday that Nutt is hoping to win 7 this year because that is the magic number for him to keep his job. That is the goal boys and girls, win seven and keep drawing a check.

[charlie harper]

I have said several times, bring in whoever.  I don't think that, by itself, will do it, and if you bring in a new guy, oh excuse me the only guy out there is Butch Davis, AND CHANGE other things, and he wins, is it the coaching or the other changes.

You kind of skipped over this part. Who is going to change somethings? I think it would probably be the new coach, don't you?
Recruiting in all sports needs to be improved. I like nutted's idea in football.

The OTHER things would be increased funding for promotion of the school.  Trying to change the perception around the country.  Things the coach can do, but can not appropriate the funds for.

Give nutt money to promote the school? Nutt's going to change our perception around the country? That's all you've got?

[hogsanity]

Not what I said.  What I said was there are OTHER THINGS that need to be done that the coach has little or no control over. There have been many conversations on this board about how our state is perceived by recruits, and that perception has to be changed. 

[charlie harper]

Not what I said.  What I said was there are OTHER THINGS that need to be done that the coach has little or no control over. There have been many conversations on this board about how our state is perceived by recruits, and that perception has to be changed. 

I agree perception has not been what we'd hoped for. I think, as others have mentioned, we need a big name. Someone top quality recruits want to play for. All we have to do to see the proof of this is look at south carolina. Holtz didn't leave spurrier with much. I'll bet it won't be another year before spurrier has more talent at sc then holtz ever did. And Holtz had WAY more rep than nutt can ever dream of achieving.

[go hogues]

I was told yesterday that Nutt is hoping to win 7 this year because that is the magic number for him to keep his job. That is the goal boys and girls, win seven and keep drawing a check.

This is a very nefarious post Sultan.  Why would anybody, includind the athletic department put a number on it and then furthermore, talk about it?  Give some sources.

[rzrbaxfan]

Path out of the middle of the SEC pack???  We are out of the middle of the pack now!!  We are in the bottom...so Nutt's biggest concern should be getting BACK to the middle of the pack.

[SultanofSwine]

Believe it don't believe it, makes no difference to me. I am just telling you what I was told directly from someone who would definitely know. They also said Gus had no where near full control of the offense. Which if you have paid attention to the things Nutt has been saying seems pretty obvious. After that discussion I am preparing for more of the same and hoping they were wrong. However I have ZERO reason to think they would be.

[hogsanity]

Believe it don't believe it, makes no difference to me. I am just telling you what I was told directly from someone who would definitely know. They also said Gus had no where near full control of the offense. Which if you have paid attention to the things Nutt has been saying seems pretty obvious. After that discussion I am preparing for more of the same and hoping they were wrong. However I have ZERO reason to think they would be.

No one said they did not believe you, simply asked for sources or links.  However i know that PROOF is a little much to ask for. 

If this were true, and had actually been said, someone in the media would have picked up on it, somehow.  Because contrary to popular belief, there are no black helicopters waiting to zap any media outlet that says something negative about the program.  If there were, mike i would be dead.

[hoggystyle78]

In football, we start by firing nutt. His immature and foolish behaviour will not win over many out of state recruits, besides as long as he wins 6-7 games he's happy. Well geuss what, I'M NOT!!!! He just wants to win 6-7 games and go to the kotex bowl, so he can keep getting a paycheck. In basketball, if Stan doesn't get it together, and I mean quickly, then he too should be shown the door, Arkansas basketball is one of the top bb programs in history, and what has been going on is just not acceptable, again i say he needs to win and win NOW! In baseball, I believe DVH will get the job done, God knows he can coach circles around Stan and the buffoon running the football program. Another thing to do would be to "retire" JFB, it's waaaaayyyyyyy past time for him to go. And lastly, we should bar Jim Lindsey from the program for the rest of his natural life. All of these things would be steps in the right direction, but they way mediocrity has taken over our 2 main sports programs, you'll excuse me if I'm not overly optimistic.

[SupaCrawf]

Recruiting Texas is just part of a solution.  You need to recruit EVERYWHERE better.  Look how much talent exists in Lousiana.  A few D linemen out of there every few years could be a huge benefit.  This applies to FB, mainly.  The catch is, to recruit your league better, you have to win in your league more.  Of course, to do that, you need a better team, so you have to recruit better, which means you have to win..... etc.

Basketball is headed in the right direction, we will rise to the top of the SEC West next year.

Baseball is not middle of the road.