Pathetic! Coach is under .500 in SEC!

[PorkSoda]

They did, but in his 11 win season we got beat 38-14. Remarkably, HDN beat Bama 5 times. They were not near as good then.

mike shula was no saban.  I really wish they would have kept shula.

[Silver Hog]

Arkansas State won the Sun Belt with a 10-3 record,in 2012, when Gus was coaching .

[oldbooniehog]

Boonie, You are pretty much dead wrong. I think that what people want is to be competitive more than anything else. When we play well and get beat by another team it hurts a bit, but you feel like maybe with us catching a break instead of the opponent catching a break that we might have won. That is fine, at least with me.

I don't expect natty's every year, Houston Nutt took us to the SEC Championship game twice. Make any excuses that you want, the fact is he did it. BP had us competing with Bama and LSU when they were winning championships, again a fact.

When your team comes out flat as a pancake in the 2nd game of the season and lays an egg, you have to ask yourself WHY??? Lose to Toledo at home by scoring 10 points? Lose to a Tech team at home that you literally destroyed the year before?? Blow 20 point leads in back-to-back games without scoring a single point in the 2nd half of both games???

Then you start to look at his hiring record lately and you really have to wonder what is going on. Mullen went to Louisville and stole Grantham, Smart came here and stole Pittman, Sumlin went to LSU and took Chavis as well as other SEC teams going and finding the BEST assistants available.

BB hires assistants to assistants and guys with VERY little in the way of credentials. We hire by going through resumes other teams hire by remembering teams with assistants that are well regarded across the board and STEAL them!!! Why does he refuse to try to hire one of the best O'Line coaches in America? Why not at least pick up the phone and call Oklahoma for their O'Line coach? Why not go to Penn State for a Linebacker coach or Florida State for a D'Line coach? Offer them enough money and one of them will bite.

There is a lot more going on than expectations of National Championships!

lakecityhog, I WISH I were dead wrong. But I'm not.

I know I'm not wrong because I was a student at the U of A when Hatfield won 76% of his games, had three 10-win seasons, and won Conference Championships back-to-back.

You know what Hog fans' reaction was to all that? To get mad. To get angry. To holler that all Hatfield knew how to do was "run it up the middle!" To whine and moan and complain that Hatfield would never win it all, and Arkansas would never again reach the pinnacle it did in 1964.

I linked to a Demozette article in another thread in which Frank Broyles is quoted about being annoyed as to the "positioning of the linebackers" on Arkansas' last-second loss to Texas in LR in 1987, and how JFB's investigation into the "positioning of the linebackers" on one play eventually led him to suggesting to Hatfield fire several assistant coaches, which led to Hatfield fleeing for Clemson, sight unseen, after back-to-back SWC titles and 10-2 seasons.

One play. One lousy play.

As a young man, I WAS one of those angry, pissed-off fans, annoyed and disgusted with Hatfield for never having a losing season, winning 10 games three different times, and for taking the SWC title two years in a row, only to lose in the Cotton Bowl to UCLA (with Troy Aikman) and Tennessee.

After all, Hatfield got us blown out by Miami in Little Rock on national TV, also in 1987!!!

I WAS the typical fragile, easily-angered Arkansas fan, so desperate for the Hogs to return to "elite status" where they obviously belonged (they did it in 1964, didn't they?).

I knew it. JUST KNEW IT that if Arkansas only hired the "right coach" the Hogs would retake their rightful place at "elite status." If they could just get the right coach.

The start of my personal change was when Houston Nutt's Hogs beat #1 (and eventual National Champion) LSU in Death Valley in 2007.

I was so firmly in the "FIRE HOUSTON NUTT!!!" camp, that I could not actually enjoy the win. I was so worried that Houston Nutt would not be fired for winning against such great odds at #1 LSU, that I simply could not enjoy the victory.

That was my first clue. The Hogs beat the #1 team in the country on the road, and all I was worried about was a coach NOT getting fired. What was wrong with me? I was a typical Hog fan. That's what was wrong with me.

My second clue was when Arkansas hired the most incredible awesomest coach the Hogs could ever hope to land in a million-jillion years, Bobby Petrino.

Even with Petrino, Arkansas could not play for an SEC title, blew the one and only BCS game they ever qualified for, and lost to Alabama 4 times, with a combined point total of 44-146. They also went 2-2 against LSU, including a 17-41 blowout loss against the Tigers with Petrino's allegedly "best team."

The Petrino years convinced me that it didn't really matter who coached Arkansas. The Hogs are simply one of those "second-rate" programs that will always play second-fiddle to the truly great programs. That's just the way it is. 

Petrino was "lucky" enough to get fired for being a total slimeball only 4 years into his Arkansas career. I say lucky, because all it would have taken was a couple of down years, and Hog fans would have been screaming for him to be fired! Because that's what Arkansas fans ALWAYS wind up doing -- getting angry and screaming for Coach X to be fired because he can't get the Hogs to elite status.

So, after realizing what Arkansas football really was all about, and after confirming it mathematically, I came to the following conclusions:

1) Ever since Arkansas joined the SEC, it has average about 6 or 7 wins a season. This is what the math says, not me.

2) Even the great Bobby Petrino could manage only 8.5 wins per year average during his four years at Arkansas. Again, the math says this, not me.

3) Arkansas has never won an SEC Championship, and is highly unlikely to ever do so. For example, the Hogs have played in 3 SEC title games in 25 years, but failed to score a single TD until their 3rd appearance in the game.  Again, verifiable facts say this, not me.

With all these facts staring me in the face, the only conclusion available to me was as follows:

Arkansas is simply not going to be an "elite team" as it plays in the SEC West, and has too many factors against it.

That said, Hog fans SHOULD be happy and grateful any time Arkansas has a winning season, and should be the most-patient fan base in the whole SEC.

Because every time the fans get mad and succeed in helping fire the coach, the result is a lengthy rebuilding period that leads only to more frustration and anger and hate and strident calls to FIRE THE COACH once again.

It simply doesn't matter who coaches Arkansas.

Nick Saban could become the Hog coach, and he would average 7 or 8 wins a year, maybe have a couple of 10- or 11-win seasons, and have a few losing seasons sprinkled in, simply due to the nature of Arkansas' place in the college football world.

And five or six years into Saban's tenure, there would be a movement to FIRE THE COACH amongst Hog fans. It would be obvious he "lost the fire" to compete at Arkansas. He can't get it done. FIRE HIM!!!!

Because that's what Hog fans do best. Get annoyed and angry and mad and holler for a coach to be fired.

That's why I put up the original post about Mullen. Several fans are suggesting Dan Mullen as the possible next coach of Arkansas, or as example for Arkansas to aspire to.

Only if he had been at Arkansas, and not Mississippi State, and had achieved the EXACT SAME RECORD, Hog fans would have been screaming and hollering and yelling and calling radio shows and flying banners DEMANDING Dan Mullen be fired by about 2013.

Again. It really doesn't matter who coaches at Arkansas because Arkansas is a second-rate program in the SEC that will average (for the last quarter of a century) 6 or 7 wins a year. Every once in a while, they will jump up to 10 wins or so. And they will, 100% guaranteed, have losing seasons. Because that is the kind of program Arkansas is and will continue to be.

But go on, Hog fans. Keep getting mad and frustrated and angry and screaming for Coach A to be fired. Replace him with Coach B. Coach B can't get it done. Get mad, holler for Coach B to be fired, and replace him with Coach C.

Keep it up. It will never change.

I, for one, am totally exhausted with the merry-go-round of "Fire the Coach!"

[Porkchop#1]

Hey old boonie hawg..you know why the great Nick Saban is the coach at Alabama?




Because they fired the guy who was there before him.  This firing stuff that has you all bent out of shape, happens everywhere.  Not really an Arkansas exclusive.

[oldbooniehog]

Hey old boonie hawg..you know why the great Nick Saban is the coach at Alabama?




Because they fired the guy who was there before him.  This firing stuff that has you all bent out of shape, happens everywhere.  Not really an Arkansas exclusive.

Hey Porkchop#1. Go count how many 10-win and 11-win seasons Alabama had BEFORE Nick Saban.

Count how many National Championships they won, too.

Now go compare the records of the the coaches Arkansas has fired or run-off since Frank Broyles finally hung it up in 1976.

I'll bet even you can tell a difference.

Arkansas has fired and fired and fired and never really changed much.

Here. I'll even do the work FOR you and make it super easy, so even you can handle it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alabama_Crimson_Tide_football_seasons

[farmhawg]

+1 It's like they're ok with mediocrity

They are, they have been bred to accept it.

[lakecityhog]

Boonie, several of the sentences in your post start with "I". Maybe you think everyone is represented by your mindset. I think Hatfield is a great man and lives the life he represents, but simply put not a great coach.
We won SWC championships because half the conference was on probation during those years or just coming off probation and down a bit. He proved against Houston that we were capable of throwing the football, but he was just too stubborn to change and it did cost him some very important ball games.

Even saying that I never wanted him fired. Very few people wanted Lou fired, but when your boss tells you that as a University you cannot support political figures publicly and you do it anyway, not once but twice what do you think will happen???

Houston Nutt wasn't fired solely based on wins and losses, my God man look at the things that went on during his tenure. And even though I am a BP fan, he brought most of his troubles on himself.(Not just Jessica!)

Whether or not you want to admit it the coaches involved in your rant were a big part in what happened to themselves. And, by the way Hatfield was NOT fired, nor would he have been fired.

So let's re-cap:
Lou Holtz----------- Fired for cause   Political ads for Jesse Helms
Kenny Hatfield----- QUIT       Disagreements on philosophy with his boss
Houston Nutt------ Fired        won/loss record + personal conduct + work ethic(asking for 2 year pass???)
Bret Beilema------- STILL EMPLOYED even though in 4 years he has a really terrible record.

As for Petrino, yes he did AVERAGE 8.5 wins per year and IF BB could AVERAGE 8.5 wins per year most people would be happy because to AVERAGE 8.5 wins you generally have to win 9 and 10 some years. That my friend would make MOST Razorback fans quite happy.

[toxichog]

Really dude?

I am going to ask you the same question I asked Steef....Why are you so invested in the man?

When is a proper time frame for you to start expecting results? Year 6? 10 years? 18 years? When can we expect a well coached, disciplined, fundamentally sound football team? Because I heard on day one that was going to be our team...if nothing else, we were gonna be the most sound, fundamental team on the planet....

Year 5 and smoke is still being blown...but from where I stand, coughing and squinting through the smoke...all I see is fire....in the dumpster...

PRJ

The proper time...........is when the season is over..........not two games in...........

[Porkchop#1]

Hey Porkchop#1. Go count how many 10-win and 11-win seasons Alabama had BEFORE Nick Saban.

Our coach before CBB, had 10 and 11 win seasons half the time he was here, he was fired for his personal conduct, nothing to do with wins and losses. 

But that matters not, it still demonstrates it can be done here.

It also shows that all of your overly lengthy ramblings are just complete nonsense.

[Swestwill66]

So with the sec being down this year if we had a coach like PETRINO we all would be expecting 10 or 11 wins , wouldn't we ?

[BrianG]

Take your fairweather, t-shirt garbage to jonesboro then. I'm sure they'll appreciate all that donor money you bring.....

They need all the help they can get.  They rely on stolen money via student fees and taxes.

Put your money where your mouth is and go help the red pups.

Fairweather fans are not needed here at the only self sufficient athletic program in state.  THE University of Arkansas doesn't need fickle fans.

To bad that self sufficient teams falls on its ass.  BTW you do know we get all that money because we are in a league of very good teams.  Not because we earn it.   SEC...SEC...SEC....and we lose again.  Funny how the one coach we can beat in league gets fired and most are happy.  You do know that Ole Miss is going to hire someone that will whip us like the other major college teams in the SEC.  Lol....no wonder the Hogs are so pathetic.

[Hogs-n-Roses]

They did.  It was the same year we beat LSU and went to the Sugar Bowl. But that didn't fit the narrative so........

yep but don't let facts get in the way of a good agenda. The Jeffies are out in full force tonite.

[Hog N Bama]

Coach Bielema's record is worse.

You want to see an even worse record look to LSU's head coach.

Orgeron is 7-24 vs. the SEC.  4 of those wins came last year with Les Miles' team.

Why didn't LSU get somebody better?

oil is cheap

[TNRazorbacker]

didn't we almost beat them when they were #1?

Almost? Only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.