Danny Ford will be the 6th UA coach into the Hall of Fame. Who else will join them?

[Locutus_of_Boar]

Danny Ford, when elected, will join these former Razorback coaches in the hall of fame:

Hugo Bezdek - Oregon, Arkansas, Penn State, Delaware Valley

Francis Schmidt - Tulsa, Arkansas, Texas Christian, Ohio State, Idaho

Bowden Wyatt - Wyoming, Arkansas, Tennessee

Frank Broyles - Missouri, Arkansas

Lou Holtz - William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, South Carolina

All things considered, Arkansas has done pretty well in picking nationally winners as coaches with most of that credit going to John Futrall, John Barnhill, Frank Broyles, and Jeff Long.

[Pig in the Pokey]

****************HUGGER ALERT********************


somebody picked dale

[LZH]

I can't believe Ford is in (I guess one NC 30+ years ago will do that)....nor that some actually voted for BB - good Lord.  He has a losing record here for Pete's sake.  5-7 years from now?.....then maybe it's a different deal.

[GuvHog]

I can't believe Ford is in....nor that some actually voted for BB - good Lord.  He has a losing record here for Pete's sake.  5-7 years from now?.....then maybe it's a different deal.

If Ford gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, it'll be because of the National title Clemson won when he was head coach there IMHO. I don't see much else to put him there for.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

****************HUGGER ALERT********************


somebody picked dale

No, just recognition that Hootie might go into the HOF based on his politickin', the same skill that got him everything else he ever got he never earned.  There aren't enough votes in Idaho, Arkansas, and Mississippi to keep him out and every voter with a media career will side with him.

Petrino on the other hand may never go in for exactly the opposite reason.

Hatfield and Bielema will probably get in on the weight of numbers and their generally solid reputation and if CBB gets the Hogs to the promised land he's a lock.

[LZH]

If Ford gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, it'll be because of the National title Clemson won when he was head coach there IMHO. I don't see much else to put him there for.

If so, then that means Bobby Ross, Bill McCartney, Gene Stallings, Dan Devine, Bob Stoops, etc......they should all be in (maybe some of them are, I dunno).

[Locutus_of_Boar]

If Ford gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, it'll be because of the National title Clemson won when he was head coach there IMHO. I don't see much else to put him there for.

Woody's punch thrust Danny into the national spotlight and that combined with the 81 championship fixed him in the college consciousness.  He was steady enough the rest of his time at Clemson.  Most voters will dismiss the Arkansas years because that was clearly a rebuilding job that Nutt would reap for the credit.

[ImHogginIt]

I can't believe Ford is in (I guess one NC 30+ years ago will do that)....nor that some actually voted for BB - good Lord.  He has a losing record here for Pete's sake.  5-7 years from now?.....then maybe it's a different deal.

I would like to have seen what Ford could have done here IF Broyles allowed him to hire who he wanted as OC instead of forcing Kay Stephenson on him and as the young talented guys he left Nutt matured.

[Calling All Hogs]

A lot of great plays happened under these coaches but the problem is we will never know for sure who actually called those plays. Well, except for Houston of course.

[fineswine]

I would like to have seen what Ford could have done here IF Broyles allowed him to hire who he wanted as OC instead of forcing Kay Stephenson on him and as the young talented guys he left Nutt matured.

He said the team was loaded when he was let go.  He knew someone was walking into a great situation.

[LZH]

I would like to have seen what Ford could have done here IF Broyles allowed him to hire who he wanted as OC instead of forcing Kay Stephenson on him and as the young talented guys he left Nutt matured.

Makes you wonder what his 1998 team would have looked like if he'd been allowed to completely run his own show (or 1995, 1996, or 1997 for that matter)......instead of HDN coming in.  Fwiw, at the time, I was sooo indifferent and less than excited/disappointed when Nutt was hired.  I wasn't "oh my goodness, they hired the wrong coach"...it's just that I had pretty much soured on Ford and had lost interest in the whole damn thing - I reckon I just went to the games (I missed more than I made) for the tailgating and calling the Hogs as much as anything.  I figured he was burned out and was tired of dealing with Frank and was just going thru the motions.

I glance at my smite count occasionally and just grin, because I still get popped anytime I post....and it's probably well deserved.  BB turned me off from day one, but much to his credit he's concentrating on football and not twitter.  I am beginning to believe that he might, just might, build a team that can compete with the best of 'em - and that's about all we can ask for.  He was like 22 points from being 10-2 last year.  Even though close doesn't cut it, I can't complain too much about that - especially with some of the limited depth we had here and there.  But the College Hall of Fame?  Let's calm down.  He's got a few SEC Championships and a National Championship or two to win in order to join that bunch.  Having said that, I'm very excited about this fall, I think he's developed a feel for the SEC and is not one to half-ass it when it comes to preparation.

[DoctorSusscrofa]

He also coached at Wisconsin. I think his stats there will count.

[Atlhogfan1]

Ford is in because of 1 NC and a 74% win % and multiple top ten finishes over 11 seasons at Clemson.

He rebuilt our program into something that could compete in the SEC in spite of underwhelming/horrible resources compared to what our competition had.   His old school ways probably had worn thin but had we made the right replacement, we were setup well.  We made a hometown, moronic hire instead.  I'm glad he was our coach because he knew what it would take to win in the SEC and helped us get to a competitive level. 

[Buff]

Houston Nutt took not one, but two schools to the Cotton Bowl.  TWO!

[LZH]

Houston Nutt took not one, but two schools to the Cotton Bowl.  TWO!

Fifty years!.......FIFTY!

[husker71]

I don't think Ford ever coached at Wisconsin.  He was elected to the hall of fame but truly it had to be by a hair.  He won at Clemson but was on probation and then weathered that to win again but certainly is not in the top echelon of coaches.  I was not jumping for joy when he was brought out of retirement to coach the Hogs.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

I don't think Ford ever coached at Wisconsin.  He was elected to the hall of fame but truly it had to be by a hair.  He won at Clemson but was on probation and then weathered that to win again but certainly is not in the top echelon of coaches.  I was not jumping for joy when he was brought out of retirement to coach the Hogs.

Ford was still under contract to Clemson in 1992 when Crowe was canned which was the only reason Frank had Joe Kines hire him as a "consultant" till he was free to sign as coach after the season.

[LZH]

Ford was still under contract to Clemson in 1992 when Crowe was canned which was the only reason Frank had Joe Kines hire him as a "consultant" till he was free to sign as coach after the season.

That's when we all went "****", we're in trouble for a long time.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Danny Ford, when elected, will join these former Razorback coaches in the hall of fame:

Hugo Bezdek - Oregon, Arkansas, Penn State, Delaware Valley

Francis Schmidt - Tulsa, Arkansas, Texas Christian, Ohio State, Idaho

Bowden Wyatt - Wyoming, Arkansas, Tennessee

Frank Broyles - Missouri, Arkansas

Lou Holtz - William & Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, South Carolina

All things considered, Arkansas has done pretty well in picking nationally winners as coaches with most of that credit going to John Futrall, John Barnhill, Frank Broyles, and Jeff Long.

Had to LOL,  you gave Jeff Ling credit and to my knowledge he has never hired a coach that was a big winner under his leadership as of yet(may happen with CMA and CBB) but you didn't mention the one coach he did hire that won big at Arksnsas plus other stops,

Therefore I voted CBP just for the heck of it.

[Cinco de Hogo]

That's when we all went "****", we're in trouble for a long time.

Ha!  Ford got us out of trouble and recruited some very "uncommon men". 

[Inhogswetrust]

Invalid poll. There is one name on there that should never be associated with a coaching HOF.

[rtr]

Ha!  Ford got us out of trouble and recruited some very "uncommon men". 

This is true, I think Danny Ford did a lot for the Razorback Program after the Crowe fiasco.

[Justifiable Hogicide]

Good for Danny and congratulations to him.
He transformed the Razorbacks into a real football team. Wish he'd been given another year.

[kaiserhog]

Danny Ford had figured out recruiting for Arkansas' situation.  He should have been retained.

[redeye]

I'm also surprised they're inducting Ford, although I'm aware of his accomplishments.  Does winning the national title guarantee acceptance?

Ford was still under contract to Clemson in 1992 when Crowe was canned which was the only reason Frank had Joe Kines hire him as a "consultant" till he was free to sign as coach after the season.

IIRC, it was Kines' idea and not Frank's.

Houston Nutt took not one, but two schools to the Cotton Bowl.  TWO!

By the time Nutt arrived, the Cotton Bowl was just another bowl game.

[Buff]

You don't remember that time he beat Texas?  Or his called play to Monk for a TD?

[Hog N Bama]

You don't remember that time he beat Texas?  Or his called play to Monk for a TD?

I just remember a very frustrated Danny Ford on the sideline throwing his cap all the time. It was not a good time for Arkansas Football.

[GuvHog]

I would like to have seen what Ford could have done here IF Broyles allowed him to hire who he wanted as OC instead of forcing Kay Stephenson on him and as the young talented guys he left Nutt matured.

I seriously doubt it would have nattered. The game had passed Ford by and it speaks volumes when an assistant coach the caliber of Joe Ferguson says he'll quit if Ford is retained as HC for the 98' season. There were some serious problems on that staff.

[ImHogginIt]

I seriously doubt it would have nattered. The game had passed Ford by and it speaks volumes when an assistant coach the caliber of Joe Ferguson says he'll quit if Ford is retained as HC for the 98' season. There were some serious problems on that staff.

Yes... like Broyles making Ford hire Stephenson. dysfunction begins right there.

[NaturalStateReb]

If so, then that means Bobby Ross, Bill McCartney, Gene Stallings, Dan Devine, Bob Stoops, etc......they should all be in (maybe some of them are, I dunno).

Ross and Stoops aren't in.  Stoops will be eventually.

BTW, if you haven't been there, you should see the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.  It's really cool, highly recommend.

[NaturalStateReb]

I just remember a very frustrated Danny Ford on the sideline throwing his cap all the time. It was not a good time for Arkansas Football.

Ford was a recruiting cheater who had trouble winning when he couldn't commit a bunch of recruiting violations.

I just remember Ford not being able to remember any of the players' names:  "88 had a pretty good game" kind of stuff.

[GuvHog]

Yes... like Broyles making Ford hire Stephenson. dysfunction begins right there.

Actually it began before that. He'd had trouble keeping assistants from the beginning. The best DC of the Ford era only stayed one year because he'd had all of Danny Ford he could take (Joe Lee Dunn).

[Inhogswetrust]

Actually it began before that. He'd had trouble keeping assistants from the beginning. The best DC of the Ford era only stayed one year because he'd had all of Danny Ford he could take (Joe Lee Dunn).

Joe Lee wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

[Sivad]

Joe Lee wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

He sure wasn't.
Danny Ford deserves a lot of appreciation from the Razorback fans for his work here.
He built a tough and talented team and should have been allowed to coach it. A shame it was turned over to a local media darling who turned out to be a nincompoop and worse.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

Joe Lee wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

Well Frank did save a lot on socks with Joe Lee.

I think the low point of those years was the trip to Shreveport to play SMU when Arkansas scored a TD but no one on the staff realized it and they ran a conventional play on the conversion attempt and were stopped short.

[WizardofhOgZ]

Dave Van Horn

[ImHogginIt]

Actually it began before that. He'd had trouble keeping assistants from the beginning. The best DC of the Ford era only stayed one year because he'd had all of Danny Ford he could take (Joe Lee Dunn).

Danny Ford took over a cluster**** program and gradually rebuilt the talent base despite some of the worst facilities in the SEC at the time. Maybe he never would have been a big success here but he was hamstrung on how much he could pay assistants and who he could hire by Broyles. He deserves some credit by fans not poor mouthing.

[GuvHog]

Joe Lee wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

He isn't now but he was the reason the Hogs did well that year. It was the only good year of the Danny Ford era. After that, teams started to figure his defense out and he became ineffective.

[GuvHog]

Danny Ford took over a cluster**** program and gradually rebuilt the talent base despite some of the worst facilities in the SEC at the time. Maybe he never would have been a big success here but he was hamstrung on how much he could pay assistants and who he could hire by Broyles. He deserves some credit by fans not poor mouthing.

I give him credit for his recruiting. He was really good at that but not much of anything else.

[GuvHog]

Well Frank did save a lot on socks with Joe Lee.

I think the low point of those years was the trip to Shreveport to play SMU when Arkansas scored a TD but no one on the staff realized it and they ran a conventional play on the conversion attempt and were stopped short.

That was probably the straw the broke the camel's back for Ford's career at Arkansas.

[Cinco de Hogo]

I didn't mean to imply that Ford should be in the AHOF just that he deserved a bit of respect for being a bridge to better times.  Even at that time Broyles ways were beginning to have adverse affects on Razorback sports so the situation wasn't ideal and Ford was already over the hill it seemed. 

Ford did what he did and it wasn't all bad.  Without a doubt he left the program in better shape than he found it, he had just lost his touch as a great coach.

[Theolesnort]

It doesn't take a scientific rocket to figure out Ford belongs and Nutt doesn't.

[The Kig]

We made a hometown, moronic hire instead.   

Not sure how many people met Danny, but we traded one moron for another.  Don't get the DF lovefest.  Met him a couple of times and had several friends who played under him and he couldn't string a complete sentence together.  He certainly had more personality than Crowe, but that was a very low bar to step over.   

[thirrdegreetusker]

Makes you wonder what his 1998 team would have looked like if he'd been allowed to completely run his own show (or 1995, 1996, or 1997 for that matter)......instead of HDN coming in.  Fwiw, at the time, I was sooo indifferent and less than excited/disappointed when Nutt was hired.  I wasn't "oh my goodness, they hired the wrong coach"...it's just that I had pretty much soured on Ford and had lost interest in the whole damn thing - I reckon I just went to the games (I missed more than I made) for the tailgating and calling the Hogs as much as anything.  I figured he was burned out and was tired of dealing with Frank and was just going thru the motions.

I glance at my smite count occasionally and just grin, because I still get popped anytime I post....and it's probably well deserved.  BB turned me off from day one, but much to his credit he's concentrating on football and not twitter.  I am beginning to believe that he might, just might, build a team that can compete with the best of 'em - and that's about all we can ask for.  He was like 22 points from being 10-2 last year.  Even though close doesn't cut it, I can't complain too much about that - especially with some of the limited depth we had here and there.  But the College Hall of Fame?  Let's calm down.  He's got a few SEC Championships and a National Championship or two to win in order to join that bunch.  Having said that, I'm very excited about this fall, I think he's developed a feel for the SEC and is not one to half-ass it when it comes to preparation.

In watching Ford, when he was here at UA, in his coach show, press conferences, and other media appearances, he gave me the impression that he was desperately in need of an enema. Never looked like he had the fire or passion.

[thirrdegreetusker]

Not sure how many people met Danny, but we traded one moron for another.  Don't get the DF lovefest.  Met him a couple of times and had several friends who played under him and he couldn't string a complete sentence together.  He certainly had more personality than Crowe, but that was a very low bar to step over.

I heard that, while sitting alone at a summer baseball game, Ford was approached by a youngster, asking for an autograph. He refused.

That being said, he definitely left a good collection of talent for Hootie. Rebuilt the program.

[rtr]

A former player who became something of a star under Nutt said Ford was the better coach.  He said Nutt was all motivational speaker and not much else FWIW.  Ford did recruit well and didn't cheat while he was here.

[thirrdegreetusker]

Fifty years!.......FIFTY!

Should be "fiddy"

[Atlhogfan1]

Not sure how many people met Danny, but we traded one moron for another.  Don't get the DF lovefest.  Met him a couple of times and had several friends who played under him and he couldn't string a complete sentence together.  He certainly had more personality than Crowe, but that was a very low bar to step over.

He was an old school, country football coach.  That is why he and Wilson Matthews bonded so well.   It is also why some players of his couldn't stick around and play for him because they wanted to be coddled.  Each generation wants to be coddled a little more to where we have the extremely entitled millenials now.  It was probably time for a change and we hired a cheerleader who cut practice short to let them swim.  The soft whiners got what they wanted.  Nutt had not yet become manipulative with his players.

We didn't need a cheerleader in 1992 or a media darling.  We needed a hard ass football coach as we had taken a huge step up in competition and our program was way down and soft.  That is what we hired.  One with experience in the SEC as a player and playing SEC competition including their rivalry with Georgia.  Clemson was a physical program who produced a lot of NFL talent.  He knew what it would take for us to have a chance to be competitive. 

Now in today's social media, 24/7 news and sports world, Ford probably wouldn't make it very far especially when you would throw in having to coach today's players.  It is great to have a coach like Bielema. 

It isn't a Ford lovefest.  It is recognizing what the man did under the circumstances he did them while coaching here. 

[GuvHog]

He was an old school, country football coach.  That is why he and Wilson Matthews bonded so well.   It is also why some players of his couldn't stick around and play for him because they wanted to be coddled.  Each generation wants to be coddled a little more to where we have the extremely entitled millenials now.  It was probably time for a change and we hired a cheerleader who cut practice short to let them swim.  The soft whiners got what they wanted.  Nutt had not yet become manipulative with his players.

We didn't need a cheerleader in 1992 or a media darling.  We needed a hard ass football coach as we had taken a huge step up in competition and our program was way down and soft.  That is what we hired.  One with experience in the SEC as a player and playing SEC competition including their rivalry with Georgia.  Clemson was a physical program who produced a lot of NFL talent.  He knew what it would take for us to have a chance to be competitive. 

Now in today's social media, 24/7 news and sports world, Ford probably wouldn't make it very far especially when you would throw in having to coach today's players.  It is great to have a coach like Bielema. 

It isn't a Ford lovefest.  It is recognizing what the man did under the circumstances he did them while coaching here. 

IMHO the Hogs would have been a lot better off if Frank had given Joe Kines more time as the HC rather than hiring Danny Ford.

[TOM "tbw1"]

If so, then that means Bobby Ross, Bill McCartney, Gene Stallings, Dan Devine, Bob Stoops, etc......they should all be in (maybe some of them are, I dunno).

Stallings 2011