Three Pivotal Points in Razorback Football History

[WilsonHog]

(1) 1958 - Frank Broyles was hired as head coach. After six losses to open the 1958 season, the Razorbacks won their last four games. The following year we went 9-2 and were SWC Co-Champions. In fact from 1959 through 1969 we won or shared six SWC championships and won one National Championship. We were one of the dominant teams of the 1960s.

(2) 1970 - Integration came to Razorback football when Jon Richardson earned his first varsity letter (actually there were black players on the 1969 team, but Richardson was the first to play a significant role). Teams all across the south struggled to recruit black players and to adjust to an integrated game.  From 1972 through 1974 Razorback teams went 6-5, 5-5-1, and 6-4-1. However, from 1975 through 1989 we won or shared four SWC championships, finished second five more times, and finished in the Top 20 10 times. Clearly, we proved we could be successful in the post-integration SWC.     

(3) 1992 - We began play in the SEC. Over the next 16 years we've gone 50-60-2 in the SEC, a winning percentage of .455. Our overall record is a slightly better 86-77-2 (.527). Our winning percentage since joining the conference places us 7th in SEC history, above Ole Miss, South Carolina, Mississippi St., Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Since joining the SEC we've finished in the Top 25 twice. We've won or shared three divisional championships. We've suffered through six losing seasons. We clearly have not proven that we can be successful in the SEC. 

[WilsonHog]

I think what it says to me is that whatever we're doing, it ain't working. Not since 1992.

You know, we may well look back in 10 years and say that the hiring of Malzahn and the recruitment of McFadden, Mustain, and Williams was the fourth pivotal point in Razorback history. One thing seems clear; we're running out of cards to play if we ever want to be any more than a second-division team in the SEC. We are at a critical time. To use a boxing analogy, with each passing year we're closer and closer to becoming that journeyman fighter who really isn't good enough to win consistently, but who can hang around and maybe deliver a haymaker every few fights.

[nwarazfan]

I think the hiring of Hatfield over JJ has to be considered as prominently as 92 and the SEC.  If Hatfield had not killed our recruiting, we would not have been that far behind the SEC as far as talent and it wouldn't have taken us so many seasons to become just competitive.  The hiring committee debacle and Nutt circus have to get a high honorable mention if it isn't on the list.

And integration was a key moment for all southern schools.   Notice Texas' first NC since integrating took 36 years.

[Albert Einswine]

I think the hiring of Hatfield over JJ has to be considered as prominently as 92 and the SEC.  If Hatfield had not killed our recruiting, we would not have been that far behind the SEC as far as talent and it wouldn't have taken us so many seasons to become just competitive.  The hiring committee debacle and Nutt circus have to get a high honorable mention if it isn't on the list.

And integration was a key moment for all southern schools.   Notice Texas' first NC since integrating took 36 years.

I have been saying this since 1987 when Jimmy Johnson's Miami team annihilated us in WMS to the tune of 51-7.   It reinforced what the rest of the college football world already knew.   

The teams that were hanging onto the wishbone option attack were dinosaurs slouching towards extinction.   Miami had already started making the Oklahomas and Nebraskas look outdated.

Folks like to blame Frank for Ken's inability to recruit his last few years but it's more likely that the best high school talent didn't want to play in Ken's archaic offensive scheme.

Not hiring Jimmy Johnson,  twice,  was Frank's biggest mistake IMO.

[dishhog10]

I think turning point #4 was the hiring of Gus and the Shock the world tour that is set begin on sept 2nd, 2006!!!!!!!!!1

[WilsonHog]

I have been saying this since 1987 when Jimmy Johnson's Miami team annihilated us in WMS to the tune of 51-7.   It reinforced what the rest of the college football world already knew.  

The teams that were hanging onto the wishbone option attack were dinosaurs slouching towards extinction.   Miami had already started making the Oklahomas and Nebraskas look outdated.

Folks like to blame Frank for Ken's inability to recruit his last few years but it's more likely that the best high school talent didn't want to play in Ken's archaic offensive scheme.

Not hiring Jimmy Johnson,  twice,  was Frank's biggest mistake IMO.

Broyles was concerned about Johnson's image. Thought his reputation as a little bit of a hell-raiser wouldn't play with Arkansas fans.

If he was correct in that regard, we deserve everything we've gotten since then. 

[Oklahawg]

The thing with Texas' 36-year hiatus from the top spot in college FB: they have been regular and consistent players for the top spot since then. They didn't just disappear for 3-plus decades. 1977, 1979, 1984 and the Stoops era at OU give you plenty of times that UT was painfully close to the pinnacle position.

Most Hog fans would delight in a single season like that.

[Oklahawg]

Being that perennial mid-range team that occasionally bumps up to the elite for a year is not what we all want. But, it'd be a step forward.

Most of this team doesn't know what its like to win at the NCAA level. Look how few contributors are around from the 03 season: Butu, Keith Jr, Tubbs, Ugoh, Washington, Harrell, Murphy. Its a stretch to say that some of these guys were contributors.

This is why its hard for those of us who have played any kind of competitive ball at the college level to accept that things will magically turn around with the addition of Gus, Wood and the 06 recruits. Those folks understand that mediocrity gets ingrained. The one caveat that no one posting here (that I know of) can answer: how much the team buys the fact that UA is a few "breaks" away from bowl seasons in 04 and 05 vs. either suspect coaching or inferior coaching/talent.

[Albert Einswine]

I have been saying this since 1987 when Jimmy Johnson's Miami team annihilated us in WMS to the tune of 51-7.   It reinforced what the rest of the college football world already knew.  

The teams that were hanging onto the wishbone option attack were dinosaurs slouching towards extinction.   Miami had already started making the Oklahomas and Nebraskas look outdated.

Folks like to blame Frank for Ken's inability to recruit his last few years but it's more likely that the best high school talent didn't want to play in Ken's archaic offensive scheme.

Not hiring Jimmy Johnson,  twice,  was Frank's biggest mistake IMO.

Broyles was concerned about Johnson's image. Thought his reputation as a little bit of a hell-raiser wouldn't play with Arkansas fans.

If he was correct in that regard, we deserve everything we've gotten since then. 

I know he was concerned about his image,  but he should have been concerned about big wins,  because JJ would have flat piled 'em up here and might have had a long tenure.   I'll bet you he would have stuck around longer than Holtz did.

There must have been some rub between Frank and JJ going back to his playing days. 

[noprayerfornutt]

I agree with Points one and three of the original post. However, I say number 2 has to be the hiring of Hatfield.  Like another poster said, every school had to deal with integreation.  Some such as OU did a much better job than others.  We slipped talent wise under Hatfield for various reasons such as he was too religous, the Flexbone, and not having good assistants.  He was not only behind on times with his offense but the defense that Fred Goldsmith ran was the "Bend but don't break" which got exposed badly against teams that had superior talent.  I alsofeel that a mark for any candidate for the HC job has to be their ability to recruit.  It was too hard to evaluate Kenny based on him being at a service academy.  He never should have been a candidate for that reason. 

[WilsonHog]

There must have been some rub between Frank and JJ going back to his playing days. 

I don't think so. Johnson coached for Broyles from 1973 through his retirement in 1976. In his book Johnson admitted that he wanted the job in 1976, but that JFB didn't think he was ready.  "I was deeply disappointed," Johnson said, "but I was not bitter or angry toward Frank....He simply admitted, after the fact, that he had anticipated giving me the job, but hadn't been able to follow through. That was fine. (And, looking back, at age thirty-three I was not ready to be a head coach of a major program.)" 

1984 was obviously a different story.  I just noticed an an interesting quote in "The Razorbacks," co-authored by Jim Bailey and Orville Henry. Bailey and Henry wrote of the interest that Johnson had in the job in 1976 and in 1984, when Jimmy also had the support of some vocal friends in Little Rock. The paragraph that followed contained just one sentence.

"Broyles hastily hired Hatfield."   

[Albert Einswine]

There must have been some rub between Frank and JJ going back to his playing days. 

I don't think so. Johnson coached for Broyles from 1973 through his retirement in 1976. In his book Johnson admitted that he wanted the job in 1976, but that JFB didn't think he was ready.  "I was deeply disappointed," Johnson said, "but I was not bitter or angry toward Frank....He simply admitted, after the fact, that he had anticipated giving me the job, but hadn't been able to follow through. That was fine. (And, looking back, at age thirty-three I was not ready to be a head coach of a major program.)" 

1984 was obviously a different story.  I just noticed an an interesting quote in "The Razorbacks," co-authored by Jim Bailey and Orville Henry. Bailey and Henry wrote of the interest that Johnson had in the job in 1976 and in 1984, when Jimmy also had the support of some vocal friends in Little Rock. The paragraph that followed contained just one sentence.

"Broyles hastily hired Hatfield."  

Thanks for the info,  Wilson.   I had always assumed that after the 2nd spurning of JJ there must have been something deep seated-between the two.

[hogman64]

When you are historically the 7th best program in a 12 team league  you are most often at that mid level to upper lower level...........to ever get over the hump it is going to take the right head coach....people can throw out  all kinds of excuses but none hold water with me, it is a matter of having the right head coach and IMO since 1992 we havent had the right head coach to get us past 7th.........We are not hopeless we have alot of things in place to get there, we just dont have the right leader and havent had.........

[Albert Einswine]

When you are historically the 7th best program in a 12 team league  you are most often at that mid level to upper lower level...........to ever get over the hump it is going to take the right head coach....people can throw out  all kinds of excuses but none hold water with me, it is a matter of having the right head coach and IMO since 1992 we havent had the right head coach to get us past 7th.........We are not hopeless we have alot of things in place to get there, we just dont have the right leader and havent had.........

Who do you think is?   It seems that Butch Davis is the runaway favorite here at Hogville for a replacement,  but I'm not real certain that would be the best thing for us.  I can't really put my finger on it,  it's just a feeling I have.

[hogman64]

When you are historically the 7th best program in a 12 team league  you are most often at that mid level to upper lower level...........to ever get over the hump it is going to take the right head coach....people can throw out  all kinds of excuses but none hold water with me, it is a matter of having the right head coach and IMO since 1992 we havent had the right head coach to get us past 7th.........We are not hopeless we have alot of things in place to get there, we just dont have the right leader and havent had.........

Who do you think is?   It seems that Butch Davis is the runaway favorite here at Hogville for a replacement,  but I'm not real certain that would be the best thing for us.  I can't really put my finger on it,  it's just a feeling I have.

I really dont know who is but "the right" head coach is hired many times by various schools........ the people that have the power to do it, just havent done it at the university of arkansas in quite some time........

[silvertip]

I think the hiring of Hatfield over JJ has to be considered as prominently as 92 and the SEC.  If Hatfield had not killed our recruiting, we would not have been that far behind the SEC as far as talent and it wouldn't have taken us so many seasons to become just competitive.  The hiring committee debacle and Nutt circus have to get a high honorable mention if it isn't on the list.

And integration was a key moment for all southern schools.   Notice Texas' first NC since integrating took 36 years.

I have been saying this since 1987 when Jimmy Johnson's Miami team annihilated us in WMS to the tune of 51-7.   It reinforced what the rest of the college football world already knew.  

The teams that were hanging onto the wishbone option attack were dinosaurs slouching towards extinction.   Miami had already started making the Oklahomas and Nebraskas look outdated.

Folks like to blame Frank for Ken's inability to recruit his last few years but it's more likely that the best high school talent didn't want to play in Ken's archaic offensive scheme.

Not hiring Jimmy Johnson,  twice,  was Frank's biggest mistake IMO.

I agree heartily, Einswine. And I blame Frank a lot for repeatedly hiring & supporting coaches who preached the "run first" philosophy.

Hatfield survived like HDN by building winning records against the weaker teams, whom you can consistently beat with the old ball-control, conservative game plan. But the futility of that philosophy is shown by their poor bowl records. Then, when we get into the tougher SEC, the dominant running game offense is exposed even more as a recipe for mediocrity.

The next, and essential, turning point starts with the hiring of Gus/firing of HDN as an OC. The only chance Arkansas will ever have to compete in any BCS conference is with a strong passing game as the anchor of a balanced O. I am hopeful that we've FINALLY seen the end of the JFB-Holtz-Hatfield-HDN running game obsession.

[Hoghead]

These are actually true assements of the Hog Football Program. We are no better than the other lower establishments of the SEC. Ole Miss hasn't won a Title in 46 years! We must never fall to this point. We're in the right Conference money wise. But we must put a better product on the floor. We must recruite players who can start and produce once they hit the campus. People that will push starters for there jobs! Not Big 12 rejects that Texas and Oklahoma don't want. Stop beating TCU out for players. Steve Spurrier while at Florida didn't waste time trying to get players that couldn't produce or push a Starter for his job. That's one of the problems we have at Arkansas. We have guys on the team that we know will never contribute. He's a nice kid and may one day develope into a starter. No we need players to be ready to come in and adjust to SEC play as quickly as possible.

[HognotinMemphis]

I think what it says to me is that whatever we're doing, it ain't working. Not since 1992.

You know, we may well look back in 10 years and say that the hiring of Malzahn and the recruitment of McFadden, Mustain, and Williams was the fourth pivotal point in Razorback history. One thing seems clear; we're running out of cards to play if we ever want to be any more than a second-division team in the SEC. We are at a critical time. To use a boxing analogy, with each passing year we're closer and closer to becoming that journeyman fighter who really isn't good enough to win consistently, but who can hang around and maybe deliver a haymaker every few fights.

The next time we're able to hire an OC and sign 3 or 4 Div 1-A players all from the same Arkansas HS, will be the next time hell freezes over.

[dana caldwell]

1) hiring of broyles
2) retirement of broyles
3) broyles running off holtz (not necessarily sold that he shouldn't have, but it began a turn for the worst. hatfield had huge success, but we no longer were preceived as having serious national power potential post-holtz. haven't been since).

[Oklahawg]

Dana, do you think the second marriage might have coincided with a 4th era for Broyles? We can hope, can't we!?!?

[dana caldwell]

yes, oklahawg, we can hope!

could actually be something to that. hoping she talks him into retirement sooner than later.

[Aftershave]

My brother in law & sister are Ole Miss grads.
Before we joined the SEC he warned me that we would end up being just like them.
Middle of the pack, an occasional break through, but mostly they've accepted that their situation is never gonna change.
Eli Manning was supposed to put them over the top but they were only mariginally better during his time there.

I'm afraid he might be right.

[JJHog]

1941--When Bear Bryant turned his car around which was headed for Fayetteville

2003/04--When we let HDN off the plane to Lincoln and LSU, when BDavis was "waiting in the wings"

[Pork Twain]

John Wesley Hardin--You can really ignore the 8 years before HDN got here and say he has destroyed the Hogs???  Open your eyes...

Ford was a "great" hire at the time and here are his numbers vs the SEC 15-25-1
Crowe was 3-8-1
Hatfield was 6-3
Holtz was 4-2
JFB was 1-10

So as you can see Arkansas has always dominated the SEC...  Not... 29-48-2 since JFB began coaching the Hogs till the season before Dale was hired.  So for all of you that want to bring up how great the Hogs used to be and how far we have slipped please explain those numbers to me.  Talk to me about how we have dominated the SEC teams.

I am NOT happy losing but prove to me that there is someone better out there to lead our team.  Or by getting rid of the known, HDN who has won at Arkansas, are we just going to get more unknown, Ford won it all somewhere else but didn't do Shiite for the hogs.  I would rather give HDN and company the last two years that JFB said would be rough years and see what he can do this year and next. 

Some of you have no mid-term memory...  You can remember the glory days of the Hogs and you can remember how bad we are sucking now but you refuse to remember the NCAA cloud and the fact that JFB said "it" would cause us to have a couple of down years.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/story.php?paper=adg&section=Sports&storyid=49274&searchterm=nebraska%20offer

Butch Davis??? Winning at the U of Miami and winning at arkansas are so different it is not even funny.

2000   11   1      Butch Davis
1999   9   4      Butch Davis
1998   9   3      Butch Davis
1997   5   6      Butch Davis
1996   9   3      Butch Davis
1995   8   3      Butch Davis

2003   9   4      Houston Nutt
2002   9   5      Houston Nutt
2001   7   5      Houston Nutt
2000   6   6      Houston Nutt
1999   8   4      Houston Nutt
1998   9   3      Houston Nutt

[JJHog]

I've said it a hundered times, we won't know if we can win like we want to until we throw big dollars at a high profile coach.

[JJHog]

Hard to argue with those 3 points in history, but the hiring of Jack Crowe and HDN completed the downward spiral of the program. Danny Ford could be mentioned, but he didn't kill it. Nutt has finished it off along with The Murray State Mafia.

a gross exaggeration

[HatfieldHog]

Superhog, I understand that you want to give HDN the chance to make it work this year and next.  If we were to look at it in real terms, he probably needs two years to get the offence straightened out, and the QB settled and effective.  But, here is where we part ways:  The "Cloud" was no excuse for the type of recruiting that happened during those two years.  All HDN had to do, is go into Frank's office and tell him that we have to overcome the negative recruiting of the other SEC schools, and for Frank to spend the $'s to hire some hot-shot recruit-for-hire guys.  Had that happened we would not have been in this long of a dry spot in talent.  HDN is so loyal to his "Buddies" that he chose to stay with them through the "Cloud" and they just don't have the talent to overcome that kind of situation.  Why didn't Frank think of this?  Heck, he is out of touch with the modern football world!
Franks name means nothing in the NCAA anymore, we need fresh, young, inovative thinking to shock this program back to it's feet.

Oh well, I could go on forever, but I'll stop with that.....See ya

[pfrg999]

Ron Dickerson Jr. knocked out of bounds at the 1 yard line on the last play of the Ol Miss game. We lost the Ol Miss player knocked himself out and we went on a downward spiral and several coaches

[HognotinMemphis]

John Wesley Hardin--You can really ignore the 8 years before HDN got here and say he has destroyed the Hogs???  Open your eyes...

Ford was a "great" hire at the time and here are his numbers vs the SEC 15-25-1
Crowe was 3-8-1
Hatfield was 6-3
Holtz was 4-2
JFB was 1-10

So as you can see Arkansas has always dominated the SEC...  Not... 29-48-2 since JFB began coaching the Hogs till the season before Dale was hired.  So for all of you that want to bring up how great the Hogs used to be and how far we have slipped please explain those numbers to me.  Talk to me about how we have dominated the SEC teams.

I am NOT happy losing but prove to me that there is someone better out there to lead our team.  Or by getting rid of the known, HDN who has won at Arkansas, are we just going to get more unknown, Ford won it all somewhere else but didn't do Shiite for the hogs.  I would rather give HDN and company the last two years that JFB said would be rough years and see what he can do this year and next. 

Some of you have no mid-term memory...  You can remember the glory days of the Hogs and you can remember how bad we are sucking now but you refuse to remember the NCAA cloud and the fact that JFB said "it" would cause us to have a couple of down years.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/story.php?paper=adg&section=Sports&storyid=49274&searchterm=nebraska%20offer

Butch Davis??? Winning at the U of Miami and winning at arkansas are so different it is not even funny.

2000   11   1      Butch Davis
1999   9   4      Butch Davis
1998   9   3      Butch Davis
1997   5   6      Butch Davis
1996   9   3      Butch Davis
1995   8   3      Butch Davis

2003   9   4      Houston Nutt
2002   9   5      Houston Nutt
2001   7   5      Houston Nutt
2000   6   6      Houston Nutt
1999   8   4      Houston Nutt
1998   9   3      Houston Nutt

The Hogs used to dominate SEC teams just like they used to dominate the Longhorns. Hahahahaha!

[nwarazfan]

John Wesley Hardin--You can really ignore the 8 years before HDN got here and say he has destroyed the Hogs???  Open your eyes...

Ford was a "great" hire at the time and here are his numbers vs the SEC 15-25-1
Crowe was 3-8-1
Hatfield was 6-3
Holtz was 4-2
JFB was 1-10

So as you can see Arkansas has always dominated the SEC...  Not... 29-48-2 since JFB began coaching the Hogs till the season before Dale was hired.  So for all of you that want to bring up how great the Hogs used to be and how far we have slipped please explain those numbers to me.  Talk to me about how we have dominated the SEC teams.

I am NOT happy losing but prove to me that there is someone better out there to lead our team.  Or by getting rid of the known, HDN who has won at Arkansas, are we just going to get more unknown, Ford won it all somewhere else but didn't do Shiite for the hogs.  I would rather give HDN and company the last two years that JFB said would be rough years and see what he can do this year and next. 

Some of you have no mid-term memory...  You can remember the glory days of the Hogs and you can remember how bad we are sucking now but you refuse to remember the NCAA cloud and the fact that JFB said "it" would cause us to have a couple of down years.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/story.php?paper=adg&section=Sports&storyid=49274&searchterm=nebraska%20offer

Butch Davis??? Winning at the U of Miami and winning at arkansas are so different it is not even funny.

2000   11   1      Butch Davis
1999   9   4      Butch Davis
1998   9   3      Butch Davis
1997   5   6      Butch Davis
1996   9   3      Butch Davis
1995   8   3      Butch Davis

2003   9   4      Houston Nutt
2002   9   5      Houston Nutt
2001   7   5      Houston Nutt
2000   6   6      Houston Nutt
1999   8   4      Houston Nutt
1998   9   3      Houston Nutt

Ford did do shiite for the Hogs.  He took over when we were at our lowest talent point in 35+ years and were entering the SEC when Bama and Florida were starting to roll, Fulmer had stabbed Majors in the back and was getting going and Bowden was about to take Dye's bought players and win big.  In a very short remarkable time he got us to an SEC Ch,only god knows how, which gave us the recruiting momentum for Nutt's 98 and 99 teams which should have at least played for one SEC Ch.  All the while Ford was recruiting to a slumping program to inadequate facilities including part of the time out of mobile home offices.  Lets not revise history and say we were worse off when Danny left than when he got there.  Houston cannot say the same right now even though he has been given everything to succeed.

And winning at Miami after losing 30 scholarships is different than winning at Arkansas. 

[Pork Twain]

Let's go spend the money on a high profile coach, see Ford fresh off of a NC, because you know those guys can never fail at Arkansas.  As I said before a name will not win you games.  It has to be the right guy coaching your team.  It seems like a lot of posters on here that want Dale gone, want Butch hired.  I am afraid we would be hiring Ford all over again.  What has he ever done that proves he will come here and win games for the Hogs?  Won at Miami...  Who hasn't won at Miami???

[dana caldwell]

"Won at Miami...  Who hasn't won at Miami???"

all of 'em, pre-schnellenberger.

[nwarazfan]

Let's go spend the money on a high profile coach, see Ford fresh off of a NC, because you know those guys can never fail at Arkansas.  As I said before a name will not win you games.  It has to be the right guy coaching your team.  It seems like a lot of posters on here that want Dale gone, want Butch hired.  I am afraid we would be hiring Ford all over again.  What has he ever done that proves he will come here and win games for the Hogs?  Won at Miami...  Who hasn't won at Miami???

Please recheck your college football history, Ford's NC came in 1981 so his hiring wasn't exactly fresh off of a NC.  It was off of a terrific run at Clemson, a program Hatfield came in and killed.

And that would just be awful if Butch came in like Danny and established toughness in the program while increasing the talent so that within 3 years we are playing for an SEC Ch and within 6 seasons we have the talent(who happened to be led by Jrs) and toughness to be in the Top 10 in Novemeber, undefeated and in line for a shot at the SEC and NC. 

[Pork Twain]

Talk about needing to get your facts straight...  What did Danny do for our program in three years???   Oh I got it.  He made the players tough so they could handle two years of finishing 4-7. 

You have the patience for any coach to come in here and rebuild our program?  You do realize that might involve losing...

My bad on the "fresh off a NC".  I got the NC confused with his 4 straight years finishing in the top 12 as the site puts it.

1997   4   7   0   Danny Ford
1996   4   7   0   Danny Ford
1995   8   5   0   Danny Ford (Carquest L to North Carolina)
1994   4   7   0   Danny Ford
1993   6   4   1   Danny Ford



http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/043002aaa.html

[rlamb]

Wilsonhog you are so right,  I myself would have welcomed Johnson's
magnetic, some SAY genius level intellect & personality over these we've had,

1.  The pious stone cold persona of Hatfield
2.  The dead pan just plain dumb acting & coaching Crowe
3.  The almost retarded & simpleton musings of the "washed out" Ford
4.  & the comical, yst sarcastic & arrogant nail chewer & song leader
    himself,  Dale.

Man, that's some heavy personality on the above.  Jimmy "Jump Up" had
and has more personality in one strand of his heavily hair sprayed hair than all of the Zombies listed above.  AND!!!!  HE COULD COACH, FRANK, YOU MORON!

[Pork Twain]

I would give anything to have JJ at the UofA.

[HognotinMemphis]

Wilsonhog you are so right,  I myself would have welcomed Johnson's
magnetic, some SAY genius level intellect & personality over these we've had,

1.  The pious stone cold persona of Hatfield
2.  The dead pan just plain dumb acting & coaching Crowe
3.  The almost retarded & simpleton musings of the "washed out" Ford
4.  & the comical, yst sarcastic & arrogant nail chewer & song leader
    himself,  Dale.

Man, that's some heavy personality on the above.  Jimmy "Jump Up" had
and has more personality in one strand of his heavily hair sprayed hair than all of the Zombies listed above.  AND!!!!  HE COULD COACH, FRANK, YOU MORON!

Who are you? You are brilliant.

[Oklahawg]

Arguing about the damage done, or not done, between Hatfield and the present is like arguing about how you'd arrange the lawn furniture on the deck of the Titanic--an exercise in futility. The big crusher still persists--we "succeeded" under Hatfield when the SWC was at its weakest. It was glorious success, but the SWC was a sinking ship and JFB shrewdly helped us create the superconferences by defecting. Good riddance and welcome SEC.

We have achieved, since Hatfield, what 70 percent of D1 schools have achieved--occasional success. We've avoided being dismal, but I sure wonder about the heady days of the gallant Wade Hill leading us on ESPN vs Baylor. God love Wade, and thank you for being a Razorback, but those were dark days.

Its a good thing that internet message boards were not yet percolating (like today) in those days, else Arkansas' state population would be a lot lower due to fan suicide. Well, it might be lower, but probably not, given the fact that jumping out of the window of a double-wide will only sprain an ankle or break a wrist.

Is this 1992 again? 1998?

[DirkPiggler]

While hindsight tells us that hiring Jimmy Johnson over Ken Hatfield would've been the right move, remember it didn't look so obvious back then.  Ken was coming off a National Coach of the Year award after winning 10 games at Air Force (a school even Bill Parcells couldn't turn into a winner).  Jimmy was coming off a mediocre Nuttlike performance at Oklahoma State (3 winning seasons in five years, best one 8-4).  Don't get me wrong, I'd turn back the clock in a second if we could change that hire.  Still, it's not like JFB made a glaringly obvious poor choice at the time.   

[DriveByHogger]

I have been saying this since 1987 when Jimmy Johnson's Miami team annihilated us in WMS to the tune of 51-7.   It reinforced what the rest of the college football world already knew.  

The teams that were hanging onto the wishbone option attack were dinosaurs slouching towards extinction.   Miami had already started making the Oklahomas and Nebraskas look outdated.

Folks like to blame Frank for Ken's inability to recruit his last few years but it's more likely that the best high school talent didn't want to play in Ken's archaic offensive scheme.

Not hiring Jimmy Johnson,  twice,  was Frank's biggest mistake IMO.

Broyles was concerned about Johnson's image. Thought his reputation as a little bit of a hell-raiser wouldn't play with Arkansas fans.

If he was correct in that regard, we deserve everything we've gotten since then. 

With some fans infatuation with HDN being a good "Christian" man it does lend credence to the theory.  I could care less what a persons personal beliefs are as long as they can field a winner with integrity and class.