Charlie Strong to Arkansas....perhaps?

[Dossenator]

The rumor mill is rolling full steam ahead in Arkansas. Just found this tidbit of info on a message board (I know don't believe everything you read on a message board).

"Mark Ennis OF KSTV in Louisville is tweeting that Arkansas is in talks with Charlie Strong, an offer of 4 million has been made."

Even if this is not true now, I bet he is at the top or near the top of the list that Jeff Long goes after. I say get Charlie back to his home state of Arkansas.

[Dossenator]

https://twitter.com/Mengus22
"We have our own Greg Swaim! RT @BBK_Sports: Charlie Strong talking to Arkansas..."

[Dossenator]

http://www.bleedbluekentucky.com/2012/0 ... -arkansas/

[Grayghost]

I think Swamp Daddy might disagree with you.

[Dossenator]

I think Swamp Daddy might disagree with you.

I am sure he will.

[donovan]

At at the risk of being anything but an observer....seems Arkansas throws people under the bus quicker than my mother-in-law can list my faults.

[Dossenator]

Who is exactly being thrown under the bus? AD Jeff Long was very clear during the hiring press conference of John L Smith that he would actively seek out a new coach during the season. He did add that all coaches on staff would be evaluated during the season. John L Smith's contract also says that Jeff Long can reassign him to a new position within the athletic department for any reason and a new coach could be hired before his contract is up (John L was given a 10 month contract).

I think it is clear when you lose to a team that you are favored to beat by more than 30 points, a team that has not had a winning record in 20 years, and losing in the fashion they did (no leadership from John L, classless act of not shaking hands after game, and blowing a 21 point lead by not running the ball with a struggling freshman QB) that he will not be retained come December.

[Swamp Daddy]

Now, here is an interesting thread. And early rumor mill at that. I laughed so hard I had trouble remembering my password to log in.

Sure, Charlie may leave. But, I don't think it will be this year; after next season would be more probable. He and Clint Hurtt combined have proved to me to be about the best recruiting team around. Sure, they had an advantage including promising early and nearly unlimited playing time to players he went after which might not have been true had they gone to a bigger football school. So, far this has been a plus.

As a coach I think he is good; but, he has not proved to me he is top rank yet. Look at the nobodies they lost to last year. This year with a much better team and a much weaker schedule he should do fine. Not sure that makes him top rank (yet). However, next year when most of these people are juniors he may make a lot more noise. Still, the schedule should be a lot stronger with him still winning most of them to prove something to me.

Yep, from Arkansas; but, does he want to coach the Arkansas mess up from the bottom? He's put in 3 hard years here and may start to reap the benefits late this year and next.

Will Arkansas collapse now? Well I doubt it. John L. was a nice guy here but he was up and down. Lost to teams he should have beat. Won some games there was no way he should have including the big 'rain' game where we (UL) beat Florida State. Now, I'm betting that the Arkansas AD is not in a super hurry to choose someone. Arkansas will be fine in the long run (as long as the AD doesn't hit the panic button make a hasty, early choice).

My tongue in cheek comment was meant to imply that if I was a Razorback fan (after all that has happened) the last thing I'd want for a coach was anyone who had even passed through Kentucky, much less the 3rd (maybe) ex-Louisville coach, to take over the program. Even what Bill Clinton used to smoke wouldn't take you that far.

Now, if you put any faith in the (their name) Big Blue Nation blogs you are really sucking down rumors. You bet they'd like Charlie to go anywhere or nowhere as long as he left U of L. And, yes we have lots of people here in town who wear those blue colored lenses in their glasses. So even news from KY fans here in town is the same as blogs located elsewhere in the state. Many of these same UK sites have indicated they'd like to hire Petrino as a coach. More power to them, I hope they do and he will trash their program too in the long run. Bobby P. is only and totally about Bobby P.

I think that much depends on how many more games Arkansas loses; and, how many games UL wins, etc. And, who else (coach-wise) might be on the loose. Maybe toward the end of the season more reasoned judgements will be made.

Keep the comment coming, Swamp Daddy

[Yeofoot]

I still think Art Briles would be the best coach for Arkansas to go after.

[donovan]

You let Smith finish the season and recruit when there are some choices out there....sometimes you have to pay a price for hiring the wrong guy, i.e. Petrino.....