Arkansas Hires John L. Smith as interim coach

[Crimson1967]

He is 63 years old, so his chances of getting another head job at a level even close to Arkansas was pretty slim. He'll make more money in one year than he would have in five years at Weber State. I did not realize until today Weber State had a football team.

He had been an asistant last year under Petrino, so he knows the system and the players. Yes, it sucks for Weber State, but I can't blame him for taking the job. If they have a really good season, he might get the job full time or at least another BCS school offer.

 

[cmmiller711]

He baled on Weber St. after a few months. He baled on U.of L...at the halftime of a bowl game!

Weber St. is his Alma Mater.

tweet by Stewart Mandel

*bailed :smile:

 

[RTR91]

Late to the party thanks to school. Listened to Finebaum this afternoon. The Arky fans are ridiculous. They believe this to be a great hire. I didn't think a group of people could be so delusional.

I get the idea of the continuity since he was on the staff. Not sure I get the point in bringing him away from his new employer for 10 months, though. If he was on the staff, the decision would make much more sense.

One point the Arky fans kept trying to make was that he was on Petrino's staff for 3 years while making the fans making comments sound stupid. Until Finebaum and other media outlets mentioned that fact, not many knew John L Smith was on Petrino's staff because he was Special Teams coach. I doubt many non-Alabama fans could name our Special Teams coach. Quick, name LSU's.

What I heard from the Arky fans today was desperation. The fans are desperate to convince us, and themselves, that John L. Smith is a quality hire. Too bad, we don't believe John L. Smith will take them to their expectation of a BCS championship.

 

[WalkaboutSean]

This is the best they could do at the moment.

They get the benefit of continuity. They now have time to try to land a big fish.

This is better than the rushed hire of an inexperienced coach. After all, Shula turned out to be an interim coach with a four-year term.

 

[GreatDanish]

It's hard to really judge a hire without knowing their options and their long-term plan (assuming there is one). For where Arkansas is, it's hard to blame them for this hire. You don't hit a home run with an interim hire. An interim hire keeps you afloat so that you can hit the home run hire 10 months from now. They got an experienced guy familiar not only with the Arkansas program, but the players as well.
The success of this hire will be determined a few years, maybe even one year. If I'm an Arkansas fan, I'm not excited about this hire, but I'm not completely bummed either. Only slightly bummed. But, again, I'm not sure who I would be excited about at this point.

 

[bmcklv]

He's an interim coach that was signed to 10 month contract. He knows the arkansas players and playbook, and I would bet his job is to let the coordinators coordinate and make necessary decisions until real coaches are available at the end of next season. Not any different than hiring the UAB coach which was rumored, or hiring from within.

 

[WMack4Bama]

My thoughts summed up in a video....speaks volumes actually

 

[TideEngineer08]

The tough thing for Arkansas is Petrino really screwed them over. There was no possible way they could bring in a coach of his caliber; in fact, they won't be able to hire a coach of his caliber after this season is over.

So no matter what, this season is lost for Arkansas. Sure, their fans are going to spin it in a positive manner. You're hearing them say, well he might win 10 games and that's as good as last year.

Petrino might have won 10 games. This guy ain't winning 10 games. There probably wasn't a hire they could have made that is going to win 10 games.

I predict they go 7-5/8-4 and hire someone less than impressive early in 2013. It ain't getting better for Arkansas any time soon, IMO.

 

[dirtroadlizard]

Laugh and make fun of this hire all you want . I think this will be a good move for Arky and I like John L. a lot better than Bobby . Oh, by the way , he was Jim McElwain's mentor at Louisville and Michigan State ! RTR...

 

[GrayTide]

Arkansas has the talent to win 9-10 games, will they, who knows. The hiring of Smith is a stretch but so would have promoting a current assistant. As for the Arkansas fans being delusional, sure they are, it might work, it might not. I seem to remember some delusional fans in May of 2003 when CMS was hired, all the talk about being a former Bama QB, who his father was and how this was going to translate into a new era, well we all know how that turned out. IMO, under the circumstances Long made a good decision. He certainly had a better record and more HC experience than the guy over on the Plains.

 

[RTR91]

Laugh and make fun of this hire all you want . I think this will be a good move for Arky and I like John L. a lot better than Bobby . Oh, by the way , he was Jim McElwain's mentor at Louisville and Michigan State ! RTR...

It's great that John L. Smith mentored Jim McElwain. Guess we should support him because of that? Or because he coached Nuss at Idaho?

This guy looks to fit the Bobby P mold. He called Jeff Long about the interim after becoming his alma mater's football coach 3 months ago. People on this board flamed Petrino for his actions and being "scum." Sounds like John L. Smith wanted to keep the questionable character at head coach.

He didn't have a .500 record at Michigan State and was fired before the season ended. How can we expect him to be a good head coach for Arky? If he's only head coach in title, that's not much better.

Arkansas's recruiting was poor before Petrino was fired, and it won't get better without a head coach.

Arkansas has the talent to win 9-10 games, will they, who knows. The hiring of Smith is a stretch but so would have promoting a current assistant. As for the Arkansas fans being delusional, sure they are, it might work, it might not. I seem to remember some delusional fans in May of 2003 when CMS was hired, all the talk about being a former Bama QB, who his father was and how this was going to translate into a new era, well we all know how that turned out. IMO, under the circumstances Long made a good decision. He certainly had a better record and more HC experience than the guy over on the Plains.

This is exactly why Arkansas fans should be cautious as to how hard they try to convince everyone that John L. Smith is the right man. We got all excited and were defensive because we had our doubts (especially later in his time). Arkansas is doing the same.

 

[CrimsonPride]

He's an interim coach that was signed to 10 month contract. He knows the arkansas players and playbook, and I would bet his job is to let the coordinators coordinate and make necessary decisions until real coaches are available at the end of next season. Not any different than hiring the UAB coach which was rumored, or hiring from within.

I understand what you are saying, but why not just promote one of your existing staff to interim coach for the year. If your own AD is saying they are not good enough to be the interim head coach of a system that you are currently in, what does that say about you. It is really a slap in the face to the existing assistants. Also, if JLS is only going to be an executive type and not actually coaching as has been suggested, what does it matter if he was there under Petrino?

It's great that John L. Smith mentored Jim McElwain. Guess we should support him because of that? Or because he coached Nuss at Idaho?

This guy looks to fit the Bobby P mold. He called Jeff Long about the interim after becoming his alma mater's football coach 3 months ago. People on this board flamed Petrino for his actions and being "scum." Sounds like John L. Smith wanted to keep the questionable character at head coach.

I agree. This move makes me question type of person that their current AD is looking for. This is the second time in a row that he had poached a coach who left his team high and dry and in an awkward position. Petrino left in the middle of the Falcon's season and this guy leaves Weber State after being hired in January. I know that Weber State is not Arkansas but to leave after only being on the job for 3-4 months and putting them in this position at this time is just wrong.

 

[RobK]

Arkansas can boast of what is perpetually one of the most delusional fan bases in college football. They truly believe they will attract a tier one coach like Gruden, Cowher, Jimmy Johnson, Gary Patterson, or another elite candidate. Hiring Smith for 10 months perpetuates that fantasy and lets them dream a little longer.

I think Arkansas will be an 8 or 9 win team this fall at best, due to lack of focus. Intentionally or not, the assistants are going to have their eyes on other openings down the road, and the motivation to harmonize with or please a caretaker coach simply won't be the same. Player accountability and discipline won't be the same, either, so long as they know a second change will come with a new regime after the season.

 

[dirtroadlizard]

I don't feel any need to support Smith . He's not our coach. I feel that Arky did what was best for them this year and time will tell if it was a good move or not . I really could care less if they go 11-1 or 1-11 as long as we beat them , although a strong Arky team will improve our strength of schedule . There were plenty of folks out there that thought we poached Coach Saban and his leaving the Dolphins was " just wrong". Sound familiar ? rtr...

 

[bamagradinATL]

No one can convince me this thing turns out get for Smith or Arkansas. They may have the talent to win 9 or 10 games, but I don't think it will happen this season.

 

[CrimsonPride]

I don't feel any need to support Smith . He's not our coach. I feel that Arky did what was best for them this year and time will tell if it was a good move or not . I really could care less if they go 11-1 or 1-11 as long as we beat them , although a strong Arky team will improve our strength of schedule . There were plenty of folks out there that thought we poached Coach Saban and his leaving the Dolphins was " just wrong". Sound familiar ? rtr...

Nope, because CNS waited until after the Dophin's season was over before taking another job unlike Petrino. A lot of those saying that CNS leaving was "just wrong" said so because they either wanted him to stay in Miami and/or not come to Bama for various reasons.

My reason for saying that what JLS did was "just wrong" is because of the character flaw of accepting a long-term (at least through the end of the season) position in January, then actively seeking to bolt within 4 months. What CNS did happens in the NFL every year whether we like it or not. What JLS did, not so much. It seems that being willing and able to abandon your job at the most inopportune time for your current employer is becoming a prerequisite for the Arky head coaching position. And that is just wrong.

 

[RTR91]

There were plenty of folks out there that thought we poached Coach Saban and his leaving the Dolphins was " just wrong". Sound familiar ? rtr...

What's your point? I missed it.

 

[CrimsonChuck]

Good article on it here...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/s...smith-to-replace-petrino.html?_r=2&ref=sports

John L. Smith has run with the bulls in Pamplona, skydived from 14,000 feet and climbed a peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. In the football world, he is known as an eccentric, whose legacy as a head coach ranges from being an innovator of the spread offense to telling his Louisville team at halftime of a bowl game that he was leaving for another job.

 

[bamakeeb]

This is the best they could do at the moment.

They get the benefit of continuity. They now have time to try to land a big fish.

This is better than the rushed hire of an inexperienced coach. After all, Shula turned out to be an interim coach with a four-year term.

Exactly. I would have loved to see AARky hire him full up. Good for us, anyway. But I can't blame them for trying to maintain continuity with an interim. That's exactly what we should have done after Price. A bowl trip would be a bonus for them this year, they know it and have hired their coach that way.

How do you know the toothbrush was invented in Arkansas? If it was invented anywhere else, it'd be called a teethbrush.

 

[Alabama Larry in Ky]

He did a radio call in show before he went to the Hogs a couple of years ago and I spoke with him many times, he gave us lots of praise and was pullin for us due to Jim...Jim was on the show several times by phone. He is very quirky and tries to be too funny with his comments, but he is a good coach. His wife and him still have a home in Louisville, and plans to retire here.