May 24, 2013

Smith Introduced As Razorbacks Football Coach

April 24, 2012 by

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: John L. Smith Introductory Press Conference

Coach John L. Smith was formally introduced at a press conference Tuesday afternoon in the Raymond Miller Room of the University of Arkansas campus.

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  • Jeff E

    I wasn’t really high on this pick at first, I’m not one of the people that believed that you can’t hire a big name in April, learn a new playbook, and put together a coaching staff by the fall, I believed you could. But that being said, JL Smith impressed me a lot at his PC today, and also the interview with Chuck Barrett, I think if everyone gets on the same page, the defense improves as I think they will, and Arkansas stays healthy, there’s no reason they can’t challenge LSU for the SEC title this yr.

    • Jim Dogg

      No, technicaly they will challenge LSU and Alabama (as it stands right now) for the WEST title. They would challenge the winner of the East for the SEC title. Winning the west is not an automatic SEC title. Looks good for the Hogs. LSU does not have a seasoned QB. Alabama wil reload but doesm’t look quite as formidable this year. But don’t discount USC and Georgia. Both with good QBs. No pushovers there.

      • Jeff E.

        Yes, thank you Einstein, I know there would still be an SEC championship game, not breaking news to me. However, the west minus South Carolina and Georgia, is right now slightly above the east..IMHO. SO, POINT BEING, IF ARKANSAS WINS THE WEST, I LIKE OUR CHANCES THIS TIME, UNLIKE THE OTHER TWO TIMES.

  • GolfHog

    Taking BMFP out of the picture changes everything. That could be better or worse. Does this team and coaching staff come together as one or is it every man for himself? Only time will tell.

    Bobby wanted the job and showed very quickly what could be done. Will another big time coach see the same thing?

    Right now Long is the hero. But, he could soon be the goat. Up until now he has followed the path of least resistance for 4 years; Petrino, Pelphry, Anderson, and Petrino, and now Smith have all been ‘easy’ calls, not a risk in the bunch. Sooner or later he may be forced to choose. Or he may skate for another few years.

    Arkansas fans are riding the whirlwind for now. Now that we see it, it looks like a complete break consequences and all, was the smart move. Only time will tell. What a year we have ahead.

  • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

    I’m personally not a big JLS fan, but I do believe the hire is best for a temporary basis. I never liked the goofy “giant chunks of land” statement, although the Bo Mattingly Show never seemed to get enough of it.
    Reminded me way too much of our previous head coach and some of his goofy quirks.

    For now though, JLS should provide instant stability for the coaching staff with his head coaching experience and allow guys like Tim Horton, Tarver Johnson, Paul Petrino and Paul Haynes to concentrate on their current roles without the added pressure of being named the interim head coach.

    Everything is in place now. Let’s go get that SEC West title, SEC championship title and the NC tile and bring it to Fayeteeville for all the recruits to see.

    GO HOGS GO, BABY!!!!!

  • soupdhog

    Golf brings up an interesting point – since there is no guarantee for a ‘next year’ for these asst coaches how will they bond together?

    Hopefully they will see this as the golden opportunity to shine and take advantage of a load of talent. If they perform and win some titles, that’s a good resume.

    I haven’t thought about whether they would like/prefer stability. None of these guys really have any loyalty to the U of A. Haynes or bro Petrino could bolt if another school wanted them bad enough.

    While I’m excited about the possibilities, I guess I’ll hold my breath until August.

  • uvahog

    I’m not sure what to say about this. I figured we couldn’t get a full time coach in the spring, but this seems to put us in a catch-22. If we win big (win the West and/or the SEC) then we run the risk of Long deciding to keep Smith, and if we don’t then we have a waste of so much potential.

    Btw, am I the only one hoping that Paul Petrino calls the plays from the box while receiving secret text-play-calls from BP?

  • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

    I wouldn’t worry about JLS long term. I’d wager, even with a NC win, he’ll take his million and retire at the ripe old age of 64, then CPP becomes a candidate for the next head coaching gig. If he get’s it, most or all of the staff will then stay intact, unless Haynes or Tarver get a head coaching offer from someone they really like.

  • GolfHog

    You can kind of see the case for Paul Petrino getting his big break based on his brother’s fiasco. There is a certain logic to that.