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SEC Network Host Compares Arkansas' Silverfield to Indana's Cignetti

CFB analyst believes Hogs' head man has potential as next G5 coach to revive struggling program
Morgan Acuff|
Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield celebrates following a big play at practice.
Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield celebrates following a big play at practice. | Razorback football twitter

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — SEC Network host Peter Burns sat down with Quinn Grovey and Matt Zimmerman on the Razorback Daily to discuss the changing SEC landscape and the Razorbacks' rebuilt roster under first-year coach Ryan Silverfield.

While Burns was on to promote his new SEC Network+ series 'New Era' series that profiles each new head coach in the SEC this year, there is plenty to go over.

To say the new head coach came off well would be an understatement. Burns went as far as to compare him to the reigning CFP champion coach Curt Cignetti of Indiana. It's not just similar color schemes that unite the teams, he said. But Is Ryan Silverfield really in that class of coach?

"I think what I appreciated with Silverfield is he's not coming in here acting like he knows everything, right?" Burns said. "He knew, through his background and what we learned, about how you can adapt. For him to have an outside-the-box experience is the same reason why Curt Cignetti went to Indiana and won. Everyone would tell him 'you can't win at Indiana.' Well, why the hell not? And he did that."

Most among the national media aren't giving this Arkansas team much of a chance to do anything against loaded rosters in the SEC and Big Ten. Before all that negative attention, Silverfield had a chip on his shoulder. Burns loves that about him.

"Silverfield, again, it comes from a place of humility, and he's always kind of had a chip on his shoulder," Burns said. "And I'm like, that's exactly why Razorback fans should feel good; is the fact that I need somebody that's had a chip on his shoulder and had to look differently to get things done."

Being a charismatic and successful head coach is key in this era of NIL contracts and transfer portal bedlam is paramount.

Burns continued to heap praise on Silverfield's character. Confidence is a special power for these guys to stay calm enough to make the best moves, call the right plays and run practice the right way.

"Even with Silverfield, like these guys are comfortable in their own skin right now," Burns said. "I felt like all of them are kind of settled and fit exactly where they were supposed to fit in these new openings.

"The one thing that was important for us is that I didn't want to do any of these interviews at the football facility, because everybody is kind of in their work mode.

"It made all the difference in the world, especially for Coach Silverfield. 'Cause, man, we show up, and he's got a baby bottle in hand; he's got twin daughters that are just rolling around. I'm like, this is what I want Razorback fans and even SEC football fans to understand. There's emotions, and there's a world of family."

As college sports seem to be weighted towards the highest bidder in so many ways, there's a lot to be said for finding creative ways to win. Maybe that's where a coach with personality is more valuable. Silverfield is unabashedly himself.

"College sports is so transactional now that we lose the fabric of and the emotions of who these people are," Burns said. "And we need that personality to understand what makes these guys tick a little bit more."

Much like Arkansas, a lot of schools are fielding team's stuffed with transfer talent. This new era of college football has made research on teams more difficult.

"I've never felt more naked going into a football season than this year," Burns said. "I literally started doing my show prep like three weeks before SEC Media Days. And I got halfway through, like the third team; I'm like, 'What the hell am I doing? There's 40, 50, 60 new players on the roster, to hell with this.'"

Silverfield and other new coaches are in a much better position than in the past, Burns said. This echoes what Silverfield has said this offseason: it's never been easier to get a fresh start for a football team.

"What I learned right now is that this league is as wide open as it's ever been because of the amount of transfer portal, because of the parity level," Burns said. "There's so many question marks that I think it actually helps programs that are rebuilding right now because everybody can catch lightning in a bottle."

Burns says Sutton Smith's decision to transfer alongside his coach speaks volumes about the kind of leader Silverfield is.

"You can tell when a young man shows up, either are they over their skis or are they confident and grounded in themselves?" Burns said. "And, man, Sutton, he's more confident in himself than I am. And you could genuinely see the love that he had for Silverfield. Now a Sutton Smith can go, 'I want to follow my coach in the transfer portal.'"

With a roster full of fresh faces and a lot of doubt surrounding the program, could this team be the next Indiana?

There's 29 more days until we all find out.

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Morgan Acuff
MORGAN ACUFF

Morgan Acuff covers Arkansas athletics for Hogs on SI with a focus on football, basketball and in-depth features. A longtime Arkansas journalist, Acuff has covered sports throughout the state, bringing years of reporting experience and storytelling to Razorback coverage. He delivers insightful analysis through an analytical lens.

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