Silverfield piles on assistants as Razorbacks try staff overhaul strategy

Arkansas expands coaching staff to 12 assistants as Ryan Silverfield loads every position imaginable, hoping more voices somehow equals more answers

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield during his introductory press conference along with athletic director Hunter Yurachek at Frank Broyles Center. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

In Fayetteville, the Hogs have decided to fight modern SEC football with an ancient Southern strategy that if something isn’t working, hire more people and hope somebody fixes it.

So far, Ryan Silverfield has leaned into that philosophy so hard he may need a chiropractor.

According to Arkansas’ newly posted organizational chart, the Razorbacks now boast 12 full-time assistants, a number large enough to populate a church softball league and still have enough left to coach a football team.

It’s quite a shift from the Sam Pittman era, where Arkansas stuck close to the old NCAA limit of 10 assistants.

Pittman was never shy about the financial pressures that shaped his staffing choices, and athletic director Hunter Yurachek all but admitted the wallet wasn’t exactly overflowing.

But Silverfield? He’s shopping with the energy of someone who found a forgotten gift card at the bottom of his glove compartment.

That old NCAA cap on assistants is gone now, leaving schools free to expand like a gas station buffet menu. Silverfield clearly read the memo and responded, “Bet.”

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield during his introductory press conference at Frank Broyles Center. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Offense enough coaches to form their own unit

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to run an SEC offense, Silverfield’s answer is apparently everyone who has ever drawn a play on a napkin.

The Razorbacks’ offensive side looks like a casting call:

• OC: Tim Cramsey
• Quarterbacks: Clint Trickett
• Running backs: David Johnson
• Receivers: Larry Smith
• Tight ends: Morgan Turner
• Offensive line and run game: Jeff Myers
• Offensive line: Marcus Johnson

That’s seven offensive assistants including two OL coaches, because blocking is important and because Arkansas apparently enjoys doubling up on problems that hurt last year.

If clarity breeds confidence, this group is going to either inspire a masterpiece or require weekly mediator sessions. But hey, the SEC is a copycat league, and nothing says innovation like trying to imitate programs with better players and bigger budgets.

At least Silverfield is committed. Somewhere, an Arkansas fan is whispering, “Well, at least somebody is.”

Gonna have a secondary coach for every defensive back on the field 😂 https://t.co/W3r86AeHEX

— John Nabors (@JohnNaborsShow) December 16, 2025

A secondary with more coaches than healthy knees

Defense is where this staff really leans into the comedic absurdity of excess. The Razorbacks finished 103rd in pass defense last season, which Silverfield clearly took personally.

How do you fix a failing secondary?

Simple. You hire enough defensive backs coaches to field your own secondary.:

• DC: Ron Roberts
• Defensive line: Marion Hobby
• Secondary: Deron Wilson
• Cornerbacks: Eddie Hicks

That gives Arkansas four different voices evaluating coverage, which means players may still be confused only now the confusion will be professionally created.

If a DB lines up wrong, it won’t be due to lack of adult supervision.

There’s an old saying in the South: “If everybody’s responsible, nobody’s responsible.” Arkansas is about to test that theory with live ammunition.

Special teams and the support army

Special teams get just one coach, Chad Lunsford, proving that even Silverfield recognizes the limits of human dignity.

But what the Hogs lack in specialists they more than make up for in people with clipboards:

• GM: Gaizka Crowley
• Recruiting & Personnel: Scott Gasper
• Strength & Conditioning: Noah Franklin
• Chief of Staff: Pat Doherty
• Analysts: Nick Mathews, CJ Wilford, TJ Rushing
• Defensive QC: Simeon Blair

If Arkansas ever needs someone to alphabetize blitz packages or confirm whether the projector works in the film room, this team is covered.

This army of analysts signals something important: Silverfield is operating like a man who knows he must rebuild everything — culture, roster, communication, and probably the team snack table.

Whether this many voices produce harmony or simply louder arguing remains to be seen.

Meaning behind the numbers

There are two ways to look at this staff explosion:

1. Arkansas is finally spending like a real SEC program.
More coaches means more teaching, more ideas, and fewer excuses.

2. Arkansas is throwing everything at the wall and hoping the wall doesn’t collapse.
With this many assistants, organizational clarity becomes essential — and clarity has not been a Razorback trademark lately.

This staff gives Arkansas a chance to modernize. It also gives the Hogs a chance to burn through whiteboard markers at a historic rate. Both outcomes feel equally plausible.

Silverfield isn’t shy about trying something new. The question now is whether all this help can help the Hogs help themselves.

Key takeaways

• Arkansas now lists 12 full-time assistants, a notable expansion from the Pittman era.
• The defensive staff features multiple secondary-focused coaches as the Hogs try to fix a major weakness.
• Analysts and support roles give Arkansas depth — or at least an impressive directory of job titles.