Three coaches separate from pack in Razorbacks' search for new coach

Source feels confident trio of American Conference coaches are frontrunners to replace Pittman

North Texas Mean Green coach Eric Morris stands on the sidelines against the South Florida Bulls during the second half of a game at DATCU Stadium. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As Arkansas enters its second month of its coaching search, there now appear to be three front runners to replace fired coach Sam Pittman.

While the talk on social media consists of James Franklin, Rhett Lashlee or Jon Sumrall taking the reins with the Razorbacks, the dream scenario is likely way out reach.

Unless a knight in shining armor with the ability to back a major name hire comes forward fronting the contract, the Razorbacks will probably hire a coach from a Group of Five school rather than a sitting head coach at a Power Conference program.

The three coaches who have been vetted as one source tells Arkansas Razorbacks on SI are Eric Morris (North Texas), Ryan Silverfield (Memphis), and Alex Golesh (South Florida).

The Mean Green, Tigers and Bulls are all tied for second in the American Conference standings going into the first weekend of November, directly behind undefeated Navy.

Eric Morris, North Texas

Morris hasn't been included on any of our hot boards over the past month, but his stock seems to have a rocketship attached to it.

A disciple from the Mike Leach coaching tree, he has produced some exceptional offenses in his time as an assistant at Houston, Washington State andTexas Tech before taking the head job at Incarnate Word in 2018.

Before his arrival in San Antonio with the UIW, the Cardinals struggled heavily as a relatively young FCS program (launched in 2009). He quickly made the program relevant, earning Southland Conference coach of the year honors with a 6-5 record overall and an appearance in the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history.

After an exciting 10-3 season which saw Morris win conference coach of the year again with star quarterback and future No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, he left to take offensive coordinator job at Washington State under coach Jake Dickert.

North Texas Mean Green coach Eric Morris reacts on the sidelines during a game against the Boise State Broncos at Toyota Stadium. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

During his lone season with the Cougars in 2022, Morris created an offense that ranked No. 1 in the PAC-12 and No. 10 nationally in red zone efficiency, scoring 91.5 percent of its trips inside the 20.

He took the rebuild job at North Texas in 2023 due to his reputation as an offensive guru, creating offenses that finished in the top-10 nationally in total offense on nine occasions, including a No. 1 finish among FBS teams at Texas Tech 2016 and the top FCS offense at UIW in 2020.

Since taking over the Mean Green, the offense has finished No. 6 (2023) and No. 3 (2024).

While his overall record of 42-33 doesn't pop off the screen, Morris' teams continue to get better the longer he is in town. From 6-5 to 10-3 at Incarnate Word or 5-7 to 7-1 at North Texas, he has shown the ability to build a winning program in quick work.

His career trajectory is much like that of Matt Rhule’s. Plenty of wins, while losses mostly happened in the first couple of years on campus.

Ryan Silverfield, Memphis

Silverfield wasn't able to sustain the momentum early on as Tigers coach, going 21-15 in his first three seasons from 2020-2022.

Then, something changed with close losses to Missouri, Tulane, and SMU as players were still fighting despite middling finishes in the American Conference.

A victory over Iowa State in the 2023 Liberty Bowl gave the Tigers its first 10-win season since 2019 as Silverfield appeared to turn the corner at Memphis.

South Florida Bulls coach Alex Golesh talks with Memphis Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield before the game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. / Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Memphis has been a consistent top 25-30 team nationally since 2023 with a 28-6 record and are in sight of another American Conference championship.

He’s shown an ability to adapt, bringing in key transfers and adjusting schemes to fit personnel. His flexibility would be crucial at Arkansas, where roster churn and NIL dynamics demand strong leadership at the top.

The Razorbacks have been witnessed more turnover than most schools not only in the SEC, but nationally as 30 or more players decide to enter the transfer portal each offseason.

While Silverfield isn't the flashiest name name available on the coaching market, he does offer a low risk, high reward due to his consistent track record and sensibility as a safe hire.

Alex Golesh, South Florida

The Bulls' coach has engineered one of the most explosive offenses in the AAC, reviving a stagnant program with tempo, creativity, and quarterback development.

His schemes emphasize versatility and speed, which would complement Arkansas’s existing personnel and attract dynamic skill players.

South Florida Bulls coach Alex Golesh against the South Carolina State Bulldogs during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

With an overall record of 20-14 over 2.5 seasons at USF along with his background of exciting offenses coordinating under Josh Heupel at Tennessee, Arkansas fans would find optimism in a potential quick build under Golesh.

He does have a pair of victories over Top 25 opponents this season against Boise State and Florida. The Bulls are also the lone blemish on North Texas' resume, notching a dominant 63-36 road victory.

USF takes the week off to regroup following a loss to Memphis as games against UTSA, at Navy, at UAB and Rice remain.

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Unless something changes, James Franklin will be looking at other openings across the country, avoiding the SEC like a plague.

Rhett Lashlee would seem to be the logical choice for Arkansas, but has a really good thing going at SMU as boosters are probably more patient given the Mustangs' recovery from the death penalty.

Tulane's Jon Sumrall saw his team fall on the road last night 48-26 to a desperate UTSA team struggling to stay afloat in American Conference play. He will be a highly sought after candidate, especially if Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina or Florida State come open.

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