Coaches Pittman, Petrino Could Consider for Assistant Opening

It will be interesting which path Razorbacks decide to go for wide receivers coach

Author:
Jacob Davis
Updated:
Dec 28, 2023 9:07 AM EST
Original:
Dec 27, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In a slightly surprising manner, Football Scoop broke the news of Arkansas’ receivers coach Kenny Guiton leaving for Wisconsin. Following a three-year stint in Fayetteville.

Guiton was a top assistant during his time on The Hill after being recommended for the position by former Razorbacks offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, both men worked together at Houston during the 2018 season. The former Ohio State quarterback was a solid recruiter, bringing in a handful of high 4-star pass catchers. Now, he leaves for Wisconsin, a program on the rebound coming off a 7-5 regular season.

As with any coaching change names are going to pop up whether it be for good reason or leaking out for reaction purposes.

Garrick McGee
^Louisville

The former Hogs' offensive coordinator has been around long enough to see a thing or two. The 50-year old McGee has served in several roles since his time in Fayetteville from 2008-11. He has stayed no longer than two years at a certain school since then with jobs at Missouri, Purdue, Florida, Illinois and as head coach at UAB. McGee currently serves as receivers coach at Louisville, his second stint with the Cardinals.

Louisville’s receivers were very physical at the line of scrimmage, fighting through contact this season. However, Bruce Feldman reported on Wednesday afternoon that there had been no contact made between Arkansas and McGee.

Paul Petrino
^{Central Michigan}

An obvious choice for Petrino would be someone who knows him inside and out. His brother certainly fits the bill. The younger Petrino spent nine season with the Idaho Vandals following his stint as the Hogs' offensive coordinator in 2012. This past season he led the Central Michigan offense to a tune of 344 yards per game (No. 5 in the MAC), 23.2 points per game (No. 7 MAC) and 159 yards on the ground (No. 4 MAC).

Dameyune Craig
^{Texas A&M}

The former Texas A&M receivers coach is on the wish list for a lot of fans after not being retained by new Aggies coach Mike Elko. Craig is an elite recruiter and has been around the SEC landscape as a coach for over a decade. The previous six seasons he has led an impressive group of wide receivers with the Aggies including 3-star Ainias Smith (2019), 4-star Demond Demas (2021), 5-star Evan Stewart (2022) and 4-star Chris Marshall (2022). He also earned the commitment of Cam Coleman for the 2024 cycle who decommitted following the termination of coach Jimbo Fisher.

Arkansas would be a solid landing place for Craig considering the room he would inherit which includes speedsters such as veteran wideout Isaiah Sategna and incoming freshman Ashton Bethel-Roman. He would also have returnees such as leading wideouts Andrew Armstrong and Isaac TeSlaa.

Joker Phillips
^{North Carolina State}

The former Kentucky head coach has hung around the college game outside of one season with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. Phillips has been out of the SEC since 2015, spending one season in Gainesville. He has been a catalyst for producing several powerful offenses at NC State, Cincinnati and Maryland.

Rich Gunnell
^{Holy Cross}

The current wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Holy Cross has helped the Crusaders become one of the top offense's in the FCS over the previous two seasons. Their offense ranked No. 2 in yards per completion (16.2) and No. 8 in scoring offense (37.4 points per game).

With his boss, Bob Chesney, being hired at James Madison, it may be possible to poach away one of the brightest young offensive minds in football. Gunnell spent his first six seasons with his alma mater Boston College (2016-21).

Kodi Burns
^{New Orleans Saints}

The Fort Smith native played his college ball at Auburn and was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks as a senior at Northside High School. Burns is in his second season with the Saints, which keeps him from having to worry about recruiting and the day-to-day duties of a college assistant. Luring an NFL assistant away for a potential homecoming will be a tall task. His receivers currently average 10.4 yards per catch which is in the bottom 10 among NFL franchises. They also rank in the bottom half in explosiveness with only 45 receptions exceeding 20 yards or more.