Pittman, Williams Should be at Reliaquest Bowl Hiring Linebackers Coach When Game Done

If Razorbacks want SEC's best, Yuracheck will need to tap into money saved from Odom departure

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Jan 2, 2023 2:08 PM EST

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas fans are about to get their first glimpse into where defensive coordinator Travis Williams wants to take the Razorback defense as he begins to revamp it.

With linebackers coach Michael Scherer Vegas bound to join former Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom as UNLV's defensive coordinator, Williams has an important role to fill.

While the secondary has been frightenly bad for Arkansas, the linebacker position has been the one area of the Razorback defense that has been a legitimate elite SEC level position group during the two years Scherer helmed the position.

Grant Morgan, Hayden Henry and Bumper Pool combined for 276 tackles while also shutting down the passing lanes over the middle in 2021 despite dealing with injuries throughout the season.

Pool then combined with Alabama transfer Drew Sanders and Chris Paul, Jr. for 257 tackles and 15.5 sacks despite Sanders and Pool skipping the Liberty Bowl.

With a young group of linebackers in need of development. Scherer had 20 years of SEC linebacking experience to work with in his starters over two years. Whomever Williams and head coach Sam Pittman can agree will be a good fit at Arkansas will have essentially one year of SEC experience in that position to work with.

This is going to take someone with extensive Power 5 experience, preferably in the SEC.

If Arkansas is going to go after the best linebackers coach in the conference as a replacement, that list statistically begins and ends with Mississippi State's Matt Brock.

Brock coached the No. 1 and No. 3 tacklers in the SEC this season. Linebacker Nathaniel Watson led the league with 108 tackles and Jett Johnson tied Sanders in the third spot with 103.

Watson was second only to Sanders in total sacks with five and total sack yards lost with 44.

The question is whether Arkansas could afford Brock should they try to lure him away from Starkville. If there's one thing Mike Leach did at Mississippi State to change the place for the better, it was getting his assistants pay raises.

Matt Brock Salary

2019, Washington St., $286,500

2020, Mississippi St.. $390,000

2021, Mississippi St., $415,000

2022, Mississippi St., $465,000

The dramatic increase in salary, especially in 2022, indicates Brock is in high demand and highly valued. One has to wonder how much more Mississippi State can afford to add to his salary without promoting him to defensive coordinator or at least adding the title "associate head coach" to his duties.

That crown is currently worn by nickelbacks coach Tony Hughes, who would presumably be the in-house favorite as the next to fill the spot vacated by newly named head coach Zach Arnett at defensive coordinator if Brock isn't the top in-house candidate.

Either way, it will be a huge leap for Arkansas to jump from the $325,000 Scherer was reportedly making to the $500,000 minimum it will probably take to get Brock to the table.

Bringing on a grad assistant with a low salary to coach linebackers was feasible when Arkansas essentially had a team of coaches playing linebacker under the guidance of one of the game's most experienced defensive coordinators, but after two years of playing discount football (Scherer got a paltry $175,000 his first year in the position), Arkansas is going to have to use some of that $1.85 million it was paying Odom as defensive coordinator.

For those who are keeping up with the numbers, you are indeed correct. Odom took a paycut to go be head coach at UNLV.

Odom was paid for his extensive experience. Williams will make $700,000 less than Odom because of his lack of experience as a defensive coordinator.

However, much like when Pittman complemented himself with Odom's experience, the Hogs are going to have to find someone with a ton of experience to complement Williams.

That means Arkansas will have to pay top dollar, and if they're going to pay top dollar, why not spend for the best unless he's just a terrible fit.

And right now that's Brock.