College Football HQ

$6.4 million college football coach ‘expected’ to be named head coach at SEC program

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Memphis, Tennessee, USA; South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Goulash talks with Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield before the game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Memphis, Tennessee, USA; South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Goulash talks with Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield before the game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

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Arkansas RazorbacksMemphis Tigers

Arkansas has been searching for a replacement since firing Sam Pittman on September 28 following the team's 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame that left the team 2-3 to start the year.

Interim coach Bobby Petrino oversaw a difficult stretch, with the Razorbacks finishing 2-10 and winless in SEC play.

By late November, multiple outlets reported Arkansas was in advanced talks with South Florida’s Alex Golesh, widely viewed as the frontrunner.

Still, speculation and betting markets continued to circulate other names, most prominently Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield.

Memphis finished the 2025 regular season 8-4 (8-3 prior to Thursday's 28-17 loss to Navy) and ended a run where the Tigers were in national Group of Five conversations.

On Sunday, reports confirmed Silverfield is set to be named Arkansas’ next head coach.

Silverfield came up through the college and NFL coaching ranks (Hampden–Sydney, UCF, the Minnesota Vikings, Toledo, Arizona State, Detroit Lions) before joining Memphis as an offensive line coach in 2016.

He was elevated to interim head coach after Mike Norvell’s departure and then became Memphis’ head coach in December 2019.

Silverfield has compiled a .676 winning percentage at Memphis (50–24 across six seasons), guided Memphis to consecutive winning seasons and multiple bowl wins, and kept Memphis among the top Group of Five programs.

Silverfield signed a five-year deal with Memphis that runs through the 2028 season with a $6.4 million buyout.

Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield.
Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers Head Coach Ryan Silverfield reacts on the field after defeating the South Florida Bulls at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Moving from Memphis (a high-achieving Group of Five program) to an SEC job is a clear step up in financial resources and recruiting reach (SEC footprint), as well as pressure and expectations. 

For Arkansas, hiring Silverfield brings a coach with sustained success at a program that recently edged the Razorbacks 32–31 and built strong regional recruiting ties.

Time will tell whether he can translate that success to a fan base with little patience for slow rebuilds.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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