Arkansas Football: Chad Morris’ new energy needed after Bret Bielema
Some new faces could be exactly what’s needed with Arkansas football after former head coach Bret Bielema only managed four wins in 2017.
Arkansas football made one of the better hires that went under the radar in the past month. Between the Texas A&M Aggies snagging Jimbo Fisher, Nebraska Cornhuskers getting Scott Frost, and UCLA Bruins getting Chip Kelly, there were a lot of headlines born from the coaching carousel.
The Razorbacks hired former SMU Mustangs head coach Chad Morris soon after firing Bret Bielema. Morris turned the Mustangs around fast after the June Jones-era did not finish on a positive note in Dallas. He also a long history of offensive success.
Before taking over at SMU, Morris was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach with the Clemson Tigers. He developed quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson and Tajh Boyd during his time with Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. Arkansas fans can hope he’ll do the same thing with freshman quarterback Cole Kelley.
The Arkansas offense fell flat during most of the 2017 campaign. Inconsistency at the quarterback position, between Kelly and senior Austin Allen, contributed to some of the struggles for the Hogs on the offensive side of the ball. A season ending injury to true freshman running back Chase Hayden did not help anything either.
Bielema’s tenure in Fayetteville ended on a bad note, with a four win season. Only one of those four wins came in SEC play, with a close victory over the Ole Miss Rebels. While Bielema has always been an entertaining personality for the Razorbacks, it was time for some fresh energy with the program.
Next: Predicting all 41 bowl games and CFB Playoff
Morris can also help the Hogs take advantage of some existing talent on the roster. Arkansas brings back key players like Kelly, Hayden, sophomore running back Devwah Whaley, junior wide receiver Jonathan Nance, and junior safety Santos Ramirez. A new coaching staff could jolt this team into a successful run in 2018.