Earlier in the week, it appeared that the Arkansas Razorbacks were going to hire USF head coach Alex Golesh. After it was reported that Alex Golesh was all but a done deal, the hiring was never officially announced, leaving everyone to wait until the weekend to see how the coaching carousel may play out, as it seemed possible Golesh was waiting until the end of his season.
On Sunday Morning, while everyone was caught up in the Lane Kiffin drama, the Arkansas Razorbacks filled their vacancy by reportedly hiring Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield.
BREAKING: Memphis' Ryan Silverfield is expected to be named Arkansas' next head coach, @Brett_McMurphy reports🐗https://t.co/rcNE7S3byK pic.twitter.com/62UoGANdH7
— On3 (@On3sports) November 30, 2025
Ryan Silverfield and Alex Golesh will be compared forever in Fayetteville
While Ryan Silverfield is a great hire for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he'll forever be compared to how Alex Golesh's career plays out. After it seemed highly likely that Golesh was going to land at Arkansas, Auburn hired him on Sunday, keeping the two figures from Arkansas' coaching search in the SEC.
Ryan Silverfield was tied to the Arkansas job from the moment he beat Arkansas and the Razorbacks fired Sam Pittman. Silverfield wraps up a Memphis tenure that started fully in 2020 where he finished his career with a 50-25 record going 27-21 in AAC play.
The Razorbacks desperately need this hiring to work out as the program has become one of the doormats of the SEC over the past few seasons. The good news for Silverfield is that Arkansas has shown on the basketball side that they're willing to go all-in on the NIL side, and if he can get the same level of buy in, the Razorbacks could start competing in the SEC again.
In the end, this is a great fit for Arkansas, but if Alex Golesh goes on to great things at Auburn, Arkansas fans will be thinking about what could've been for a long time.