How Not to Build a College Football Powerhouse

You know if we're posting a story about college football in late February, it has to be juicy. At the University of Arkansas, a story continues to unfold that seems more like it belongs in an Aaron Spelling night-time soap than in the SEC. For those of you who don't know, Arkansas' run to the SEC Championship Game came on the heels of one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in school history. Just how did the Razorbacks pull it off? Hire the head coach of a high school powerhouse as offensive coordinator, of course. Well, that and make promises they knew they couldn't keep. Before last season, Arkansas hired the head coach of Springdale High School, Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator. This helped them land three prized prospects: Damian Williams, Ben Cleveland, and the nation's top quarterback prospect, Mitch Mustain. This is where the ridiculous promises come in. Head coach Houston Nutt allegedly told the parents of the Springdale trio that the team would adopt Malzahn's hurry-up, no huddle spread offense that would emphasize the pass and that the three freshmen to be would figure prominently in the new system. That didn't exactly happen. In the rough and tumble SEC West, there is usually little room for such gimmicky offenses, what with the likes of LSU, Auburn, and Alabama perenially trotting out three of the stingiest defenses in the nation. In circumstances such as that, it's best to know how to run the football, and run it well. The decision to stay with a more traditional offense apparently angered the parents of the three freshmen so that they felt the need to intrude upon Frank Broyles, longtime athletic director, and one of our favorites. They had a meeting with Broyles during which they inquired about the direction of the program, and whether Malzahn would be able to exert any more influence on how the offense is run, and how much the passing game would factor into that offense. This is the first time that we have heard about parents trying to strong-arm any college program, much less a powerhouse in the making in the SEC. In the wake of the meeting with Broyles, Damian Williams has transferred to USC, Mustain has been granted his release and will reportely visit USC in late February as he decides where he will play next year. Ben Cleveland will stay at Arkansas. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has left the program and will coach next year at the University of Tulsa. This whole sordid affair, in our view, has brought about three things. First, Frank Broyles' tenure at Arkansas will come to a conclusion at the end of the school year. We believe that this development will eventually lead to the second, Houston Nutt losing his job. As good as his team was on the field last season, the Razorbacks were not so hot on the recruiting trail. Out of twelve teams in the conference, Arkansas' recruiting class ranked ninth. It seems to us that other recruits are now leery of promises made to them by Nutt, and rightfully so. Third, and most disturbing, an event like this serves to pull back the curtain on major college football as a business, while also showcasing how obsessed some fans become with their favorite team. Above is an email sent to Mitch Mustain by a crazed Arkansas fan (big thanks go out to Kenny for sending this along; and yeah, the image is illegible but if you right click it and open in new window, you can read it. Kind of a pain in the ass I know but it's worth it, trust me). The whole situation has gotten out of hand. Bad for Arkansas, bad for the kids, bad for the SEC, and bad for college football.