
Arkansas Interim Head Coach Bobby Petrino has been very vocal since taking over the program after Sam Pittman was fired on September 28th.
He wasted no time making changes to his coaching staff, dismissing defensive coordinator Travis Williams, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, and defensive line coach Deke Adams.
Petrino has shown no shortage of confidence in how he plans to seize this opportunity. He has made it clear he wants to return as Arkansas’s head coach—and appears willing to make whatever changes he deems necessary to get there, starting with key adjustments to the defensive staff.
The Razorbacks’ defense has struggled this season, ranking 116th nationally in total defense with 2,125 yards allowed—an average of 425 yards per game over five games, according to NCAA.com. They also rank 108th in run defense (168 yards per game), 113th in passing defense (257 yards per game), and 125th in third-down conversion percentage, having allowed 31 conversions on 65 attempts (.477). So, it’s safe to say some changes couldn’t hurt.
After the dismissal of those three coaches, Petrino promoted assistant defensive line coach Chris Wilson to the defensive coordinator, first-year defensive backs coach Che Hendrix to the safeties, and running backs coach Kolby Smith to the offensive coordinator. He also mentioned that graduate assistants are helping to coach the linebackers.
A few days later, Petrino hired veteran NFL assistant Jay Hayes to his staff as the defensive line coach.
Hayes brings 20 seasons of NFL coaching experience, beginning as a special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1999 to 2002, followed by a stint with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2002 season. He transitioned to defensive coaching in 2003, taking over as the defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals—a role he held through the 2015 season. Hayes then spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their defensive line coach, and served as the assistant defensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2018. In 2020, he joined the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks as both defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, and later held the same dual role with the Jousters in The Spring League. Since 2022, Hayes has served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the UFL’s Arlington Renegades.
Time will tell whether these changes improve the Razorbacks’ defense, but one thing’s certain: Bobby Petrino is going to give it his all.
Arkansas Interim Head Coach Bobby Petrino has been very vocal since taking over the program after Sam Pittman was fired on September 28th.
He wasted no time making changes to his coaching staff, dismissing defensive coordinator Travis Williams, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, and defensive line coach Deke Adams.
Petrino has shown no shortage of confidence in how he plans to seize this opportunity. He has made it clear he wants to return as Arkansas’s head coach—and appears willing to make whatever changes he deems necessary to get there, starting with key adjustments to the defensive staff.
The Razorbacks’ defense has struggled this season, ranking 116th nationally in total defense with 2,125 yards allowed—an average of 425 yards per game over five games, according to NCAA.com. They also rank 108th in run defense (168 yards per game), 113th in passing defense (257 yards per game), and 125th in third-down conversion percentage, having allowed 31 conversions on 65 attempts (.477). So, it’s safe to say some changes couldn’t hurt.
After the dismissal of those three coaches, Petrino promoted assistant defensive line coach Chris Wilson to the defensive coordinator, first-year defensive backs coach Che Hendrix to the safeties, and running backs coach Kolby Smith to the offensive coordinator. He also mentioned that graduate assistants are helping to coach the linebackers.
A few days later, Petrino hired veteran NFL assistant Jay Hayes to his staff as the defensive line coach.
Hayes brings 20 seasons of NFL coaching experience, beginning as a special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1999 to 2002, followed by a stint with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2002 season. He transitioned to defensive coaching in 2003, taking over as the defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals—a role he held through the 2015 season. Hayes then spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their defensive line coach, and served as the assistant defensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2018. In 2020, he joined the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks as both defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, and later held the same dual role with the Jousters in The Spring League. Since 2022, Hayes has served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the UFL’s Arlington Renegades.
Time will tell whether these changes improve the Razorbacks’ defense, but one thing’s certain: Bobby Petrino is going to give it his all.