Arkanas has hired 2 search firms. 1)AD 2)HC. Thank you Tennessee for taking the heat off us.
With that said, here is what we’ve been hearing from the two different searches: The search is being led by the folks who ultimately fund the university and who continue to believe Gus Malzahn is in play should Auburn lose to Georgia this weekend. That, very much, remains to be seen. Should Auburn win, assuring Auburn a spot in the Playoff, the money folks seem fixated on Mike Norvell as their Plan B.
From the other search, led by those who are employed by the university, the word there is the two coaches they have vetted to their liking are Brent Venables and Chad Morris. Both of those men are outstanding football coaches and probably would do very well at Arkansas, but at this time it appears the donors would need to be sold on being a better choice that Mike Norvell. If Arkansas is able to select their new AD in the coming days perhaps he (or she) could accomplish this.
Korn/Ferry is the most expensive search firm out there. DHR has a reputation for swinging big, high profile names