A decade of Houston Nutt
Posted on Thursday, November 22, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/208432/
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Houston Nutt is on the short list for coaching longevity.
Nutt is among 11 — how’s that for football symmetry ? — coaches in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A ) who have been at their current schools for 10 or more years.
“That is a short list, and I’m very thankful to be on it,” Nutt said. “I know it’s unusual to be at one school for that long in this day and age.
“ I’m very thankful for that, and for my family and health.”
Joe Paterno leads the list with 42 consecutive seasons as Penn State’s coach. Nutt is tied for 10 th with Texas ’ Mack Brown.
The list also includes Michigan’s Lloyd Carr, who has announced he is retiring after 13 seasons. Besides Nutt, the only other SEC coach on the list is Phillip Fulmer, in his 16 th season at Tennessee.
Arkansas’ game at No. 1 LSU on Friday will mark the completion of Nutt’s 10 th regular season with the Razorbacks (7-4 ), who also have a bowl game left to play.
Nutt’s 10-year tenure is the third-longest among Arkansas coaches, behind outgoing Athletic Director Frank Broyles (19 seasons from 1958-1976 ) and Fred Thomsen (13 seasons from 1929-1941 ).
“I think it means we’ve done a good job here,” Nutt said. “We’ve tried to make a difference with young people and help them earn degrees and win games. If you weren’t doing those things, you’d be gone.”
Rumors and some news reports circulated last Friday that Nutt is gone from Arkansas after this season either by resignation or firing, but that was denied by Nutt and a host of UA administrators.
All contend that Nutt’s job performance will be evaluated after the season, as has been the case every year since he was hired Dec. 10, 1997, from Boise State.
“Some days it seems like it’s gone by so fast, it seems like just yesterday Coach Broyles was introducing me as the head football coach,” said Nutt, a Little Rock native who has a 74-48 record at Arkansas. “And then some times it seems like, ‘Ooh, it’s been a long, long time.’”
Nutt received a contract extension through 2012 after last season, when he led the Razorbacks to a 10-4 record and outright SEC West title and was voted conference coach of the year by his coaching peers and the media.
But a tumultuous off-season, including the transfer of quarterback Mitch Mustain to Southern California and the departure of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn — Mustain’s coach at Springdale High School — to Tulsa, put Nutt back on the hot seat going into his 10 th season.
Arkansas was ranked as high as No. 16 early this season but dropped out of the polls after a 41-38 loss at Alabama on Sept. 15 and hasn’t reappeared.
After an 0-3 start in SEC play, the Razorbacks have rallied and can finish 4-4 in the conference with an upset at LSU.
Beating the Tigers might put Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
Regardless of what happens at LSU on Friday, the Razorbacks will be in a bowl game for the eighth time under Nutt, an achievement he and his backers can point to with pride.
Nutt’s detractors will point out none of those postseason appearances has been in a Bowl Championship Series game and that Nutt has failed to deliver an SEC overall title in 10 years.
“As a coach, you’re a competitor and you always wish you had won one more or two or three more that year,” Nutt said. “But if you had told me 10 years ago that we would go to eight bowl games, that would have sounded pretty good.”
Nutt twice has led the Razorbacks to the SEC Championship Game, but both resulted in losses, 30-3 to Georgia in 2002 and 38-28 to Florida last year.
“It’s hard to win the SEC,” Nutt said. “Last year was the closest we’ve gotten to it, and we almost did it.
“ But we’re going to get our opportunity to do that. I believe that.”
In Arkansas’ first six SEC seasons, from 1992-1997, the Razorbacks averaged 4. 8 victories. In Nutt’s 10 seasons, the Razorbacks are averaging 7. 4 victories.
But some fans see that as mediocrity and not enough progress.
“There are more dollars, more pressure, more people wanting change,” Nutt said. “It’s a tough profession, and it’s gotten tougher the last seven to eight years.”
Why is that ?
“Radio talk shows, the Internet,” Nutt said. “Everybody can be a part of the media in a very opinionated way.”
Arkansas lost to former Southwest Conference rival SMU — whose program was discontinued for two years because of the NCAA death penalty — in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
“When I first got the job, people kept asking me, ‘Can we beat SMU ?’” Nutt said. “Now the expectations are a lot higher.”
Nutt might have made it tougher on himself by leading Arkansas to an 8-0 start, including a 44-17 victory over SMU, and a No. 10 national ranking his first season as coach in 1998.
There’s nowhere to go but down after that.
“It’s like the old saying, ‘You build a monster, and now you must feed it,’” Nutt said. “There’s some of that here now.”
Nutt’s first loss at Arkansas in 1998 remains his most disappointing — 28-24 at No. 1 Tennessee.
The Razorbacks appeared to have the game won, leading 24-22 and with possession with 1: 43 left when quarterback Clint Stoerner stumbled on a bootleg and fumbled.
Tennessee recovered at the Arkansas 43 and drove for the game-winning touchdown. A week later, a 22-21 loss at Mississippi State cost Arkansas a shot at a rematch with the Vols in the SEC Championship Game.
Nutt said any loss at Arkansas has been difficult, and that along with the Tennessee and Mississippi State games in 1998, the toughest have included the four SEC losses this year to Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee.
“The latest [losses ] are the ones freshest in your mind,” Nutt said. “But they’re all tough.”
Nutt said the Razorbacks ’ greatest victory during his tenure probably was beating Texas 27-6 in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 2000.
“We hadn’t won a bowl game in so long [14 years ], and beating Texas is always big,” Nutt said of Arkansas’ greatest rival from the SWC. “Beating Tennessee [28-24 in 1999 ] was big, too. It was the exact same score [from the 1998 game ] after we had given them a gift. It was nice to return the favor.”
Nutt also recalled the significance of winning the two longest games in NCAA history, in seven overtimes at Ole Miss, 58-56, in 2001 and at Kentucky, 71-63, in 2003.
“Those were phenomenal games. You wondered if they were ever going to end,” he said. “You were exhausted, but happy, when they did.”
Now a lot of people wonder if Nutt’s time at Arkansas is running out.
“I don’t worry about that,” Nutt said. “I just worry about doing the best job of trying to prepare and get our guys ready to play.
“ It’s about these young men, and that’s what gives you the most joy — your players, the way they played Saturday [in beating Mississippi State 45-31 ] and the celebrating in the locker room after a win.” NUTT STUFF Sticking around Of the 119 Division I football coaches, 11 have been at the same school 10 years or longer. Houston Nutt is one of them. RK. COACH, COLLEGE YRS. 1. Joe Paterno, Penn State...................... 42 2. Bobby Bowden, Florida State.............. 32 3. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech................ 21 4. Jeff Bower, Southern Miss.................. 17 5. Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee.................... 16 6. Sonny Lubick, Colo. State................... 13 7. Lloyd Carr, Michigan............................ 13 8. Mike Bellotti, Oregon........................... 13 9. Joe Tiller, Purdue................................. 11 10. Mack Brown, Texas........................... 10 10. Houston Nutt, Arkansas............. 10 NOTE Larry Blakeney is in his 17 th season at Troy, but Troy has only been Division I, or Football Bowl Subdivison, since 2001. Vs. SEC foes Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt improved his SEC record to 41-40 with Saturday’s victory against Mississippi State. Nutt is 16-4 against teams from the state of Mississippi but 12-20 against teams from the SEC East: SEC OPPONENT RECORD Mississippi State.................................... 9-1 Mississippi............................................. 7-3 South Carolina....................................... 7-3 Alabama................................................. 5-5 Auburn................................................... 5-5 Vanderbilt............................................... 1-1 LSU......................................................... 3-6 Tennessee............................................... 2-5 Kentucky................................................. 2-3 Florida..................................................... 0-3 Georgia................................................... 0-5 TOTAL 41-40 vs. WEST 29-20 vs. EAST 12-20 SOURCE Arkansas football media guide First-team All-Americans PLAYER (YEAR ) POS. Brandon Burlsworth (1998 )................. OG * Jermaine Petty (2001 )........................... LB * Ken Hamlin (2002 )................................ FS * Shawn Andrews (2002 ).......................... OT Shawn Andrews (2003 )........................... OT Felix Jones (2005 )................................ KR * Darren McFadden (2006 )....................... RB * Named by institution other than AP First-round draft picks PLAYER (YEAR ) TEAM (RD ) Shawn Andrews (2004 ) Eagles (1 st ) Ahmad Carroll (2004 ) Packers (1 st ) Matt Jones (2005 ) Jaguars (1 st ) Jamaal Anderson (2007 ) Falcons (1 st ) The leaders
1998 LEADING RUSHER Chrys Chukwuma (870 ) LEASING PASSER Clint Stoerner (2, 629 ) LEADING RECEIVERS Michael Williams (44-560 ); Anthony Lucas (43-1, 004 )
1999 LEADING RUSHER Cedric Cobbs (668 ) LEASING PASSER Clint Stoerner (2, 293 ) LEADING RECEIVER Anthony Lucas (37-822 )
2000 LEADING RUSHER Fred Talley (768 ) LEASING PASSER Robby Hampton (1, 731 ) LEADING RECEIVER Boo Williams (59-836 )
2001 LEADING RUSHER Fred Talley (797 ) LEASING PASSER Zac Clark (1, 013 ) LEADING RECEIVER George Wilson (41-575 )
2002 LEADING RUSHER Fred Talley (1, 185 ) LEASING PASSER Matt Jones (1, 592 ) LEADING RECEIVER George Wilson (49-626 )
2003 LEADING RUSHER Cedric Cobbs (1, 320 ) LEASING PASSER Matt Jones (1, 917 ) LEADING RECEIVER George Wilson (50-900 )
2004 LEADING RUSHER Matt Jones (622 ) LEASING PASSER Matt Jones (2, 073 ) LEADING RECEIVERS Stephen Harris (37-617 ); Marcus Monk (37-569 )
2005 LEADING RUSHER Darren McFadden (1, 113 ) LEASING PASSER Robert Johnson (876 ) LEADING RECEIVERS Peyton Hillis (38-402 ); Marcus Monk (35-476 )
2006 LEADING RUSHERS Darren McFadden (1, 647 ); Felix Jones (1, 168 ) LEASING PASSERS Casey Dick (991 ); Mitch Mustain (894 ) LEADING RECEIVER Marcus Monk (50-962 )
2007 LEADING RUSHERS Darren McFadden (1, 519 ); Felix Jones (1, 032 ) LEASING PASSER Casey Dick (1, 404 ) LEADING RECEIVER Peyton Hillis (49-423 ) The assistants Twenty-four assistant coaches have served under Houston Nutt at Arkansas: BOBBY ALLEN * 1998 to present, linebackers, defensive line, secondary, defensive coordinator KEITH BURNS 1998-1999, defensive coordinator LOUIS CAMPBELL 2006, secondary CLIFTON EALY 1998-1999 and 2003-2005, bandits / rovers and tight ends JOE FERGUSON 1998-1999, quarterbacks REGGIE HERRING 2004-present, defensive coordinator FITZ HILL 1998-2000, receivers TIM HORTON 2007, running backs MARK HUTSON 1998-1999 tight ends / special teams BILL JOHNSON 2000, defensive line BILL KEOPPLE 1998-1999, defensive line DAVID LEE 2001-2002, 2007 quarterbacks, offensive coordinator GUS MALZAHN 2006, offensive coordinator MIKE MARKUSON * 1998 to present, offensive line DANNY NUTT 1998-2006, running backs GEORGE PUGH 2001-2002, receivers, tight ends TRACY ROCKER 2003-present, defensive line KACY RODGERS 2002, defensive line JAMES SHIBEST 2000-present, tight ends / special teams, receivers JOHN THOMPSON 1999-2000, defensive coordinator CHRIS VAUGHN 2000-2005, 2007, bandits / rovers, outside linebackers, safeties DAVE WOMMACK —2001-2004, defensive coordinator, secondary ROY WITTKE 2003-2005, quarterbacks ALEX WOOD 2006-present, quarterbacks, receivers * On staff from the beginning of Nutt’s tenure
NUTT BY THE NUMBERS 4 Times Arkansas has had more passing yards than rushing yards in a season 74-48 Record in 9-plus seasons as Arkansas’ football coach 41-38 Record in SEC regular-season games 29-20 Record vs. SEC West 12-20 Record vs. SEC East 9-1 Record vs. Mississippi State 0-5 Record vs. Georgia 2-5 Record vs. Tennessee 0-2 Record in SEC Championship games 3 SEC West Championships or co-championships 2 Trips to the SEC Championship Game 7 Bowl trips in 9 seasons 2-5 Record in bowl games 3 Final rankings in top 20 of AP poll: No. 16 (1998 ), No. 17 (1999 ), No. 15 (2006 ) 2 Preseason rankings of the AP poll: No. 18 (1999 ), No. 16 (2007 ) 23, 362 Yards rushing 21, 043 Yards passing 3, 581 Points scored 2, 688 Points allowed