It is time for our weekly “Ask Mike” segment as the Razorback Football team gets prepared to face Missouri in the Battle Line Rivalry game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Let’s find out what you the Razorbacks fans have to ask our veteran analyst Mike Irwin.
OUR FIRST QUESTION THIS WEEK COMES FROM COOLHOG WHO ASKS:
*When do the assistant’s contracts expire? Will a new coach have an opportunity to hire them before they take another job? Do you think we might have been better off to name the best recruiter in Texas the interim coach so the new coach would have ample time to hire him on new staff?
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1. Contracts run July to July for assistants.
2. Pretty safe to say if the new head coach
3. wants to keep any of these guys
4. he won’t have any trouble
5. keeping them.
6 the question is
5. who would he want?
6. that’s anybodies guess.
7. since we don’t know who
8 the new coach will be.
9. HY wanted an Arkansas connection
10 during this Interim period.
11. He picked the right guy for the Interim head coach.
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*Justifiable Hogicide wants to know:Do the players seem happier now that Chad Morris is gone?
1. There might be a few
2. that wanted Chad Morris retained
3. But I’m told…not many
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*sowmonella asks: If you were the AD who would be target #1? 2,3,4? I’ll hang up and listen.
1. I would not last long as an AD.
2. Mike Leach would be my top target.
3. I’d go after Mike Gundy after that.
4. I might go
5. with Lunney Jr. Or Sam Pittman
6. as three and four.
7. Every successful head coach
8. was once a successful assistant
9. Both of those guys have the smarts
10. and leadership to make the jump.
11. Other presumed candidates not on my list
12. are not coaches I’d consider.
13. So I’ve probably just made a bunch of you mad.
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*Hogwild asks: Who was your starting QB for LSU?
1. Lunney Jr. made the right decision.
2. KJ has a long ways to go
3. but you have to consider
4. who has been coaching him
5. But also it would not surprise me
6. If next year’s QB is not
6. currently on the team
7. Or maybe Jack Lindsey would
8. come into play next year.
9..He’s smart enough to adjust
10 to whatever offense
10. The new coach brings in.
11. But if he’s smart, the new
12. coach will bring a QB with him or quickly go get one.
13 if his offense is a lot different
14. than what they’re running now.
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*I_Called_That_Play_Brotha says: We now have half a team of pro set offense players and half a team of pseudo spread. Regardless of who winds up being our new leader, does this mean we’re again out of recruit/philosophy sync for two years?
1. It’s not 50-50.
2 It’s more Morris’ players
3. than Bielema’s now
4. The real issue is how will these guys
5. fit the philosophy of
6. the new head coach?
7. Until we know who that is
8. It’s anybodies guess
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*FS-Hogman wants to know: What did Coach O say or ask Burks at the end of the game? My wife is pretty good at lip reading and she said he told Burks he wanted him here (meaning transfer to LSU). If he did, I think HY should file a complaint with the SEC about him recruiting players of other SEC teams during the season.
1. To date no one at Arkansas
2. has commented on this.
3. we’ve watched the clip.
4. We’re not lip readers
5. but coach O did spend
6. around 10 seconds
7. talking to Burks
8. so it could have happened.
9. we’ve got the clip
10.and if Burks
11 transfers to LSU
12. We may find us a lip reader.
13. But my guess is
14. Burks, an Arkansas kid,
15 is not going anywhere.
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* parallaxpig wants to know:During a coaching search does an AD ever talk with the coach directly during the regular season. What is the usual protocol?
1. For the most part no.
2. Usually they deal with agents.
3. There are exceptions.
4. But beware of what you hear.
5. Various rumors
6. and even media reports
7. Have HY as already talking
8. to certain candidates.
9. I’m not saying that’s wrong.
10. but unless I got it
11. from the horses mouth
12.I would not report it.
13 what head coach
14 wants it said
15 that he’s talking to another school
16. while the season is going on?
17. So most don’t do it directly.
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*Kevin wants to know: I understand lack of talent , I understand new learning new schemes but after 2 years how do you keep getting worse like our defense has. They look like they don’t even practice.
1. Some of it is youth.
2. some of it is a talent issue
3. They obviously need more
4. speed in the secondary
5. but mostly it appears to be coaching.
6. There’s no creativity in the pass rush.
7. the techniques are bad
8. and the motivation is awful.
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*smtg94 says:I think these players have to take responsibility for their part in this season. They quit on this team and turned their backs on a once proud program. What is your take on this team quitting and not playing to there potential? How long will it take to get back to being competitive again?
1. It doesn’t take long for tradition
2. to go out the window
3. there’s a common belief
4. that there aren’t enough
5. Arkansas kids on this team.
6. that out of state kids aren’t
7. as invested.
8. That might be partially true.
9. but all the motivation and heart
10. out there won’t overcome
bad coaching and a lack of talent.
12. This team needs more speed.
13. Better quarterbacks.
14 and mostly a better offensive
15 and defensive line.
16 that’s on the next coach
17 winning builds tradition.
18 there is a good group of
19. freshmen on this team.
20 I think the right coach
21 will have more to work with
22. than Morris did two years ago.
23. Recruiting was the one thing
24 this staff did well.
25. Don’t get me wrong.
26 there are still some holes.
27 like the O-line, QB and secondary.
28. but the right coach could solve
29. those problems
30. in a couple of seasons.
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*Hawgphat wants to know: Is the AD oblivious to the preferences of the vocal fan base ? Are there CERTAIN KNOWLEDGEABLE “INSIDERS” to whom he defers in formulating his decision-making process? Does he consult with any influential person or group of persons before making his selection known?
1. First of all…
2. There is no consensus with the fans
3. on who should be hired
4. so polling them would do him no good
5. I think he’s got a good idea
6. of who the fans don’t want.
7. I don’t figure he will
8. hire somebody that falls
9 into that caregory
10. The knowledgable insiders?
11. that would be former coaches
12 Like Barry Switzer who I’m told
13 has been contacted.
14. and there are others.
15. influencial persons?
16. Like those boosters that
17. Tried to get Gus Malzahn
18. two years ago?
19 I hope not.
20. If it goes like it did
21 with the Mussleman hire
22. Hunter Yurachek
20 will hire the guy he thinks
21 is right for the job.
22.. not somebody
23. that a group of boosters
24. or board of trustee’s members
25. want him to bring in.
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*Big Daddy says: I’m confused about the role of Special Teams Coordinator. I heard Coach Lunney say in his most recent press conference that he doesn’t understand how to kick a football. My question is, who coaches the kickers if he (Lunney) doesn’t know anything about the mechanics or techniques?
1. They send their kickers
2. to kicking academies
3. in the summer months.
4. A couple of guys on the staff
5. go with them.
6. So that in-season and in the spring
7. they’re able to observe any issues
8. that might pop up in their techniques.
9. But no, Lunney does not
10. observe them kicking
11. and say, That’s wrong
12. let me show you how
13 to do it.
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*10yrsofhell asks: What are your thoughts about the Sec/Espn announcers’ comments about Arkansas not giving Chad Morris enough time before being fired? Are we just supposed to lay down and accept last place every year or can we strive to get better?
1. Almost all game announcers
2. and analysts will defend coaches
3. no matter what.
4. I think it’s because
5. they come in before games
6. and work with the coaches
7. as a part of their on air game prep.
8. They don’t want to develop
9. a reputation of criticizing coaches
10. for fear that they will get
11. limited cooperation from the coaches
12. in their game prep.
13. But for whatever the reason
14. it’s annoying and
15. it’s one of the reasons
16. why I watch games
17 with the sound down.
18. those comments about Morris
19. were nonsense.
20. I think Hunter Yuracheck
21. adequately explained
22. why Morris was fired
23 when he was fired.
24. The team was not making
25 progress and
26 Was not competitive at all.
27 end of story.
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LETS SHIFT GEARS….
*Here’s a track question from PorkSoda who asks: How would you assess the job Bucknam has done with the men’s track program?
1. Arkansas…which used to dominate
2. Indoor, Outdoor track and
3. Cross Country
4. Just finished 30th at the
5. National Cross Country meet.
6. That’s embarrassing.
7. Now there is a tend in athletics
8 these days to have
9. just one head coach
10 for both men’s
11 and women’s track.
12 Lance Harter..who has won 4
13. national titles
14 with the Arkansas women
15 would be a logical pick
16. If HY decided to make a
17 change with the men’s
18 program.
18 But I dont have
19 any inside information
20. on that.
*Dr. Starcs wants to know:Will the “Ask Mike” segment continue through basketball and baseball seasons?
1. It will if I get enough questions
2. from Hog fans like you.
3. Here’s how we do this:
4. Go to hogville.net on your phone
5. or computer.
6. Sign up. It’s free.
7. Get yourself a user name
8. Like Hog Detective
9. Or… I ask good questions.
10. Anything. Get creative..
11. Then go to the Ask Mike forum
12. Post your question.
13. and you’re in business
That is it for this week’s “Ask Mike” segment. Submit your questions on Hogville.net and get them answered next week in this “Ask Mike” segment.
