There’s nothing that a coaching staff that is struggling to rebuild a program likes to do than blame the previous regime for leaving the cupboard bare when they left, and that seems to be the case with Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis.

During a press conference on Monday, Chavis once again used the old cliche of putting the blame on the past instead of the present when discussing his unit.

“Let’s just tell the truth, it was broken when we got here and we just haven’t fixed it quick enough,” he said.

Broken? Yes, the defense wasn’t great under Bret Bielema, but in more than a season and a half, Chavis and his staff have done nothing to improve it. In fact, it is actually taking a step back.

Let’s look at the numbers. The Razorbacks are giving up 443.2 yards per game, ranking them 105th out of 130 in all of the FBS. Interestingly, that is 30 more yards than they gave up last season, Chavis’ first in charge when he didn’t have any of his own players and his system was brand new to the Razorbacks.

In the last three games alone — vs. Auburn, at Alabama and vs. Mississippi State –,  Chavis’ unit has given up a whopping 153 total points. Oh, and in the game before that, the Razorbacks gave up 24 points to a Kentucky offense that had a wide receiver starting at quarterback.

Did I mention Chavis is being paid $1.5 million this year for this production and will make $1.6 million next year, if there is a next year for this staff in Fayetteville, which right now seems unlikely?

Yet Chavis can go on about how he was left with nothing to work with and continue to not improve his current defense one bit while collecting that big paycheck. I would just recommend that, with that money, he go buy a  mirror and maybe take a good look at himself in it for some time.